Bull Sharks front rower Harrison Usher earned his maiden Queensland Reds cap in their 36–26 win over Japan’s Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights at Ballymore Stadium.
It was a fitting reward for the 22-year-old Bachelor of Business graduate, who has spent the past six weeks training with the Reds and impressing in a trial against the Knights in Toowoomba last week.
A former Australian Under-20s representative and 2025 Hospital Cup premiership player, Usher was thrilled to realise a childhood dream.
“To play for Queensland was such a surreal moment for me,” he said.
“Given that I had previously been in the Reds Academy a few years ago, to now being presented the opportunity to receive a Queensland cap is a very special milestone in my rugby career to date.”
Props generally reach their peak later than most other positions because of the physicality of the front row of a scrum, but Usher has spent countless hours working on his craft and has been a standout against more seasoned players in Queensland Premier Rugby.
“To get to this position, there have been a number of hours spent trying to become the best scrummager I can be, while focusing on my accuracy around the tackle and clean-out areas and just backing my skills as a strong ball carrier and mobile prop,” he said.
“Moving forward, I’d love the opportunity to represent the Reds at Super Rugby level next year, but if not, I’ll happily go back to Bond and give it my all to help the team achieve back-to-back premierships.”
Bond University Rugby Club’s premiership-winning coach Mick Heenan said Usher was leading a new wave of young front rowers at the Bull Sharks.
“Harrison Usher, while still young, has been diligently working on his game for a couple of years now in grades,” he said.
“He has had to play well to keep his spot in the team with competition from the likes of Levi Samuela and Harry Bell.
“He had a wonderful last month of the season and was outstanding in our semi-final wins over Wests and Easts.’’
Usher’s elevation to Reds ranks marks another success story for Bond’s rugby production line, which continues to shape the next generation of professional players.
And it came on the same weekend as another remarkable chapter in the Bull Sharks’ rugby story, with new recruit Aidan Ross achieving another first when he made his Wallabies debut in Tokyo.
Ross, who played his first game for Bond alongside Usher in this year’s Hospital Cup grand final win over Brothers, joined fellow Bull Sharks Josh Canham and Zane Nonggorr in the Australian pack for the Wallabies’ victory over Japan.
The milestone saw Ross etch his name into rugby history, becoming just the fifth player ever to represent both the All Blacks and Wallabies.
“Doing it in Tokyo – it’s a pretty special place,” Ross said.
“I was so proud to represent the All Blacks, and I’m equally as proud to represent the Wallabies. Life’s a journey, and your rugby career’s a journey – it goes different ways. That was an awesome part of my journey in New Zealand, and now that chapter’s closed as my family and I start a new one in Australia.”