A HANDFUL of Sunshine Coasters have been named in Queensland-based National Rugby Championship teams.

Haydn Hirsimaki, Conor Mitchell, Stephan Van Der Walt and Elliot Hagen have been included in the Queensland Country side, as has Wallabies prop James Slipper, who spent some time on the Coast as a youngster.

Meanwhile, Ryan Freney has been named in the Brisbane City outfit.

Sunshine Coast rugby fans will get the chance to see the Country crew in action when the side takes on the University of Canberra Vikings in round nine of the NRC at Sunshine Coast Stadium in October.

A total of 16 players from the Queensland Premier Rugby competition and from Queensland Country have been selected in the 25-man Queensland Country squad, alongside 15 Queensland Reds players with Super Rugby experience, including capped Wallabies Anthony and Saia Fainga'a, Slipper, Rob Simmons and Chris Feauai-Sautia.

Former Reds and Wallabies Number 8 Radike Samo will also feature in Queensland Country, after returning to Brisbane during the tail-end of the Premier Rugby season to play for GPS.

A wider training squad has also been named.

Courtesy of Sunshine Coast Daily 

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/coast-players-are-primed-for-nrc-challenge/2733276/