Being named Buildcorp Reds Academy Player of the Year is a worthy honour for backrower Tom Robinson as the poster boy of Queensland rugby's modern pathways system.
Robinson is a strong believer that his two seasons in the Reds Academy directedly contributed to his readiness for his Queensland Reds debut at just 19 in July when he started against Tonga in Nuku'alofa.
It was the springboard to his regular role in the backrow throughout the Super Rugby AUS competition and the recent Reds match against Japan's Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Toowoomba.
"The Buildcorp Reds Academy really helps bridge the gap between playing a bit of club footy and the Reds top squad," Robinson said.
"There are detailed aspects of the game and preparation for the Reds you don't know about.
"The biggest thing with the Academy has been improving skills with a couple of sessions a week, narrowing down on those and applying them when you go back to club rugby.
"Dale, on the field, and 'Browny', with strength and conditioning, have been really valuable." Robinson carried skills and physical preparation highlighted by Academy Head Coach Dale Roberson and Academy Athletic Performance Coach Will Brown into regular training sessions with the top Reds squad in the months before his debut.
"That exposure to a higher level of play with those training sessions with the Reds was really valuable. That is another plus of being in the Academy," Robinson said.
"Of course, there were nerves before my first game against Tonga but I definitely felt prepared because I knew the team systems and the players.
"The past three months have been unreal being in more of a full-time environment and getting the chances to play that you work towards."
Robinson is the first player from the ranks of the Emerging Reds Cup to advance to Queensland Reds selection. It is a landmark for the pathway tournament.
He played for the Brisbane White Under-16s in 2022 and progressed to Queensland selection at U16s, U18s and U20s level.
The 2024 Australia Under-18s captain was caught totally by surprise when Reds Head Coach Les Kiss named him co-captain of the Reds, with Isaac Henry, for the game against the Wild Knights in Toowoomba.
"I thought Les said for me to tell Isaac to stay behind after training. I misheard him. I didn't think he meant me to stay back as well. Someone had to go searching to find me. That was pretty surreal to be co-captain," Robinson said.
The Queensland Rugby Union and Buildcorp announced a two-year extension to their successful partnership in September last year.
The partnership focuses primarily on elite pathways progression, with the Buildcorp Reds Academy the No.1 producer of talent graduating into the Reds Super Rugby Pacific program.
“Tom Robinson’s journey through the Buildcorp Reds Academy is a powerful example of what happens when talent meets opportunity," Buildcorp Managing Director Tony Sukkar AM said.
"His rapid rise from club rugby to Super Rugby is a testament to the Academy’s role in preparing young athletes for elite competition, both physically and mentally. We are proud to support a program that not only develops outstanding players like Tom, but also strengthens the future of Queensland rugby.”
The Academy features three different tiers and exposes over 90 young men, aged 16-20, to high-performance athletic and off-field development and elite coaching.
The program is based at Ballymore in the world-class training facility in the BMS National Rugby Training Centre, constructed by Buildcorp.
In 2025, prop Nic Bloomfield progressed to make his Super Rugby Pacific debut while fellow Buildcorp Reds Academy players Treyvon Pritchard, Finn Mackay, Charlie Brosnan, Vaiuta Latu, James Martens, Xavier Rubens, Trevor King, Will Cartwright and Robinson all featured for the Reds in Super Rugby AUS or international matches.
The Reds Academy also fed eight players into the Australia U20s and 10 players into the Australia U18s in 2025.
