The Canberra Raiders hosted their annual scholarship camp last week, continuing its strong tradition stemming back to the late great NRL recruiter and mentor, Peter Mulholland.
The camp ran for four days with 19 players travelling from Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Western NSW and France.
With more than half the group never been to Canberra, the purpose of the camp is to bring young talent to the Raiders to learn more about the club and build a connection with the players.
The group learnt about the history of the Canberra Raiders including visits to Seiffert Oval, GIO Stadium, Raiders HQ and NSWRL HQ in Bruce.
They received training, facilitated by both the NRL and junior representative coaching staff.
The group also observed NRL training sessions while visiting Raiders HQ, including a chat with head coach Ricky Stuart.
The playing group left the camp having been educated on the club values and well versed with what it takes to be a Raider.
French junior Edgar Geisler joined the Canberra Raiders ranks through a training opportunity, after playing his junior rugby league for Dragons Saint-Georges d'Orques in Montpellier, France.
Geisler joined the four-day scholarship camp in Canberra and was ecstatic for the experience he gained before returning home.
"It's been really good; the club has been so nice to me. The training has been tough. We've had to do a lot of fitness and cardio. But it's been good, I've really learned a lot that I can take back home," Geisler said.
"Our juniors in France just don't stack up against Australia. The physical nature of these boys, they're so tall and big. I couldn't believe the size of some of these boys," Geisler joked.
The Raiders were happy to facilitate Edgar's training experience and further strengthen the club's ties with French Rugby League for future opportunities.
