Sport
15 January, 2024
Former local Samuel Rumpff comes home to play for Northern Territory’s under 17 cricket team
The Northern Territory may have concluded their under 17 national cricket championship campaign winless, but their final match on Thursday was special in more ways than one for the team. For ex-local Samuel Rumpff, it was an opportunity to represent...
The Northern Territory may have concluded their under 17 national cricket championship campaign winless, but their final match on Thursday was special in more ways than one for the team.
For ex-local Samuel Rumpff, it was an opportunity to represent his new home in front of family, friends and the people he knew for much of his life as he made a return to Maryborough, where he spent a large majority of his junior cricket.
Rumpff has had a good junior career within the Maryborough District Cricket Association, having spent four seasons with Maryborough, playing at an under 13 and under 16 level, while also filling in for the Owls’ A reserve team from time to time, while also spending a season at Laanecoorie Dunolly in 2019/20.
But after family commitments saw him move to Cairns, followed by Alice Springs, a little piece of luck snowballed into his appearance for the Northern Territory state team at last week’s under 17 national championships.
“We moved to Cairns a couple of years ago, and then moved to Alice Springs for my dad’s work. I was playing a regular under-16s game in Alice one night and it just so happened that the head of NT Cricket was there, and I made some runs that night,” he said.
Rumpff is currently vice-captain of the Federal Cricket Club under 16s in the Northern Territory, while he has also been a regular in Federal’s senior A grade team this season.
Rumpff is currently the wicketkeeper at junior level, while at senior level, he has regularly played as a top-order batsman in the Northern Territory’s T20 competition.
Two big scores of 50 and 47 in the junior competition have defined his season so far, allowing him to get a look into the under 17 national championships.
The Northern Territory had a tough run throughout the tournament, coming up against eventual winners New South Wales Country, third-placed South Australia, fourth-placed Victoria Metro and New South Wales Metro.
While Rumpff missed the first game of the tournament, he did have a little bit of an impact in the second game, taking a catch and making eight runs in the middle of the order, before he was run out as the NT were seeking quick runs.
Batting in the middle order against Victoria Metro, Rumpff finished with the second-most runs with nine off 13 deliveries as the NT struggled, all out for 69.
Similarly, the NT’s game against New South Wales Country was a struggle, with Rumpff making two as they lost by 153 runs.
Playing at Hedges, Rumpff had a good outing despite nursing an injured shoulder, taking a catch and making an unbeaten five, as the NT lost by 25 runs to the Australian Capital Territory.
Regardless, however, it was special for Rumpff to play in front of his family.
“It feels good to be here. I spent all week in Ballarat, and to top it off, on the final day, I’m played in front of family and friends and it’s special,” he said.
“We originally thought there was a higher-ranked game that was going to be played at Hedges Oval until Wednesday night. My family’s reaction was pretty good about that.
“Compared to other states, not too many people get their parents, siblings and grandparents here to watch them. To have them here watch not just me, but the whole team, is really special.”
It was an excellent homecoming for Rumpff, who reminisced about his past in the town.
“I was playing A reserve cricket with my dad since I was eight years old, playing in town a few times with him, and playing junior cricket with Maryborough, getting to a couple of Country Week teams as well,” he said.
“I didn’t play in Cairns, and then when I moved to Alice Springs, I was playing golf one day and the captain of one of the clubs was there and invited me to play.”
Rumpff enjoyed his time with the Northern Territory under 17s setup. While knowing they were underdogs in every game, that didn’t deter their spirit.
“It’s awesome to be a part of the Northern Territory during the tournament. We have come in as underdogs in every game, and we believe that if we can put a good game together, we can beat these bigger states and better teams,” he said.
“That lifts us. When one of us is up, all of us are up and about, and the vibe has been strong within the group.”
As for his future, Rumpff says it’s open-ended, having also enjoyed some success in golf. For now, however, Rumpff is happy to enjoy his success stories.
“I’ve also played state-level golf, play off a handicap of two, and I am always looking at a different pathway,” he said.
“I’m only 15, so I have plenty of time to choose sports and get better, and there’s a lot of improvement that can be done.”