ACT schoolboys star Wyll Holland has been gifted a chance to force his way into an Australian jersey but ARU funding cuts mean a tour to the United Kingdom is off the table.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Holland has been called into the Australian Barbarians squad to take on the New Zealand schoolboys and could write his family name into the history books with a solid showing.
But ARU funding cuts mean the Australian schoolboys won't tour the United Kingdom this year as was originally planned.
UK tours have traditionally been held every four years since 1973, with touring schoolboys sides producing more Wallabies than those in non-tour years.
A tour to the UK will be held in 2018 and from then on will be played every two years - however this means tours will likely be slightly shorter than in recent years.
The outgoing St Edmunds captain and No. 8 could follow in the footsteps of his older brothers Jake (2009) and Lewis (2010) in being selected for the Australian schoolboys.
The trio could enter rarified air having three brothers represent the Australian schoolboys, following the likes of the famous Ellas [Mark, Gary and Glen], Faingaas [Saia, Anthony and Colby], Harleys [Adam, Craig and Murray] and Lucas [Ben, Isaac and Matt].
Lewis Holland has since gone on to captain Australia in sevens rugby, a journey that took him to the Rio Olympic Games last year.
While Lewis is used to the limelight, Wyll was struggling to come to terms with his late call-up after the news was sprung on him on Saturday afternoon.
"I was absolutely ecstatic. It's something that I've always wanted to do," Holland said.
"For three of us to go through it now, I think it's a bit of a surprise."
Australian schoolboys coach Pat Langtry says Holland was one of several players in the frame for a call-up and his name was drawn when injury struck another player.
"It's an interesting scenario isn't it, how there is some families out there that produce brothers, particularly at this level, who play in that team," Langtry said.
"There's a lot of families that had two boys and there's quite a few that have had three. Good for the Hollands."
The ACT had just two players named for the Australian schoolboys despite breaking a 29-year national championship drought.
Hooker Lachlan Lonergan and halfback Seamus Smith were named for the Australian schoolboys while Brendan Jimenez, Lachlan Osborne, Tom Iles, Lincoln Smith and Will Goddard, who is being courted by the Waikato Chiefs, were named in the Barbarians team.
The two Australian sides will play each other on September 27, five days before the Barbarians face the New Zealand Schoolboys, and the Australian schoolboys meet their Fijian counterparts.
The sides will be re-selected after the October 2 double-header, before the Australian schoolboys face their Kiwi rivals and the Barbarians lace up the boots against the Fijian Schoolboys six days later.
Wyll Holland made his Queanbeyan Whites club debut alongside brothers Jake and Tom at the Queanbeyan Sevens earlier this month.
SCHOOLBOYS SERIES
Thursday September 28: New Zealand Schools v Fiji Schools at Knox Grammar, Wahroonga. Kick-off at 2pm.
Monday October 2: Australian Schools Barbarians v New Zealand Schools at 1pm. Australian Schoolboys v Fiji Schools at 3pm. Both games at Knox Grammar, Wahroonga.
Saturday October 7: Australian Schools Barbarians v Fiji Schools at 11am. Australian Schoolboys v New Zealand Schools at 1pm. Both games at T.G. Milner Field, Eastwood.
