Four Eastern Southland rugby players from Gore went to Dunedin to hone their skills last week.
The under-18 players were selected to take part in the regional Highlanders Development camp, along with others from Southland and Otago.
They finished the training camp with a game against a Crusaders under-18 selection in Timaru on Friday.
The Highlanders Development side won 34-20.
Hayden Michaels and Cameron Miller took part in the game against the under-18 Crusaders but injuries ruled Thomas McKenzie and Rylee Stewart out.
Hayden said it was a great few days’ training where he got to improve his own game.
“It was a good experience and we learnt a lot of technical stuff.
“It was good to play more experienced players from other schools.
Cameron said the opportunity opened his eyes as to what a professional career could be like.
Getting to play two games during the camp was an added bonus, he said.
“I was happy to have gone as I was not expecting that so many of us would be picked from Southland,” he said.
