When the 2011 version of the Canadian U17's take the field in England, they will be bolstered by one of the brightest forward prospects this country has seen in some time; 16 year-old Djustice Sears-Duru.
Djustice is a product of nearly every elite developmental system of rugby this country has to offer, and his play on the field speaks volumes about the results. Already a fixture in the Ontario U14 provincial program, Djustice entered Grade 9 at Oakville, Ontario's Abbey Park High School, where he came under the tutelage of one of Ontario's brightest young coaches in Tyler Leggatt.
Then, at age fourteen, the young forward would be receiving attention from all corners. A product of the strong youth program at the Oakville Crusaders club, as well as Abbey Park, it didn't take observers long to realize that the young man was something special. Coach Leggatt explains:
"In Grade 9 he was just a raw athlete, an amazing physical specimen, but still very raw. In the grade 9/10 division he was able to dominate a lot of his opposition, by going around them, over them or through them, just with power and speed. We quickly started working on getting him to run North-South instead of East-West."
Along with Abbey Park teammates Chris Woodhead and Sawyer Herron, Djustice was part of an impressive group that stayed together in their Grade 10 year, both at Abbey Park and for the Ontario U15's. Then, during the 2009 National Festival, the Ontario U16 team arrived plagued by injuries. When the call went out for any under-age players who could step in and fill the void, Coach Leggatt was quick to put Djustice's name forward. The young front-row forward seems genuinely grateful for all the support his coaches have given him.
"I have been very lucky to have great coaches both at club and in high school; starting with mini-rugby at the Oakville Crusaders, where the most important thing was just to have fun. As I got older, the club coaches helped me improve my skills and taught me that rugby is also about hard work, respect and teamwork. In the off-seasons, coaches worked on my fitness, speed and strength which has made a huge difference in my game. At Abbey Park and now Shawnigan Lake, my coaches continue to help me take my game to a higher level technically, physically and mentally."
A portion of the off-season training Djustice mentioned happened at the increasingly prominent Upright Rugby high performance program, in Oakville. That winter indoor training program has placed several players on Canada's current Under-17 squad, including DJustice, and is quickly adding to Oakville's reputation, as one of the country's rugby hotbeds.
Back in the provincial program, Djustice's performance for Ontario at the 2009 National Rugby Festival caught the attention of Canada's national team coaches. Djustice identified that tournament as the moment when he knew big things were possible in his rugby career.
"When myself and my friend Sawyer were called up to play with the Ontario U16 team at the National Championships and later a national training camp, we found ourselves both selected to the Canada U17 team. Since then, I keep working towards my goal of playing rugby professionally and to play international rugby for Canada."
Coach Leggatt shared the appraisal of the national team coaches, and soon began talking to Djustice and his family about developing him as a prop-forward. On the 2010 national team tour to the U.K., Djustice started at prop for a pair of games at the Wellington Festival, against Italy and Scotland. His return to Canada would see him take another leap forward in his rugby career.
"At that stage he really began to develop physically." explained Leggatt. "The off-season training had really begun to pay off, and he was approaching 6'2 and 240 lbs. His closing speed was amazing and he really began to intimidate his opposition. This is a genuinely great young man, whom I knew was destined to win a professional contract one day."
Next up for Djustice was a gold medal, as he and his Ontario teammates won the U16 division at the 2010 National Rugby Festival. It was then that his family made the decision to send Djustice to another rugby hotbed, at Shawnigan Lake School, where year-round on-field rugby would be available. Back at Abbey Park, Coach Leggatt understood the decision and wished Djustice well on his new opportunity.
"In my view, it was the right decision for Djustice both as a player and as a person, I think he will continue to mature there, both as an athlete and as a young man. It is always a double-edged sword, because every high school and region wants to produce their own talent and do so locally, but there are also advantages in the climate in British Columbia that simply aren't available here in Ontario. This certainly is not a deciding factor in a lot of cases, but it represented an enormous opportunity for Djustice."
Never one to take opportunities lightly, Djustice threw himself into preparations for another year of playing for Canada at the U17 level. He was quick to realize that the program had taken a step forward in 2010, and that he would have to up his game accordingly.
"There was lots of great competition at the Western selection camp. I had already heard how tough the Eastern camp had been, so I was very nervous. It was hard work with lots to learn, but I really enjoyed it. When I got the final call to say I had made the UK and Wellington Festival team, I was so happy to have once again been given the honour of playing for Canada."
Touring with Canada to California in late January of 2010 for a pair of tests against the United States High School All-Americans, followed by a tour to Australia with Shawnigan Lake School, Djustice hasn't lacked for development opportunities in this, his Grade 11 year. A solid performance for Canada this year at the Wellington Festival, in front of Canada's U20 Coach Mike Shelley, would be another step forward for one of the country's brightest young stars; one who certainly seems mindful about the privilege of wearing the red and white of his national team.
"There is nothing like the feeling you get when you are given the opportunity to represent our country. Proudly wearing the Canada jersey and singing our national anthem, it is just awesome!"
-------------------------------------------
Jeff Hull is the Press Officer for the Canada U17's. For more tour coverage, please check back regularly on www.rugbycanada.ca.
To contact the author, please write to: jhull@rugbycanada.ca
