Touch Football Australia (TFA) and Touch Football Victoria (TFV) are proud to recognise two Victorian junior athletes, Trent Toelau and Hugo Peel, whose journeys through Touch Football have helped shape their progression into the Melbourne Storm rugby league system.
Touch Football has long shared a strong and complementary relationship with rugby league, with numerous NRL and NRLW stars – including Kalyn Ponga, Shaun Johnson, Tamika Upton, and Ali Brigginshaw – beginning their sporting journeys in the non-contact code. The Melbourne Storm are no strangers to identifying talent from Touch Football, with Clive Churchill Medallist Ryan Papenhuyzen a former Australian Touch representative.
Building into the 2026 season, Trent and Hugo have followed differing but equally compelling pathways in their careers to date, reinforcing the role Touch Football plays in athlete development.
Trent Toelau returns to the Storm this year on a one-year contract after five years in the Penrith Panthers system, where he made eleven NRL appearances across the halves and from the bench. Trent previously came through the Storm’s Jersey Flegg competition as a rising Victorian junior, where he twice claimed the Darren Bell Medal as the Storm’s best under-20s player in 2018 and 2019.
Alongside his rugby league development, Trent played Touch Football in the TFV’s VT League competition for the Melbourne City Lions, where he was scouted playing under-15s with School Sport Victoria. Trent was involved with five consecutive titles for the Lions, played in the Alliance Cup in 2016, and also returned to play in the local Moorabbin Touch competition in 2024/25, honing his skills and athleticism before furthering his rugby league career. Now back at the Storm and home in Victoria, Trent will be pushing for further opportunities at the NRL level and ‘a spot in the 17 every week’.
Hugo Peel’s journey highlights Touch Football as a direct talent identification pathway. A product of Melbourne Harlequins, Hugo has represented the Victoria Storm at the national level from under-12s to Men's Open and has also contributed to the sport as a community referee and field officer, delivering school clinics. His performances in Touch saw him scouted by the Melbourne Storm at just 17 years of age, leading to his entry into the club’s junior representative pathway in the SG Ball competition.
Also bringing a strong rugby union background, Hugo progressed through SG Ball before earning an upgrade to the Storm’s Jersey Flegg squad, where he was named Junior Representatives Player of the Year in 2024. The Storm continue to view the Victorian local as a long-term option in the fullback position, and his credentials were further strengthened during the 2025 season, including a two-try performance in the Jersey Flegg Grand Final victory.
Both Trent and Hugo will be hopeful of being named for the Storm's first trial next week after pressing their claims during the NRL pre-season.
TFA and TFV congratulate both Trent and Hugo on their achievements to date, continuing to serve as a valuable development and recruitment pathway for aspiring athletes across the country.
TFA would like to acknowledge Dante Peel from Melbourne Harlequins, and Elies el Chaar and Leah Percy from Melbourne City Lions, for their contributions to this story.
