IT might sound a little odd, but when the next generation of Bathurst rugby union talents who hope to one day wear the green and gold look for inspiration this week it could very well come in the form of a Kiwi.

And even stranger, it is a New Zealand native who loves the Wallabies.

Joe Tomane will be at Ashwood Park tomorrow afternoon as part of the Wallabies squad who are in the Central West on the Bush2Bledisloe tour. The young winger is keen to get involved with juniors.

After the 24-year-old, 102 kilogram winger, who plays his club rugby for the ACT Brumbies, is put through his paces with the rest of the Australian squad tomorrow afternoon, a group of Wallabies will work with young players from the Bathurst Bulldogs, All Saints’ College, Scots School and Saint Stanislaus’ College.

Tomane has already experienced working with juniors in Dubbo on Monday as the Bush2Bledisloe tour kicked off, the man who has played nine Tests for Australia enjoying the chance to interact with Central West rugby fans.

“It is my first time out here in this part of the country, so it is good to engage with fans and get back to the community. They probably don’t get much opportunity to engage with us, so I think it is a good initiative to bring us out. I am definitely enjoying it,” he said.

“I think it keeps us grounded and also it is good inspiration knowing who is behind us. It is a bit of a boost knowing that no matter where you are in Australia, there are people who support you.

“Coming out this way, we have a lot of support.

“We have a training session with the kids which I hope will be a lot of fun ... hopefully I can inspire one person.”

While Tomane will be working in hard in the Bathurst training session as he looks to impress Australian coach Ewen McKenzie and join Adam Ashley-Cooper as one of the starting wingers for the August 16 Test against New Zealand, there was a time when he cheered for the All Blacks.

“Being a Kiwi, I was born in New Zealand, and watching a lot of the All Blacks v Australia Test matches when I was young I’m not going to lie, I was supporting the All Blacks,” he said.

Fortunately for the Wallabies he changed his mind.

“When I was nine, 10 I supported them, but as I got older I started to appreciate and love Australia and I really wanted to beat them,” he said.

Beating the All Blacks, who are on an 18 Test winning streak and have won the Bledisloe Cup for 11 successive years, will by no means be an easy task.

However, the Wallabies are on their own streak of seven consecutive Test victories and Tomane hopes this will be the year when they reclaim the coveted rugby trophy.

It is also a chance for him to become more of a regular in the green and gold should he impress.

“I am hoping that I can do well. I think the main thing that I have got to focus on is improving my own game and not worrying about what anyone else is doing.

“It definitely is a chance for me.

“Everyone is training towards reaching that [winning the Bledisloe Cup] and hopefully this will be the year that we can do it. I am extremely confident and so are all the boys here.

“Hopefully we can get it done but you know we are up against the best in the world and they are the best in the world for a reason.”

All Bathurst residents can see Tomane and his fellow Australian squad members train at Ashwood Park from 2.30pm tomorrow.