Co-curricular - Junior Sport Stage 3

It was great to see all the boys from the Junior School turn out over the weekend for their Supporters’ Day. There is nothing quite like the feeling of sitting amongst the Junior boys as their passion and excitement intertwine with the traditions and spirit of the College. Congratulations to all the boys on their efforts to support the Second and then First XV Rugby teams. 

A former head of the Junior School would often tell the boys, especially the new boys in Year 5, that they had come to a special place at St Patrick’s. He would then ask them what they thought makes this place great. Most often the question was met with trivial answers such as ‘the canteen’ or ‘the ovals.’ Sometimes the boys mentioned ‘the teachers.’ 

He would go on to explain that:

‘It is the passion the boys develop for the College that makes it great. The desire to want to represent the College well, to reach the top and do the school proud. This is what makes the College great.’ He would then add a very important point. He would tell the boys that ‘this requires some buy-in from the students. You must have some faith and dive into this part of the culture. Only then will the College continue to be something great.’ Involvement in the Supporters’ Day is a real opportunity to buy into this idea, culture and it was evident over the weekend that the boys in the Junior School are well on the way to guaranteeing that St Patrick’s remains a great place.

Winter Trials - Update

The Winter trials for the Junior School have now come to an end. All boys should be aware of the team they have been selected for in Round 1 of the Winter season. While the trials have ended, boys are still able to be seen and moved into teams over the first three rounds. This allows boys to keep showcasing their abilities and gives those students who were injured or sick during trials an opportunity to show their true abilities. No doubt, there will be boys that are upset or disappointed with their initial team selection. The path forward is to work hard, listen to the coaches and play the best you can. Coaches will continue to review and assess and move boys accordingly.

As we approach the school holidays, we take this opportunity to wish our Junior School touring teams all the best for their upcoming competitions. Boys will be traveling to Armidale for our traditional Rugby Tour and to Brisbane for the EREA Football Carnival. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and wish you safe travels. All the best for the tournaments and know that all of St Patrick’s is behind you.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Easter and I look forward to the beginning of Term 2.

“When they cut us, what do we bleed? BLUE, BLACK and GOLD!” 

                         Students' Chant from Supporters’ Day

John Locke

Head of Stage 3 Co-Curricular

A Message from the Head of Rugby

A huge thank you to all Junior School staff members and students who created a loud and ferocious atmosphere for our rivals Trinity Grammar School. 

With the sun shining and the smell of a sausage sizzle making its way around Breen Oval, it was great to see students and staff members cheer loud and proud for our First and Second XV Rugby teams. The noise you created was deafening even from the sidelines and it was great to see students holding up images of the players as they ran in to score some scintillating tries! Your support is easily the best in the ISA competition, and we cannot thank you all enough! 

BLUE, BLACK and GOLD - NEVER FOLD!

Macquire Tatola

Head of Rugby