1999 said:
the nrl has launched its new under 20's competition which will kick off in 2008, it has all 16 nrl teams represented and is called the 'toyota cup'
source nrl.com
Toyota Cup to Kick off in 2008
Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 2:08 PM
Toyota and the NRL have today officially launched the 2008 Toyota Cup, a National Under 20s competition that will showcase the elite young talent of Rugby League like never before.
The Toyota Cup is being heralded as a magnet for the countrys best junior sporting talent with every NRL team showcasing its best young players each week through the competition.
While the draw will mirror that of the Telstra Premiership, the Toyota Cup teams will operate separately as a semi professional competition.
Toyota Cup squads will be required to schedule training sessions that promote off field education and traineeships, with plans to exclude any team training during business hours on three working days of each week.
Clubs will be encouraged to tailor training sessions around off field education programmes and to ensure all athletes are engaged in either these or work placement programmes.
All players will attend specific Under 20s induction programmes that will outline the opportunities and responsibilities of a semi-professional sporting environment.
A percentage of the competitions salary cap will be dedicated to education funding.
However what that salary cap will be remains up in the air. With NRL chief David Gallop and competition manager Michael Buettner unable to give an exact figure today.
The Salary Cap is being worked on as we speak. There has been a great deal of effort put into this and it should be available in a few weeks time, said Gallop
Former International Michael Buettner, the NRLs current Game Liaison Manager, will move into the role of competition manager and says the focus will be on preparing footballers for every aspect of their career.
From the moment a player makes it into the Toyota Cup the message will be loud and clear that the first step will be to start building for life after football.
Most guys at the elite junior level dont make it to the Telstra Premiership and we want to make sure that seeing them making the most of their sporting talents doesnt cost them career opportunities they may have otherwise had.
We also find that the guys that do make it through are better focused through their football careers if they have a sense of where they are going after football.
What each individual player decides to do is up to them, but the NRL and Toyota are helping to pave the way. If players wish to pursue academic careers then there will be a $10 000 a year payment to help them with their tuition.
That money can be used by the individual to go towards course fees, learning materials or a laptop, depending on what the individual needs. This is all about not following the dream without following the future, said Buettner.
The Toyota Cup will act as a major stepping stone to first grade stardom and Buettner feels that they have hit the right demographic for this competition.
There is a fair chance that plenty of players will use it as a stepping stone to first grade. I went through the Media Guide and found that over 70% of the top 25 at each club made their first grade debut at 21 or earlier.
That is an incredible statistic in itself, and indicates that the Under 20 age group we are targeting is the correct one. We may even see more youngsters making it to first grade earlier. It is an exciting concept.
One of the staunchest supporters of the competition and chairman of the Under 20s planning committee, Parramatta Chief Executive, Mr Denis Fitzgerald, said the Toyota Cup was a crucial part of the games future.
No other code can offer an opportunity like this and it will attract not only the best athletes in our game but will also give plenty of others an incentive to look at Rugby League as well.
NRL CEO David Gallop agreed with that comment and stated that the program would help to not only retain players but to build local heroes.
In a week where Andrew Johns has retired, its important we talk about bringing through the next generation of local heroes. Johns was the kid from Cessnock who was able to build a career and become a hero at his local club.
There were suggestions that players could be poached by rival clubs; however Gallop felt that was an unlikely scenario, preferring to highlight the advancement of the game.
Kids tend to be attached to clubs they are near. This competition will foster that mentality; which is unique to Rugby league, particularly when comparing it to our major rival the AFL.
Its fitting that the games centenary year will be marked with a new competition aimed at the next generation of stars, he said.
Source: NRL
