From the Assistant Principal, Cocurricular
Fixtures
Basketball
Chess
Cricket - ISA
Cross Country
CSDA Public Speaking and Debating
Football
Rugby
Squash
Swimming
Tennis

From the Assistant Principal, Cocurricular

Congratulations to all teams that won through to the ISA summer season finals to be played this weekend. We have 5 basketball teams heading out to Penrith whilst the 1st XI cricketers host St Patrick's at Oxford Falls.

We wish them all well in their final matches of the ISA summer season.

My thanks to those teams who concluded their season last weekend for their efforts throughout the season.

For those involved in finals this weekend, I remind you all of the need to subscribe to the ISA Code of Conduct which was included in last week's Woodchatta.

Mr Matt Stearn - Assistant Principal, Cocurricular

Fixtures

Basketball

SPX Basketball – Weekend Wrap

ISA Basketball –Semi Finals Summary

Last weekend saw our SPX teams take on the ISA Semi Finals at Penrith, and we are incredibly proud of the way every squad represented the College. A huge congratulations to the 17D, 3rd V, and 4th V, who all secured strong wins and now progress to this week’s ISA Finals, an outstanding achievement and a reflection of their hard work, discipline, and teamwork.

Several of our teams fell just short despite courageous performances. The 17E were involved in one of the tightest contests of the day, going down 19–21 in a match that went right to the wire. The 17C, 17A, and 13A teams battled with tremendous spirit, staying competitive throughout their games and demonstrating resilience, commitment, and pride in the SPX jersey. Though the results didn’t fall their way, each of these teams showed qualities that speak highly of their season and development.

Well done to all players and coaches for their efforts, and best of luck to our finalists as they prepare for this weekend’s deciders. The College community is right behind you.

Key Information for ISA Finals

As we prepare for the ISA Finals this weekend, please see below for further information.

Basketball:
- Use the link above for further details relating to the event.
- For all fixtures, schools will need to provide bench officials.
- Note: Venues will have a NO SPEAKER / Musical Instruments Policy.
- Referees have been appointed through Penrith Vallet Regional Sport Centre, there will be a referee supervisor.

General Reminders

Presentations will follow each of the finals. A reminder of the dress standard, being playing uniform, school sport uniform or school uniform. Each team captain is expected to say a few words of thanks, then announce their teammates to receive their certificate.
As part of child safeguarding standards, please be aware that we are using community venues and therefore be mindful when using shared toilet facilities, the below control measures are reflected in the Risk Management Plan.
- Recommend a buddy system for students attending changeroom/toilets.
- School staff to monitor changerooms where possible .
Code of Conduct - A reminder for all coaches and students of the ISA Code of Conduct, as the stakes rise so can the emotions, can we please be proactive in reinforcing the code of conduct and the expectations in which these fixtures are to be played.
Player Eligibility - A reminder of Player Eligibility which is stated within the Playing Guidelines per sport should be checked when selecting teams for the upcoming finals fixtures. This includes: students are only allowed to play in one game per day at the Finals and it must be for the team where they have met the player eligibility criteria.

All the best for those teams participating on the weekend.

Uniform Reminder

All ISA players need to ensure they have the correct singlet and shorts.
No casual clothing or crocs are permitted to be worn to and from games. Only SPX‑branded clothing and/or playing uniform.

Updated Year 7 Basketball Information

Registrations for Year 7 Basketball have now closed, and teams are beginning to be formed in Clipboard this week.

Our first preseason fixtures will take place at Oxford Falls on 14 March (Open Day) and 21 March. St Augustine’s are now confirmed to be participating on the 14th, which is a great outcome. Please stay tuned for further updates as final planning continues.

For Week 1 (14 March), players will be placed into somewhat randomised teams. These teams will then be reshuffled for Week 2 (21 March) based on coach feedback to help support a fair and accurate grading process as we lead into further grading in Term 3.

Players may be issued a Blue Loan SPX singlet to wear on the day 14th. The Yellow Basketball Singlet must be purchased from the College Shop by the games on the 21st, so please secure one early to avoid the last‑minute rush in Week 7. A student list has already been provided to the shop as part of the registration process.

ISA Finals Fixtures – Penrith

Thank you once again for your continued support of SPX Basketball, and best of luck to all teams this Saturday.

Mr James Bourke - Basketball Convenor

Chess

Chess Players for Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 are in high demand. If you have not enrolled for chess as yet then please do so. At this stage we do not have enough students to field teams in Year 10, 11 and 12.

Training continues for Senior Chess. Students are warmly encouraged to come along to a training session and give it a try.

Time: 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: D Wing, Rooms 1-4
Schedule: Training runs every Monday afternoon during Terms 1 and 2

Chess Tournaments will begin in Term 2 and will be held on Friday afternoons from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

All welcome.

Ms Denise Ramsey and Ms Janelle Dempsey - Chess Convenors

Cricket

ISA Cricket

1st XI playing to be number 1 in Division 1

It’s been a long and gruelling season for the 1st XI. 19 matches, one tour, more than fifty training sessions, and it all comes down to this Saturday at Oxford Falls. The ISA Division 1 Final between the 1st XI and SPC starts at 10:00 am. Go well! Go Pius!

2nd XI so close

In the end it came down to the second last ball. The 2nd XI, having fought hard all season, bowed out of the ISA Division 2 finals with a heartbreaking loss. Congratulations on a great season, use this experience as fuel for a better season in 2026/27.

ISA Division 1 Semi-final – 1st XI v St Stanislaus’ College @ Oxford Falls #1

1st XI 3 for 41 (Rohan Chang 23*) defeated St Stanislaus’ College 10 for 40 (Charlie Chippendale 4 for 11, Alex Burke 3 for 1, Jack English 2 for 14)

After torrential rain in the lead up to this semi final match, the SPX ground staff did an outstanding job in preparing the ground and a very good pitch. The visitors won the toss and the match started sensationally with Charlie Chippendale clean bowling their opener with the first ball. Wickets continued to tumble as Chippendale took three further dismissals in a devastating six over spell. He was well supported by his opening bowling partner Jack English. Spinners Lucas Gleeson and Alex Burke combined figures of 4 for 9 from 14.3 overs. Sharp catches were taken in the field by Archie Wragge, Toby Moran, Lucas Gleeson, Brody Mendel and Oliver Costain, while captain Oliver Freeman led from the front with three catches of his own behind the stumps. The opposition was dismissed in 28 overs of relentless pressure. Despite the loss of two wickets in two balls, Rohan Chang steadied the small run chase, and the target was reached in the 12th over to secure a home final next Saturday.

ISA Division 1 Final – 1st XI v St Patrick’s College @ Oxford Falls #1 Saturday 7 March 2026. 10:00 am start.

Representative Cricket

Last week, in Perth, Archie Wragge (Year 10) represented the NSW Schoolboys Under 15 team with distinction. He opened the batting in all six matches and was the leading run scorer with innings that included 97 (run out), 74, 57 and 36. Archie had progressed to State selection through the ISA and CIS pathways. He has also recently represented the Opens ISA team after stellar performances for the College 1st XI scoring 337 runs at an average of 37.44. Congratulations Archie!

Congratulations also to ex-student Joe Colgan, currently Mosman CC’s 1st grade captain on his selection for the NSW 2nd XI.

Mr David Reay - ISA Cricket Convenor

Cross Country

Cross Country training continues every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Training Details

Where: Beauchamp Oval (meet at the grandstand)

When: 7:10 am – 8:10 am

Who: Open to all students in Years 5–12

What to wear: PE uniform or SPX athletics singlet, with appropriate running shoes

After training: Students are to return to school to change into their regular school uniform

What to bring: Water bottle

The Run2Cure 5km Fun Run will take place on Sunday, 29 March. We will run Wave A together. As this is an external event, students will need to organise their own way to and from the venue. Mr Steinman and I will be there to support and supervise any bags and belongings during the duration of this run.

Students receive a 10% off the registration fee using code SPX26 at checkout. Please note that registrations completed by 10 March will also receive free bib postage.

Join our SPX Runners team upon registration:
https://sydney.run2cure.org.au/signup?parentId=spx-runners
Pricing details can be found here:
https://sydney.run2cure.org.au/event-info#sydneyeventpricing
Who: Year 7-12 (though juniors are welcome to join)
When: Sunday, 29 March. Race starts 9:30 am.
Where: The Domain, in the centre of Sydney. Event village is the grassy area in between Hospital Road and Art Gallery Road. Mr Steinman and Ms Lee will meet everyone at 9:00 am near the registration area.
What to wear: Blue and yellow cross-country singlet, available for purchase at the uniform shop, can be used for training and ISA. Option to borrow a singlet is available with limited sizes. Please let Ms Lee know if you need to borrow a singlet.

Further information will be shared closer to the event. Please notify me via email once you have registered.

We look forward to seeing you all and kicking off a great season together!

Ms Leanne Lee - Cross Country Convenor

CSDA Public Speaking and Debating

Congratulations to Tristan De Souza (Y7) and Benjamin Schwulst (Y8) for going through to the Preliminary Final of Public Speaking. It was great to see all of our students performing well with engaging topics.

For students interested in Debating, you must attend the first meeting on Wednesday 11 March at Recess (room B8) to express your interest. The details of how the trials and teams will be decided will be provided on this day. Training will begin on Friday 13 March from 3:20 pm until 4:30 pm.

The dates for the Debating rounds are:

Football

Draft teams will be published around the College in coming weeks. Please note that these are draft teams and that there will be changes to teams during preseason training and early rounds of the season.

There will be one trial game this term against St Aloysius' College on 28 March with the season proper commencing in Term 2.

Please see details below regarding the SPX Football camp in the April Holidays and messages from the Football Supporters Club.

Mr Simon Yue - Senior Football Convenor

From the Football Supporters Club

Opt-in for football communications in 2026

First things first, if football is not on your radar any longer and you would like to opt out of this email communication, please just reply to this message and I will take you off the list.

A great way to keep informed about all things football is to sign up to the opt in email list. The College does not provide your email to the Football Supporters Club due to privacy reasons so if you want to receive football emails you must complete the simple following link:

The 2026 Season Launch and Social is coming

Once again, we will kick-off the season with a social for parents/carers, our sons and staff at Willoughby Bowling Club. Come and join us on Sunday afternoon 29 March. It's a great way to get to know everyone and watch the presentation of jerseys to the First XI.

Word to the wise... last year's Season Launch & Social was a sell-out so please get your tickets early using the link or QR code below. Further details are included in the link -

https://events.humanitix.com/2026-st-pius-x-football-season-launch

Holiday Camps

ST PIUS X APRIL SOCCER HOLIDAY CAMPS

Tuesday 7 - Friday 10 April (Please note no session on Easter Monday)

9:00 am - 12 noon each day.

2, 3 and 4 day options

5v5 tournament running each day!

The Perfect Pre Season Preparation for the players!

A bus will be available for the first 60 registered players, departing Chatswood Campus at 8:30 am and returning at 12:40 pm.

For more information and to register please click here: Coerver course | Coerver Coaching

Whether your son is new to the game or looking to sharpen his skills, this is a camp he won’t want to miss.

Coerver Coaching holiday camps offer a fun filled soccer experience for children aged 4-16 years. Each day will include Coerver® SKILLS competitions and challenges, Ball Mastery, Coaching sessions focusing on developing effective use of skill, small sided Coerver® Games, and mini Coerver Cup Tournament to keep players active.

TECHNIQUE

The cornerstone of our curriculum is technical development. We utilize the Coerver® Method of ball mastery and graduated pressure to build technical competence and play carefully selected games to build functional success.

PLAYER CONFIDENCE

We foster creativity by providing the players technical building blocks & encouraging creative actions in developmentally appropriate games. Our games are designed to be fun, challenging and to reward success and risk-taking.

TEAMWORK

Small group tactics and principles of play are taught in attack and defence by utilizing the structure of the many small sided games, which have made the Coerver® Curriculum so unique and recognised as the world’s leading technical football program.

SPORTSMANSHIP

We value winning but not more than character and effort. We encourage paying respect to players, parents, coaches and referees. Sportsmanship is emphasized to develop the whole person and not just the player.

With 2, 3 and 4 day options available, this is the perfect pre and early season preparation for St Pius students looking towards a successful season. It is also a huge amount of footballing fun!

Mr Matt Zanello - SPX Football Supporters Club President

Rugby

Rugby Registration continue to be OPEN

All Year 5-12 students wishing to play rugby are required to be registered via Clipboard. This allows the school rugby administrators and coaches to best prepare for the coming season, plus allows your SPX Rugby Club to best support and communicate with you! There are no trials or grading days, all students are encouraged to get involved.

The following link will direct you to Clipboard: https://portal.clipboard.app/stpiusx. Please note that payment for the season will need to be made upon registration.

If you have any issues pleases contact Mr Justin Gates, Senior Rugby Convenor jgates@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au

NSW Rugby 7s Representative

We congratulate Xavier Davidson in Year 11, who proudly represented New South Wales in the Under 18s Rugby 7s team at Camden last weekend. Xavier and his team delivered an outstanding performance across the tournament, finishing undefeated against strong competition from across the state.

We commend Xavier on his continued hard work and look forward to seeing his future accomplishments on the rugby field.

Well done Xavier!

Year 7 Rugby Taster Program

The College, along with Mr Mike Cross and the Rugby Committee, are offering 4 free fun after school coaching sessions to all of Year 7 before the rugby season starts. If you are interested, please enrol via Clipboard.

Session Dates: 10, 12, 17 & 19 March

Time: 3:20 pm (buses leave from Archer Street) and return to the college at approximately 5:30 pm

Location: Oxford Falls (students will be bused to and from Chatswood)

The Opens and Year 7 students will start the session as a squad then split onto the two fields to continue the session with our experienced Try Time staff. Across the program, Year 7 students will develop core skills including passing, running, attack, defence, and tackle technique (Week 2). Sessions will also include fun games, and all participants will receive a training shirt. All Year 7 students are welcome.

Holiday Rugby Clinic

The annual Easter Holiday rugby clinic will take place on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April. This is a great opportunity for the students to make sure they’re well and truly prepared for the season and will help them put their best foot forward for ISA season.

Coaching staff will be Trytime coaches and special guest coaches. Position specific coaching will be given as well as team play. It will be a great chance for students to work on their skills and confidence before the season.

Please register via Clipboard https://portal.clipboard.app/stpiusx.

2026 U/15s & 16s Fiji Rugby Tour

Community Donations

We are thrilled to announce that our U/15s & 16s Rugby squads will be embarking on an exciting tour to Fiji during the April school holidays in 2026! This trip is more than just rugby as it provides students with cultural exchange, community engagement, and also creating unforgettable memories.

As part of this initiative, we are reaching out to the St Pius X community for support. We are collecting donations of any old technology (such as laptops, tablets, or phones) and sports clothing that can be repurposed and shared with local communities in Fiji. Your generosity will help make a real difference.

How to Donate: Please drop off your items in the morning at the Student Reception Office.

SPX Rugby Club

Rugby Gala Dinner 2026

Save the Date. The date and the venue are now locked in! Mark your calendar for Saturday, 1 August at Dockside. The Rugby Committee are excited to once again be hosting a fun filled evening.

Stay tuned for further details, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to spxrugby@gmail.com

Term 1 Rugby Dates for the Diary:

Sunday 8 March - Old Boys Gala Day – Oxford Falls (9.30 am kick off for a game of touch)
10, 12, 17 and 19 March - Year 7 Rugby Taster & Opens Training at Oxford Falls
Thursday 24 March - Rugby Training Commences at Oxford Falls for all students Year 7-12
Thursday 26 March - Fiji Rugby Tour predeparture meeting
Saturday 28 March - SPX vs St Aloysius'
Wednesday and Thursday 15 & 16 April - Rugby Holiday Clinic

Mr Justin Gates - Rugby Convenor

Squash

Thank you to all players and families who supported Round 3 of the Sydney Junior Pennant. It was another busy morning for St Pius X College Squash, with teams competing at both Willoughby and Thornleigh. The opposition was Barker College at Willoughby and Briars at Thornleigh. I was proud of their efforts against tough opponents. Although not all the matches went our way across all the games, our teams demonstrated resilience and sportsmanship we instil at St Pius X.

At Willoughby, the SPX 2 team had an epic battle that would rival any light sabre scene in Star Wars. Liam Spatola and Lucas Tubman faced quality opposition and were involved in several competitive sets. Liam showed persistence throughout his match pushing hard leaving nothing on the court, While Lucas encountered a strong player but continued to compete for every point. At times, Lucas would hit such a hard shot the ball appeared to go straight through his opponent's racquet for the point.

The SPX 4 team of Max Sunjaya and Jayden Beltran produced an impressive team performance. Max was involved in a tight five-game battle, responding strongly when momentum shifted and showing confidence in key moments with some impressive serving. He found the weakness in his opponent's game forcing him into the back court with powerful shots in which there was no answer for. Jayden showed resilience throughout his match, refusing to give in and contributing important points to the overall result.

In the SPX 5 team the students embody what the game is all about. Lance and Jaxson seem always to have fun and enjoy themselves. Jaxson always plays with positive energy and fought hard for every point, maintaining pressure throughout his match. Lance is always the calm player on court who is a great teammate to have.

At Thornleigh, the SPX 3 team of Thomas Kneeshaw and Chris Simpson represented the College with strong efforts taking a few games off a strong Briars team.

The SPX 6 team with Hunter Bois and Pat Buono displayed great spirit on court. Pat’s consistent play and calm demeanour were the highlights, taking his opponent in straight sets, while Hunter continued to develop his match awareness knowing what was needed produced some excellent shots and took the overall win.

Cameron Giang took to the court for SPX 1. Feeling a little under the weather and competing solo in Division 1 requires both fitness and leadership, and Cameron once again embraced the challenge. Even with the result not going his way the willingness to test himself against top opposition reflects his commitment to the team and to representing the College at the highest level.

Across both venues, I was particularly pleased with the students’ preparation, punctuality and the way they supported one another throughout the morning with scoring and positive encouragements. The camaraderie and depth within our Squash program continues to grow, and it is a credit to the players’ attitude and effort.

We look forward to building on these performances at training this week.

Mr Stuart Spedding - Squash Convenor

Swimming

This Friday night the Senior Swimming Squad will be competing at the Annual Christian Brothers carnival held at The Cranbrook School pool (The Murray Rose Aquatic Centre). Swimmers need to be at the pool at 6:15 pm wearing the Pius Swimming shirt or their sport polo with Pius sport shorts. Closed-toed shoes to be worn to the pool. No Crocs or slides!

For each event, swimmers must be wearing appropriate swimwear (ie, blue or black, no flouro colours) with the Pius swimming cap.

The carnival will finish approximately 9:45 pm.

Our next event will be the ISA Carnival on March 17. This is a day carnival where the College will bus the students to SOPAC and bring them home in the afternoon. More information to follow.

Training continues for one more week on Tuesday and Thursday at Fitness First Chatswood from 7:00 am – 8:15 am.

Ms Leisa Proc - Swimming Convenor

Careers