Senior School Sport  & Extra-Curricula Activities 

• From the Senior Sportsmaster
• Summer Sports Photos
• SPX Tennis Championships
• Cricket
• Cross Country
• CSDA Public Speaking and Debating
• Rugby
• Football

From the Senior Sportsmaster

Winter is coming!  

With the very recent conclusion of our Summer program, it is now time to turn our thoughts to Winter sports.  

Training has started for all Winter Sports and all boys must fully commit to both training and game times.  Please ensure your sons have the correct uniform for their sports along with any safety equipment they require.  Shin pads are compulsory for Football and mouth guards are compulsory for Rugby.

For ISA Tennis, we have a new tennis shirt which is available from the Uniform Shop.  This, along with the navy PE shorts and white socks, will form the compulsory Tennis uniform moving forward. 

Attached below is the Risk Warning that we publish at the start of every season for your information, along with the ISA Code of Conduct and our latest COVID-19 protocols for Winter Sport.

Summer Sports Photos

The Summer Sports photos were taken last week.  All order forms must be returned to the College by 31 March.  Students can pick up an order form from the Student Reception and the form is also attached below.

Ms Leisa Proc - General Coordinator

SPX Tennis Championships

This Saturday is the day!  Our internal Championships will be run at our Talus Street courts from 7:30 am to approx. 11:30 am for the lower divisions and from 11:30 am to 3.00 pm for the higher divisions. All ISA players and parents have been emailed with the session player lists. This is a compulsory event for all intending 2021 ISA Tennis players as the results from this competition will contribute to finalising the ranking process for the upcoming season. In the case of wet weather, check the SPX App. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Ms Amanda O'Brien - ISA Tennis Convenor

SPX Cricket

U13 Div 1 Gold into Grand Final!

Well done! Play well and good luck. Go Pius!

ISA Representative Cricket

The final ISA Representative Cricket match against GPS was played at Newington College. An excellent game of cricket was played as the result was in the balance until the last few overs. GPS finished on 9 for 236 and SPX bowlers Liam Chang (1-18 off 6 overs) and Liam Kinna (2-41 off 10 overs) again performed impressively. Captain, Joe Colgan, opened the batting in reply and had to steady the inning as after the loss of two quick wickets.  He made a fine 47 before being caught. The ISA team was dismissed in the final over for 216. Congratulations to Joe Colgan who captained the Combined Independent Schools at the NSW Schoolboys tournament in Maitland. This is a well-deserved honour after the exemplary manner he has represented SPX and ISA this season. In the first match, Joe made a fighting 29 opening the batting against Combined High Schools 2nd XI which helped set up a convincing win. Unfortunately, rain washed out the other two fixtures.

MWJCA Fixtures – Saturday 27 March 2021

Fixtures are correct at time of publication. Players and parents are requested to check myCricket for any late changes.

• Grand Final U13 Gold v Peninsula Pacers @ TBA please see myCricket (8.00 am start)

Kit Return – Coaches/Managers can return team kits to the Administration Veranda at Chatswood.

Award Recipients – Coach/ Managers please get your Award recipients to the Club Secretary ASAP.

Mr David Reay - Cricket Convenor

Cross Country

Cross-Country training will run all term. Join our Senior student leaders and top athletes, Matthew North and Dominic Panozzo, alongside our distance coach, Izzy Thornton-Bott for fun, varied and challenging sessions.

Beauchamp Park, Chatswood from 7.30 am – 8.15 am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Meet at the Grandstand in comfortable running gear and with a water bottle. You don’t have to aspire to run in the ISA Carnival - all students and abilities welcome.

Mr Greg  Virgona - Cross Country Convenor

CSDA Public Speaking and Debating Competition and SDN Debating Competition

CSDA Public Speaking

Congratulations to Jose Monk, Year 9, who gained third place in the Public Speaking Grand Final event held last Friday. Jose’s speech, exploring how Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as a metaphor for the chains that hold us back in life, again impressed the adjudicator panel.  A friend of Jose is in our Applied Philosophy class and shared our reflections on Plato’s Allegory with Jose:  a winning conversation. Congratulations to Jose for his hard work and determination. Jose will be presented to the school Assembly this Friday by our Debating and Public Speaking Captain, Joshua Jones.

CSDA Debating Competition 

The 2021 Debating season has commenced and our training continues.

ALL debaters are to come to B10 at 3.15pm on Friday afternoon.  Coaches will take students to their training rooms and you are expected to attend until 5.00 pm. 

Week 9 – Senior debaters will all be trained as CSDA Adjudicators during training this Friday: 3.15 pm - 5.00 pm. This training experience will support the Year 12 students moving into coaching roles in 2022 and will support the IN-HOUSE Year 11 and Year 12 debates that we will be running during the 2021 debating season.   

Week 10 – no training at the end of Week 10 this term.

The CSDA Competition commences in Term 2. See the following dates. 

Coaches for 2021 are:

Year 7   Joshua Foley (ex SPX student debater who coached in 2020)

Year 8   Ms Leigha Zervakos

Year 9   Leo Lovesy (ex SPX student debater who coached in 2020)

Year 10  Mr Justin Donnelly

Year 11  Luke McManus (ex SPX student debater 1st year coaching)

Year 12  Mr Ryan Balboa

We are so lucky to have ex-students to work as coaches as their experience as debaters is still fresh and the younger students really enjoy contact with our ex-debating “champions”. All of our coaches are also adjudicators which means that their feedback to their teams is timely and specific.

The fee for the CSDA extra-curricular activity is $150.00 which will be included in your Term Two school fees. We keep our fees as low as possible and have funding from the St Pius X College P & F to subsidise the costs of running debating at SPX.  

Mrs Michele Waterson - Debating and Public Speaking Convenor

SPX Senior Rugby

Rugby Training continues – THURSDAY 25 MARCH

Attendance at rugby training is crucial this week as we prepare for matches this Saturday.

Buses will depart Archer Street between 3:15 pm and 3:30 pm outside OLD Church.

Buses will return to Chatswood dropping students off outside the school on Anderson Street between 5:30 pm and 6.00 pm.

Training will run every Tuesday and Thursday during the Rugby Season at Oxford Falls, except for the Under 13s who will move to Beauchamp Oval in Term 2.

Rugby Fixtures Saturday 27 March

Rugby Registration  - NOW OPEN!

All Year 7-12 students wishing to play rugby are required to be registered to be included in a team, allowing the school rugby administrators & coaches to best prepare for the coming season, plus allow your P&F Rugby Club to best support and communicate with you! There are no trials or grading days, all students of different shapes, sizes and abilities can find a home within the SPX Rugby Program.

You have two options when registering:

1. 2021 Rugby Season Registration + Two Day April School Holiday Clinic: $240 (cost includes season registration & access to rugby specific physio during the season + specialist coaching, transport and lunch at the April Holiday clinic held on April 7 and 8 2021).
2. 2021 Rugby Season Registration Only: $150 (cost includes season registration & access to rugby specific physio during the season)

Note: The third option for holiday clinic only is for Junior School students.

To register simply follow the trybooking link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/725633

Thoughts and Prayers for the Lowick Family

The St Pius X Rugby Community mourn the passing of Mr Adam Lowick, father of Lachlan (2018) and Austin (2020). Adam was an enthusiastic supporter of the SPX Program for many years and our thoughts and prayers are with the Lowick family during this difficult time.

Try-Time Rugby Holiday Camps

Trytime Rugby will be holding camps across Sydney these school holidays, including Beauchamp Oval Chatswood and at Oxford Falls. These camps are in addition to the holiday clinic run by the school and requires a separate sign up and registration. 

The extra camps are always such a great and fun way to kick off the rugby season. It’s the perfect time to get ready for the season, get fitness levels up and continue to practice and develop skills and understanding of the game. There is also a focus on decision making and technical aspects required for safe tackling.

For more information head to : http://www.trytimerugby.com/camps or see the attached flyer.

Term 1 Rugby Dates for the Diary

• Thursday 25 March - Rugby Training Continues at Oxford Falls for all students Years 7 - 12
• Friday 26 March - P&F Cocktail Party
• Saturday 27 March – Traditional Trial vs Alos – AWAY (game times and venues above)
• Tuesday 30 March - RUGBY CLUB AGM - 7.00 pm at the Sarto Centre
• Tuesday 30 March  – Opens Rugby Trial vs St Paul's Manly - HOME
• Wednesday 7 & Thursday 8 - April School Holiday Clinic – Oxford Falls – TRYTIME RUGBY

Mr Joe Lynch - Senior Rugby Convenor

Football

This weekend sees our first game against traditional rivals, St Aloysius College. There is a combination of both home and away fixtures so please check your times and locations carefully. Players should show up at their venue 30 minutes prior to kick off.

Under Covid19 protocol, spectators are limited to family members only, full Covid19 protocols can be found in the Sportsmaster’s section of this newsletter.

Venues can be found at the following locations:

College Oval: Tyneside Ave, Willoughby

Walsh, Watkins and Chaplin 2: Dreadnought Rd, Oxford Falls.

Good luck to all teams.

SPX Football Holiday Camp At Oxford Falls - Thursday 8 April 2021 To Friday 9 April 2021

Pack away your technology and improve your football skills ahead of the 2021 SPX Football season.  

Have fun with our highly qualified external football coaching team led by Richard Lacey for cost effective football training in the holidays.  

The sessions are conducted in age-based squads and include skills and game-play.

Single or multi-day tickets can be purchased.

Trybooking:      https://www.trybooking.com/UPLP

When:                 Thursday 8 April 2021 to Friday 9 April 2021, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm

Where:               SPX Oxford Falls Campus

Transport:         Parents to drop off and pick up boys from Oxford Falls per Covid safe guidelines (please stay in your car)

Bus transport is available from SPX Chatswood Campus:

• 8.15 am drop off at Kirk Street, boys walked to bus by Mr Lacey on Archer Street - Bus will  depart 8.30 am sharp
• 1.10 pm depart from Oxford Falls, arrive at SPX Chatswood Campus at 1.30 pm subject to traffic conditions

Cost:        $50 per day (single or multi-day tickets available)

Bring:                  

• Football boots, shin pads, football training clothes (SPX sports uniform not required)
• Water bottle with name clearly marked per COVID-safe guidelines
• Sunscreen, cap and rain gear and sneakers (for indoor football play for wet weather)
• Food for snacks and lunch

Obtain your Preliminary FFA Referee Certificate for the 2021 Football Season

SPX boys are also encouraged to register and complete the online and free preliminary referee course offered by FFA in the 2021 Football season.  

See web-link:  https://www.playfootball.com.au/referee/laws-of-the-game?_ga=2.255398154.385912815.1586174178-586563975.1586174178

The SPX Football Supporters Club (FSC) will again offer a prize draw for SPX boys who complete the referee course and obtain their preliminary referee certificate.  

To enter the prize draw, please send your certificate to the SPX FSC at email:  footballclub@pandf.spx.nsw.edu.au  

The prize draw will include football kit items donated by the SPX FSC to be drawn at a SPX Football social event later in 2021.  Please join in.

Your preliminary referee certificate can also be presented to Paul Cummins, SPX Junior School Football Convenor.

You can get paid to be a referee by joining the SPX Football Boys Referee Team for SPX Junior School Football games at Oxford Falls on Saturday mornings during future football games.

Mr Simon Yue - Senior Football Convenor.