Golfing Success

Pictured above is the winning team in the 2024 Tasmanian Men’s Regional Golf Championships. This Southern team took home the Thyne Trophy as a result of a successful weekend of competition at the Ulverstone Golf Club recently.

A significant feature of the photo is that the front row is all Old Virgilians.

On the left is current student Eli Monaghan (Year 12), who plays off a handicap of +3 and has played interstate and in Europe. He has been selected as a member of the Tasmanian Men's Golf Team to participate in the National Interstate Series at the Southport Golf Club, QLD later in May. Eli is the son of Eric (SVC 1977-83) and nephew of Stephen (SVC 1977-83) and Mark (SVC 1980-85).

Centre is Peter Leary (SVC 1994-97), who plays off a handicap of +1. During his younger days, he was Tasmania’s top-ranked junior tennis player. In 1997, St Virgil’s, then only a 3-10 school, sought permission to enter a team in the SATIS senior tennis competition. Peter was undefeated in the rosters against The Hutchins School, The Friends' School, and Guilford Young College. Peter is employed in the building industry as a project manager and is currently with Bolton Holdings. His father, also an ‘old boy’, was chair of the SVC Board in 1993 and 1994, and his mother Jan was on the teaching staff at Austins Ferry from 2000-2009.

On the right is Simon Direen (SVC 1986-89). Simon plays off a handicap of 1. Golf is not his only sporting outlet – he has competed in numerous Ironman and triathlon events. Upon leaving school, Simon became involved in the building industry and, 22 years ago, established the very successful Direen Homes Pty Ltd. His son Jack (SVC 2012-17) now works with his father. Father and son travelled to Spain in 2019 to compete in the International Triathlon Union Multisport World Championships. His second son, Kye (SVC 2016-20), is currently working at the Austins Ferry campus as a sports administrator trainee under the guidance of the Director of Sport, Michael Moschogianis.