Co-curricular - Junior Sport
Term 2
Welcome back to Term 2 of the school year. I hope that everyone had a relaxing Easter period, spent with family and friends. While many of us were using the holiday period to rest and recover, two groups of Junior School boys were spread around the east coast in search of sporting victory. The Junior School Year 6 footballers travelled up to Brisbane for the annual EREA Football Tournament, and the Junior School Year 6 Rugby players travelled to Armidale for the traditional Armidale Rugby Carnival.
All reports from the staff involved pointed to the boys being well behaved and representing the College well. The Footballs had two gruelling days in the hot, sunny conditions in Brisbane. Both our teams were able to make it through to the finals, playing some exceptional football to get there. Unfortunately, the B team were knocked out in the quarter finals. The team that beat them, Gregory Terrace, went on to the Grand Final match, so no shame for our team to go down to them 0-2. The A team played exceptionally well throughout the tournament and came into the Grand Final undefeated and without a goal being scored against them, playing in less-than-ideal conditions. The wind picked up significantly on the second day, with a few marquees blown across fields and ending up in the goals themselves. Battling through the conditions, the SPC A team came away with the victory. This is now the second win in a row for St Patrick’s College at the EREA Football Carnival. Well done boys.
I would like to thank Mr Brian McCarthy and Mr Zac Tropeano for all their work with the boys in Brisbane.
The Rugby Carnival in Armidale always throws up some interesting challenges. This year, the cool weather kicked in and temperatures struggled to get past the 17-degree mark. Undeterred, the SPC boys took to the field with excitement and enthusiasm. Placed in a division with many of our IPSHA competitors, the draw was a challenging one. A strong start against St Aloysius’ College (14-0 victory) had the boys in good shape. With the forwards dominating early and crisp passing in the backline, there proved no stopping the boys from St Patrick’s. For the first time in a long while, the boys went through the first day undefeated. Riding on a high, the team entered the traditional Spirit of Rugby Relay with high hopes. With the speed of our outside backs on display, our relay team held their nerve and in a close race, came home victorious. Tired but triumphant, the boys headed into the second day. With their reputation now proceeding them, the boys from St Patrick’s appeared 10 feet tall and ready for action. Not resting on their laurels, the boys put in another strong performance and ended the carnival with a win. This meant that they won their division and went through undefeated. It has been some time since St Patrick’s has been able to dominate their division in this fashion. Well done boys.
I would like to thank Mrs and Mr Tatola and Mr Fields for all their work with boys, before and during the carnival.
A few key dates for this term:
Saturday 6 May: Junior School Supporters’ Day.
I will write more about this in next week’s issue however it is a compulsory day, and all boys are expected to attend. Attire for the day is the black Supporter’s polo shirt, black crested shorts, white socks and black SPC sports cap. If it is cold the College tracksuit should be worn.
Thursday 11 May: Junior School Cross Country Carnival.
We are going to have another shot at running the Cross Country. All age groups will run, points recorded, and the House Trophy awarded. Fingers crossed for a better day.
Wednesday 21 June: Junior School House Athletics Carnival
Lastly, the Winter season for the Junior School commences this weekend, with Round 1 of the competition. Draws for the weekend will be out shortly but have been delayed due to the late start to this week. Please be on the lookout for notifications via the College App.
Looking forward to the start of Winter sport and the new term.
John Locke
Junior School Coordinator of Co-Curricular