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Teenage whiz Max Jorgensen clears up rugby future amid NRL interest
By Finn Morton
Teenage rugby prodigy Max Jorgensen appears intent on staying in the code as the Australian looks ahead to potentially donning Wallaby gold against the British and Irish Lions in 2025.
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Jorgensen was heralded as a generational talent during his high school career with the St Joseph’s College First XV in Sydney, and the rising star has lived up to the hype at the next level.
The 19-year-old scored a double on debut for the Waratahs against arch-rivals the ACT Brumbies in last year’s season opener at Allianz Stadium.
Jorgensen continued to impress during Super Rugby Pacific and was rewarded with a surprise inclusion in Eddie Jones’ new-look Wallabies squad for the Rugby World Cup – although injuries kept the rising star on the sidelines for the entirety of Australia’s tournament.
But for all the hype and expectation following Jorgensen, questions still remain about his future with the outside backs’ contract set to expire at the end of the season.
NRL clubs have reportedly been interested in securing Jorgensen’s services, but the Wallaby-in-waiting shut down any talk of a potential code switch at the Waratahs’ facilities on Monday.
“I love the game and want to make my mark here playing for the Wallabies,” Jorgensen told reporters.
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“It’s a dream to play in a World Cup and with the British and Irish Lions coming up next year, it comes around every 12 years so if you miss out, you don’t get another opportunity to do it again.
“Playing something like that would be awesome.”
But Jorgensen hasn’t ruled out all career changes completely. The teenager wants to be an Olympian and he can make that “dream” a reality in rugby union’s shorter format.
Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper officially switched to rugby sevens at the start of the year in a bid to make Australia’s squad for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
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Jorgensen briefly spoke about how he would like to pursue that very same dream sometime down the track.
“I don’t think this year but that’s another dream, playing for Australia at the Olympics, winning a gold or any medal,” Jorgensen added.
“That’d be pretty cool but I’m focused on the Tahs and hopefully making my Wallabies debut.”
Jorgensen is yet to debut for Australia at international level. While he was included in the Wallabies’ World Cup squad, a broken leg ruled him out of pool stage matches.
While he didn’t take the field, Jorgensen still felt all the emotions of Australia’s disastrous pool stage exit at the sport’s showpiece event.
“I was so devastated for the boys. I was feeling all the pain… but for me personally, I think it was a good experience to sort of go through something like that, like somewhere where you don’t win anything and everyone’s, the fans are hating you, stuff like that.
“As hard as it is, I think I’ll grow as a player and be better for it.
“Having your own fans booing you, you’re sort of sitting there like, ‘What do I even think?’ They’re booing us – like they’re meant to be our fans.
“It’s obviously hard but as I said, I think it’s going to make you a better player in the long run, as s*** as it was in the moment, how s*** of a campaign it was, I think a lot of the boys are better for it.”
