The Highlanders can expect a week of physical, intense and challenging soccer recognised as the hardest junior tournament in Australia.

Sam Rose from Moss Vale Primary School and Joshua Day from Moss Vale High will join the boys under-12 team when they head to Mudgee in the October holidays.

Under-16 players Brooke Duffy, Chloe Vincent, Hayley Cruickshanks and Jess Crook, and under-12s player Heather Duffy, Emily Melnik, Lilliana Azara and Celia Stewart have also been invited to join their respective girls teams and will compete at Dubbo.

Director of coaching and development for the Highlands Soccer Association Nick D’Amore said that selection alone was a huge achievement for the players.

“Players from as far south as Bega, as far north as Yerrinbool, and east to Nowra are considered and the top 16 are selected,” he said.

The players are already in intensive training to prepare for the titles.

The state’s top 120 players from each age group come together to compete, which provides a major pathway as juniors have the opportunity to be identified for both the NSW country squad and Football NSW’s new initiative “Project 22”.

Trial dates for the 2010 teams can be found at www.southernnswfootball.com.au or by calling Alison Duffy on 0405 119 170.