BARELY six months after making his international debut, former Farrer star John Porch will don the green on the biggest sporting stage there is.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The former Moree and Tamworth junior was yesterday named in the 12-strong men’s squad that will chase an historic gold as rugby sevens makes its Olympic debut.
Former North West representative Gemma Etheridge, whose parents Jeff and Kerrie run a Limousin stud at Walcha, is also off to Rio after overcoming a ruptured ACL that threatened to derail her Olympic dreams to be selected in the all-conquering women’s team.
For Porch, despite learning of his selection a few days before yesterday’s announcement, the news is still sinking in.
“I’m feeling very overwhelmed at the moment,” he said.
“It’s unbelievable.
“I still can’t imagine it. I never thought I’d be going to an Olympics.
“My main goal this year was to go full-time with the sevens.”
Touted as the main bolter in the men’s team, it’s been a whirlwind six months for the 22-year-old since making his debut in the Wellington leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series only back in January.
“My first tournament was amazing,” he said.
“It was a great joy to be running out there and playing for my country.”
He wasn’t really thinking much beyond that though, other than with the starry eyes of someone harbouring big dreams.
“I sat down with my coach earlier in the year and I set with him this crazy goal of getting selected,” he said.
At the time it probably did seem crazy, but fast forward six months and he’s off to his first Olympics and recently signed a new two-year deal with the sevens program.
“I never thought I’d be able to say my hobby is my job,” he said.
Noted for his speed, the flyer attended Nundle Public School and then Farrer.
That was where his talent really started to come to the fore, culminating in selection in the Australian Schoolboys side to tour Fiji and New Zealand.
After overcoming a potentially career-ending compound fracture to his ankle in 2013, Porch was, after impressing for Northern Suburbs, promoted to the North Harbour Rays side for last year’s National Rugby Championships, and invited to be part of the Australian development Sevens side.
He went on to figure in five of the 10 tournaments in the World Series and helped the Aussies to a fourth finish – their best in six seasons.
They made the Cup Finals in both Sydney and Fiji and are primed for a podium finish in Rio.
The competition runs from August 9 to August 11 and will see the Aussies taking on France, Spain and South Africa in their pool fixtures.
