Born and raised in Tamworth on the family property, Abra made the move to Bathurst at 15 to board at St Stanislaus College boarding house, with the dream of honing his rugby skills at the famous football school. 

While a big move for any youngster to make, Abra’s desire to chase his footballing dream professionally made the transition worthwhile.

“It was a big challenge at first, moving out at 15 I was nervous coming into a new place,” he said. 

“However the culture here at the school, and the people make you want to keep playing and working hard on your footy.”

By 2016, Abra was making waves in the local rugby union community, with the tales of the sizeable loose-head props talent spreading quickly. 

A member of the Stannies 1^st ​XV side, he gained selection to the Independent Schools Association (ISA) representative side, before taking the field for the combined states and finally the Australian Schoolboys Barbarians, the countries second string side for school aged rugby union players. 

However, it has been in 2017 where the young prop has come into his own.

Captaining Stannies on an unbeaten run of ten games in the ISA competition, Abra and his teammates defeated all in their path as the school took out its first title in nine years. 

“To go undefeated was amazing. The team culture we developed throughout the year, and the last few years made us too strong this year,” he said.

“We were a very humble side, which was important. We played as a team and to win the first title for the school in almost ten years is a huge honour.” 

Once again these performances did not go unnoticed by selectors, with a call up into the 2017 NSW schoolboys side Abra’s reward for his hard hitting style of football, with the captains armband coming as a welcome surprise. 

Getting so close to national schoolboys selection the previous year, Abra, was determined to make the final step in his final school year. 

Four games for NSW schoolboys, playing against the best of the best of school age rugby players in the country, was used to select a squad of 20 players to represent Australia, and take on a host of visiting nations in a Tri-nations series in October. 

Selectors were impressed, giving him the opportunity to represent his country on the big stage. 

From that series of selection games, of the 20 young men selected, 11 hailed from NSW, however Abra is the only player from the state representing a country school. 

“It’s great that country schools are being represented, we have some great football programs out here, with some amazing players coming through and its important they get the opportunity.”

For Abra, it means the realisation of a life long dream. 

“I can remember clearly in Tamworth when I was 7 or 8 years old, sitting down and watching the television.”

“New Zealand were playing Australia in the schoolboys competition and I decided that is what I wanted to do if I ever got the chance.”

“To be able to do that is such an opportunity, and I am very grateful for everybody involved in helping make that happen.”

Abra will now take to the field in the Schoolboys Tri-Nations, playing Fiji on October 2, followed by New Zealand on October 7. 

With the school and local representative football season finished, the challenge for Abra is preparing himself for the biggest games of his career, and balancing his football aspirations with the impending HSC examinations. 

Abra is currently preparing to attend a two week training camp with the Australian side, meeting the rest of his teammates from around the county, and working with coaches of the highest level. 

“The professionalism really blows me away. You get the feeling that now you are at a level where it has become truly competitive, with no room for error.”

This week Abra enters his final week of school at St Stanislaus College, and the future in the sport looks incredibly bright. 

In December he will join the  Generation Blues elite development squad for a training camp, leading up to the Super Rugby U/20s competition early next year, where Abra hopes to compete for NSW. 

He has also received a series of offers from top-tier clubs from around the state. 

Between rugby events, Abra returns home to Tamworth to lend a hand on the family farm.