Co-curricular - Junior Sport
I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Easter, celebrated with family, and found some time to rest and recharge over the two-week term break.
With the commencement of Term 2, we jump straight into the beginning of the Winter Sport season. Round 1 will commence this Saturday 30 April. The draw for the weekend will be posted on Team App shortly. As we enter the season, I would ask that all parents/carers, students, and coaches please use the Jnr Fixtures and Cancellation page to get the most up to date draw information. This section is updated weekly and will reflect any changes made from the draft draw. Here you will also find addresses for each venue we play at over the weekend. The same information will be displayed in the classrooms and boys are encouraged to write down their fixture information in their diaries.
This Saturday 30 April, the Junior School will take part in Supporters’ Day. This is a compulsory day for the boys and an application for leave will need to be made if attendance is not possible. All boys unable to attend this Saturday 30 April, will have another day allocated to them with a different year group. The attire for the day is Black Supporter’s Polo, black crested sport shorts, black cap, and runners. If the weather is cooler, the College tracksuit should be worn. Boys are allowed a few snacks for the afternoon and all boys should have their drink bottles. Boys are asked to meet in Powell Pavilion at 1:00 PM to have their names marked off. From there they will support the First XI Football on SPC 2 and then move down to Breen Oval to support the First XV Rugby. Boys will be dismissed at the conclusion of the Rugby. Parents/carers are warmly invited to stay and watch the fixtures, however, they will not be able to sit with the Junior School supporting group of students. I am aware that the 12 B Rugby side will be returning from Moss Vale after playing at Tudor House. There should be sufficient time to make it back to the College in time for supporter’s duties. Consideration will be given to these students and their time of arrival.
Congratulations to our touring groups for Rugby and Football. While many of us were enjoying the first few days of the term break, 44 students and 8 staff traveled to various parts of the east coast to represent the College.
The Rugby boys in Armidale performed admirably, improving in every game. Against some very strong teams from New South Wales and Queensland, the SPC spirit never wavered and the boys fought hard to the final whistle. There was some great Rugby on display from St Patrick’s College, with barnstorming forward runs, setting up running Rugby through the backs being a feature of the SPC style. The tour ended with a resounding win against The King’s School.
For the first time, the College sent two Year 6 teams to the EREA Football Tournament, held in Brisbane. The competition there was tough and once we got used to the rule differences, the boys from St Patrick’s College soon found their feet and proved to be tough competition for the Queensland schools. Unfortunately, both our teams did a little too well and met in the semifinals. Under sweltering conditions our B side lost their final to finish a very respectable fourth place. Our A team moved on to the final. There they had a very tight tussle with St Laurence’s, previous winners of the Queensland Cup. At full time there was no splitting the teams and the game went straight to penalties. Our boys held strong, and after some wonderful striking of the ball and goalkeeper saves that needed to be seen to be believed, our SPC A team were victorious and won the competition. Not a bad way to finish our first trip north of the border.
All the boys involved in these tours can walk away with their heads held high, knowing that they have done themselves, their families, and the College proud. There was wonderful feedback from all we encountered on how our boys carried themselves and behaved throughout their time away. A big thank you to all the staff who took time out of their holidays to assist with the tours and to the parents/carers that traveled to support out teams.
I look forward to seeing all our teams out on the paddock this weekend and hearing of their efforts. Hopefully the weather will be kinder this time round, and we will get more play this season than not.
John Locke
Junior School Coordinator of Co-curricular