Moree soccer player Josh Rigby has returned from Japan after competing in the Nihon Universities Cup as part of a Northern NSW Football touring squad. Photo: Moree Online News
For Josh Rigby, chasing higher-level soccer from Moree already requires plenty of kilometres. Every Thursday he travels to Tamworth and back to train with Northern Inland Rangers, while most of his Northern NSW Premier Youth League games are played around Newcastle.
Recently, that journey took him considerably further.
Josh travelled to Japan from August 28 to September 3 as part of a Northern NSW Football touring squad, after earning one of 18 places to compete in the Nihon Universities Cup. His path to selection began through Northern Inland Rangers, where he has played for the past two seasons, before players submitted expressions of interest and were assessed by talent identifiers for the tour.
“Then 18 were selected to go to compete in the Nihon Cup in Japan,” Josh said.
Josh plays at right back and right wing, combining defensive duties with opportunities to push forward and create in attack. But some of the strongest impressions he brought home had little to do with positions or results.
Before games, both teams lined up and bowed towards the field and spectators, while players also bowed when entering or leaving the field as substitutes. Josh said the standard of training, level of play and discipline stood out.
Josh said the work ethic and standard he saw in Japan were things he wanted to bring back into his own game as he worked towards reaching that level himself.
The touring side played about six tournament matches and two friendlies, with wins, draws and some difficult losses against strong opposition. Josh said the quality of the teams was part of what made the experience worthwhile.
“They were very good tournaments, very solid teams that still played quite well, and it was very cool to just see the way they play,” he said.
It was not his first taste of international soccer. Josh travelled to Germany in 2024 after playing in the Mini World Cup at Inverell, and he is already hoping for another chance to return.
He will compete at the Mini World Cup again in about three weeks, where a strong performance could put him in contention for an under-17 touring team.
“Hopefully get back to Germany again,” he said.
Longer term, his ambitions extend beyond junior representative soccer.
“The goal is probably try and play professionally,” Josh said.
If that pathway does not work out, he wants to remain involved in the sport through an area such as physiotherapy or training.
“I really love it,” he said.
His current Northern Inland Rangers season has also been a strong one. The under-16 side finished fourth in the regular season and secured a finals place after starting the year in Division 3, earning promotion to Division 2 during the season and securing a move into Division 1 next year.
Josh expects to move into the under-18 age group next season, where competition for places becomes even tougher. Kevin Rigby said Northern Inland Rangers players must trial again each year rather than automatically retaining their place, with around 40 players potentially competing for 16 under-18 positions.
For a player based in Moree, simply reaching that level comes with an extra challenge. Kevin said the family travels to Tamworth and back every Thursday night for training, while even the closest away game can mean hours on the road.
“The kids don’t get the opportunity to do too much out here,” he said.
That commitment has been backed by strong local support.
Josh thanked coaches Martin Rae and Andrew Beer, his father Kevin Rigby and his teammates for helping him reach the Japan tour. Josh and Kevin also specifically thanked the local sponsors who helped make the opportunity possible: Moree Services Club, Moree Golf Club, Moree Lions Club, T & FS Woods Transport, Badengi Engineering, Towrec Holdings, Moree Masonic Centre Lodge, Northwest Ginning, Moree Motor Enthusiasts Club, Crawford Constructions and Statewide Aviation.
Kevin said Josh had already visited Moree Services Club after returning home to personally thank its board and tell members about the trip.
“They actually rang me this morning, how appreciative they were of his sort of acknowledging them,” Kevin said.
From Moree to Tamworth, Newcastle, Germany and now Japan, the distances keep getting bigger. So does Josh’s ambition.
After seeing firsthand the work ethic and discipline of the players he faced in Japan, he now has a much clearer idea of the standard he wants to reach.
