PBR Origin II – Tamworth Rosters Announced For Second Stop of 2022 PBR Origin Tournament Event April 23 at AELEC Arena

 

Ahead of the second iteration of the 2022 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia Monster Energy Tour Origin tournament, the organization has announced the complete 10-rider rosters that will represent Team New South Wales and Team Queensland at the state vs. state bull riding showdown at PBR Origin I – Tamworth on April 23 at AELEC Arena.

A three-part series of Monster Energy Tour stops, the PBR Origin is modeled after the State of Origin rugby league event that is considered Australian sport’s greatest rivalry.

Through a trio of events held March 26 in Newcastle, New South Wales, April 23 in Tamworth, New South Wales, and May 21 in Brisbane, Queensland, Team Queensland and Team New South Wales will go head-to-head to determine which state is the supreme bull riding powerhouse.

Each stop of the 2022 PBR Origin tournament will feature three rounds of competition. After each of the 10 competing bull riders for both teams attempt one bull each in Round 1 and Round 2, the Top 4 riders from each team will advance to the bonus round for one final out. The event winner will be the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate.

The bull riding action for PBR Origin II – Tamworth begins at 7:30 p.m. AEDT on Saturday, April 23 at AELEC Arena. 

In Tamworth, Team New South Wales, set to be captained by 2016 PBR Australia Champion Cody Heffernan (Singleton, New South Wales), will be rounded out by: Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales), Braith Nock (Bendemeer, New South Wales), Nathan Burtenshaw (Coonamble, New South Wales), Lachlan Slade (Tamworth, New South Wales), Trefor Sproule (Singleton, New South Wales), Sam Woodall (Luddenham, New South Wales), Oscar Leake (Dungog, New South Wales), Will Purcell (Albury, New South Wales) and Chris Wilson (Parkville, New South Wales).

While Purcell and Wilson have tentatively earned their position to compete for Team New South Wales, they must first be approved to compete pending injury clearance. Both Purcell (concussion) and Wilson (ribs/shoulder) were injured at the most recent Monster Energy Tour stop in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Team Queensland will be guided by four-time and reigning Australian Champion Aaron Kleier (Clermont, Queensland) inside AELEC Arena, with the remainder of the team being: Qynn Anderson (Koumala, Queensland), Kelsey Pavlou (Gracemere, Queensland), Brumby Brandenburg (Clermont, Queensland), Michael Smith (Tully, Queensland), Taran Chirgwin (Calliope, Queensland), Jackson Gray (Barcaldine, Queensland), Ben Moran (Yeppoon, Queensland), Caiden Sandilands (Rockhampton, Queensland) and Dan Ruhland (Mount Walker, Queensland).

While the Captains were selected earlier in 2022, the aforementioned teams were determined based on the national and world standings following the most recent PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour event in Toowoomba, Queensland, on April 8-9.

The 2022 PBR Monster Energy Tour Origin Tournament got underway in late March in Newcastle, New South Wales, when Team Queensland held off a hard-charging Team New South Wales in the second round to surge to an early 1-0 lead in the state vs. state competition. Team Queensland outscored Team New South Wales 747.5-505, recording three more qualified rides.

The Maroons roster was headlined by Qynn Roster who went a perfect 3-for-3. After riding Night Fury (ST Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points and Breaking Bad (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points, Andersen punctuated his flawless outing at Newcastle Entertainment Centre with an 85-point effort atop Natural Hillbilly (Throsby & Russell & JC Cattle Co.) in the bonus round.

While the Blues fell short of the win, captain Heffernan, seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Richardson and young gun Nock were all dominant in the individual competition, finishing second, third and fourth, respectively.

Heffernan contributed two scores to Team New South Wales’ total, while Richardson and Nock both added one ride score.

In Tamworth, both Team New South Wales and Team Queensland will each welcome new riders.

The new contenders for Team New South Wales are:

• Nathan Burtenshaw secured his position on the New South Wales team compliments of a crucial fourth-place effort in Toowoomba. Burtenshaw’s 82.5-point score on Houston Calling (Ruhland Ranch Bucking Bulls) and 84.5-point ride atop Pied Piper (Ruhland Ranch Bucking Bulls) earned him 52 national points, catapulting him to No. 12 in the Australian standings.
• Sam Woodall: After spending much of his season stateside, where he made his debut on the elite Unleash The Beast, riding at seven tour stops and recording the first 90-point ride of his career, a 92-point ride aboard High Tide Blues (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd), Woodall will return home and compete for his home state compliments of his world No. 46 rank.
• Chris Wilson: One of the sport’s emerging talents, 19-year-old Wilson earned his chance to represent the Blues in Tamworth compliments of seventh place finish in Toowoomba. Garnering 13 national points for his efforts, Wilson will don the jersey for the second time in his young career as the No. 11-ranked rider in Australia.

The new competitors for Team Queensland are:

• Jackson Gray made his 2022 PBR Australia season debut in Toowoomba, and courtesy of an 11^th-place result, Gray earned his first-ever opportunity to compete at PBR Origin. The 21-year-old will join the talented Queensland roster ranked No. 19 in the race for the 2022 PBR Australia Championship.
• Ben Moran delivered a career-best effort in Toowoomba to earn his opportunity to represent the Maroons at PBR Origin II – Tamworth. The 18-year-old young gun was 12^th at the Monster Energy Tour stop, reaching the 8 for the first time in his career when he covered Rip Slinger (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls) for 78.5 points.

Tickets for PBR Origin II – Tamworth at AELEC Arena, and PBR Origin III – Brisbane at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre are on-sale now and can be purchased at pbraustralia.com.au. 

All future PBR Australia events are subject to change, planned in accordance with directives issued by relevant government and health authorities given the evolving regulations during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.