Sports Update
Rugby Academy Celebrates a Successful Term 3
As Term 3 comes to a close, the Lara Secondary College Rugby Academy has celebrated another outstanding chapter at the Victorian State Schools Rugby Championships.
Congratulations to our Under 18 Boys, who were crowned State Champions after finishing top of the table. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the commitment, teamwork and determination shown by the players throughout the season.
Our Under 18 Girls also enjoyed a highly successful championship, finishing as runners-up. Their performance was an excellent demonstration of the growth and strength of girls’ rugby within the Academy.
Our Under 15 Boys are still in action, with their final round to be played this Wednesday. We wish the team all the best as they finish their championship campaign.
A huge congratulations and thank you to all players, coaches and officials for their contribution throughout the season. The success of the Academy would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of everyone involved.
We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the parents, families and supporters who continue to get behind our students and the Academy. Your encouragement, attendance and ongoing support play an important role in allowing the Rugby Academy to continue to grow and provide opportunities for our students.
We look forward to bringing you further updates from our France Tour in Week 10, as our students take this exciting opportunity to experience rugby, culture and education on the international stage.
Congratulations to everyone involved and well done on a fantastic Term 3!
Ephraim Taukafa, Aaron Hassett and Emma Brown
Rugby Academy
Cricket Academy Update
Our Winter Indoor Program continues this term with visits to Geelong Indoor Sports for competitive intra-academy scrimmaging, as well as skill practice at Barwon Regional Cricket Centre. Here, students have access to specialist coaching (in addition to our teaching staff), as well as bowling machines and various other elite training aids in preparation for our Competition Phase next term. In addition to School Sport Victoria arranged events, selected Cricket Academy students also have the opportunity to represent Lara Secondary College in the following T20 matches.
Year 9-10 Intermediate Cricket Team
Date: Wednesday 16/9
Opponent: St Francis Catholic College
Date: Thursday 8/10
Opponent: Mickleham Secondary College
Date: Monday 19/10
Opponent: Warragul Secondary College / Alkira Secondary College
Date: Tuesday 27/10
Opponent: Final (TBC)
Year 7-9 Junior Cricket Team
Date: Thursday 12/11
Opponent: Geelong High School
Date: Thursday 19/11 (S3-4)Opponent: Lara Rugby Academy
Students are encouraged to bring a packed lunch, snacks and water bottle, as well as their personal cricket equipment. Students will also require a Youth MYKI Card (for free travel via V/Line train) on Thursday 12/11. Students are to meet outside the College Gymnasium in preparation for a prompt departure, and will be dismissed upon our return. All activity costs associated with this program are covered by the Cricket Academy levy. For further details, please see Compass.
Brent Hodges & Tyron Norman
Cricket Academy
Year 8 Basketball Team Reaches Geelong Region Grand Final
Our Year 8 Basketball team produced an outstanding performance at the Geelong Region Basketball Tournament on Thursday 20 August, exceeding all expectations and proudly representing our school against some of the region’s strongest basketball programs.
We began the day against Northern Bay, securing a convincing 19-point victory, before backing it up with another strong performance against Newcombe, winning by 24 points. These results saw the boys finish on top of their pool and progress through to the crossover semi-final.
The semi-final against Surf Coast Secondary College proved to be a much tougher contest. Our boys came out firing, scoring the first nine points of the game and establishing an early lead. They continued to work hard and maintained their advantage at half-time. Surf Coast came out strongly after the break, with some of their talented players lifting their performance and putting our boys under significant pressure. However, our team showed tremendous composure, and teamwork to hold on for a hard-fought five-point victory, booking their place in the Grand Final.
Standing between us and the championship was Western Heights, a school with a dedicated Basketball Academy and a number of highly talented players. The challenge was always going to be significant, and while Western Heights ultimately proved too strong on the day, our boys continued to compete right through until the final buzzer.
To reach the Geelong Region Grand Final is a fantastic achievement for our Year 8 team, particularly as a smaller school competing against some of the region’s larger basketball programs and specialist basketball schools.
I am incredibly proud of the boys—not only for their performance on the day, but also for the commitment they have shown throughout the last term. They have trained every week, worked on their skills, supported one another and prepared themselves for the opportunity to compete at this level.
Their effort, teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the tournament were outstanding. Congratulations to the entire team on a fantastic day and a well-deserved Grand Final appearance.
Mr Fennell
Rugby Academy Youtube Channel
To watch the lastest from the Rugby Academy head over to our YouTube channel using the following link.