THE song I’ve Been Everywhere is an apt description of Lachlan Wheeler’s last few months.
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The multi-talented Tamworth teenager has been to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and numerous points in between following his various sporting pursuits.
Only last weekend he was in Canberra playing for the NSW Country U14s rugby union side.
They played the ACT Brumbies 14s in the curtain- raiser to the Brumbies/Chiefs Super 15 final.
“It was really good experience, playing in a big stadium like that,” Wheeler said.
The Country boys had a good win too, beating the Brumbies side 17-nil.
It was a good warm-up to this Sunday when they’ll tackle their City rivals in Tamworth.
Earlier they travelled up to the Gold Coast and played up there.
Wheeler was originally named as a shadow but was called into the squad.
He’s been playing inside centre but is capable of playing several positions.
“I play anywhere, even in the forwards,” he said.
Mostly flanker or number eight, which is where he played for Central North at the Country Championships, where the squad was selected.
But selectors obviously saw potential in him as a back.
He’s happy wherever and has enjoyed his stint in the centres.
Locally, he plays with the Pirates 16s, and the Farrer 14s in the Friday night competition.
This is only his first proper season of rugby after crossing over from league.
On route to Canberra, he stopped in at Eastern Creek to compete in the State Cross-Country Championships, where he finished 49th in the U14s division.
Today he’ll be trying to make the North West team to compete at the State Athletics Championships.
He’ll compete in the 200m, 400m and 800m and 1500m, all of which he won at the Arinya carnival.
Last year he made it for the 800mwhich, along with the 400m, is his pet event.
His talents aren’t confined to land though.
He spent the last week of the recent school holidays in Adelaide playing for one of the NSW U14 water polo sides in the East Coast Challenge.
His Waratahs brought home bronze after thrashing Victoria 14-4 in their play-off game.
It was the same result as the Waratahs achieved last year, with the other NSW side and Queensland fighting it out in the final.
The Waratahs came very close to making it an all-NSW final, losing by only one goal to Queensland in their semi-final.
“It was really tight throughout,” Wheeler said.
“It was goal for goal and they just got us at the end.”
He’s been playing water polo for about seven years and was also part of the Tamworth sides that went to the State Championships in Wagga Wagga and, following that, the Nationals in Brisbane.
It reads an impressive list of achievements but, as for a preference, the Year 9 student doesn’t really have one.
He enjoys them all.
The Country-City games will be played at Scully Park. The 14s, 15s, 16s and 17s teams will all be involved, with the first game at 9.30am.