Sports Update

2026 France Rugby Tour 

The following is both a summary and reflections from one of the most awe inspiring and transformative experiences offered in a government school.  

The 19-day tour highlights included playing three rugby matches, visiting a first 14 game, meeting countless national and international rugby superstars, guided tours of the sanctuary of Lourdes and the Grotto, seeing the Pope, a cable car to the top of the Pyrenees and performing the team’s, Haka. We explored some world-famous tourist attractions including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. 

To set the scene for those who are not familiar with the Southwest of France, Lourdes is a quaint religious town of 15,000 people nestled at the base of the Pyrenees mountains and only a stone’s throw away from the Spanish border. The town is a pilgrimage mecca for Catholics from across the world who travel here to pray for a miracle, drink and bathe in holy water from the Grotto at “the source” of the holy water itself and visit the holiest town outside of the Vatican City. 

The surrounding towns of Adé and Pau provided our opposition along with the local team of Lourdes. Everywhere we played students were greeted, made to feel welcome, regularly swapped jerseys with the opposition and stayed for a French BBQ. 

I am not from Rugby background; however, it was very evident that students have not only developed their skills, but they also have a newfound understanding of what it takes to make it in the world of professional rugby both on and off the field. 

From the outset this experience has required students, staff and families to live and breathe Lara Secondary College’s values. From the moment he started at Lara Secondary College, Coach Ephraim has been committed to making this once in a lifetime opportunity available to students through his passion for Ruby, leadership of the team and contacts all over the world. This commitment was echoed by the students as they prepared for and applied their craft on the rugby pitch.

The student group have at every stage on the trip showed the utmost respect for each other, the sport and opposition and the countless interactions they have had in the southwest of France. Teamwork was not only evident on the field, but the group also worked to make this trip a positive one for all by sharing the workload, sharing food and including each other along the way. 

Excellence is one word I could use to describe this trip. This was not due to any one action or individual. Rather, it was the collective inputs from the entire “tribe” made up of the Lara Secondary College and Ruby communities pooling their efforts. I could never list all those who have played a part either big or small but please take this as a sincere token of appreciation to everyone who played a role. From the college I would like to make a special mention of the Staff. Lisa Daglas for her work in all aspects of trip administration and organisation, Drew Steven for his work behind the scenes on critical department documents and processes and the college leadership and administration teams for their support of payments and approvals.

I would also specifically like to thank every parent, and relation who not only raised the money to fund their child’s trip but also for the extra effort to get the uniforms ready, share key information, live stream the games, helped your child pack, helped collect donations and showed your upmost support of the tour from day dot. These collective efforts have provided your young people with the experience of a lifetime, and one long remembered. 

It is our hope that every student takes this experience and continues their journey as a more worldly, open minded and confident individual who can also share this experience for the greater good of our Academy, College and broader community.

A special mention to the following business who supported with generous donations:

Aaron Hassett

Lara Cricket Academy – Year 9/10 T20 Tournament

On Tuesday 27 October, our Year 9/10 Lara Cricket Academy squad travelled to their final round of the T20 tournament, with hopes of securing a place in the grand final.

After an anxious wait for the results of the other matches, unfortunately, the team finished third overall, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. Instead, the squad competed against Warragul in a playoff for third place.

Batting first, Lara produced a competitive total of 167 runs from 15 overs. Captain Avaniish Kotian led from the front with an outstanding unbeaten 60, taking his tournament run tally beyond 300. Anshdeep Saini also made a significant contribution with a fantastic 50, his first half-century since arriving in Australia. Riley Shields and Jax Handley-Durbidge provided valuable runs late in the innings, contributing between 15 and 20 runs each.

Defending 167 on a small and fast outfield was always going to be a challenge. However, the team showed great composure and determination to restrict Warragul, securing an impressive 17-run victory and finishing the tournament in third place. Bailey Pavlinac was the standout with the ball, claiming two crucial wickets late in the match to help seal the win.

Congratulations to all students who represented the Lara Cricket Academy throughout the tournament. Their efforts, teamwork and commitment were fantastic, and they should be proud of their performances.

A special thank you also goes to Brent Hodges for his significant efforts in organising and establishing the competition, providing our students with a valuable opportunity to develop their cricket and represent the Academy.

Well done to everyone involved on a successful tournament!

Ty Norman

Rugby Academy Youtube Channel

To watch the lastest from the Rugby Academy head over to our YouTube channel using the following link.