Senior School Sport

• Cricket
• Football 
• Rugby
• ISA Tennis

Cricket 

SPX Cricket Registration:  Player registration for the 2018/2019 season is CLOSING SOON!

Registration can be made here: www.trybooking.com/405015

SPX Cricket fields teams in Opens (1st XI and 2nd XI ISA), and U16 down to U12 (MWJCA). Please see Welcome to SPX Cricket document below.

This season, the Cricket Club are intending to continue the U15 Development Squad concept from last season, as well as extending grading into the younger age groups.  This will be dependent on registration numbers and the structure of the MWJCA competition.  Any questions can be emailed to registrar@stpiuscricket.org.au 

SPX Cricket Skills Day:  As previously advertised, our Cricket Skills Day will be held on Sunday 26th August at Oxford Falls and conducted by professional coaches from Cricket Appeal.  The sessions will be organised by Year group (not age group) as follows:

• Years 5 & 6 - 8.15am to 10.00am
• Years 7 & 8 - 10.00am to 11.45am
• Year 9 & up - 11.45am to 2.00pm

All players from U12's to Opens are expected to attend, and the session activities will be part of selection trials for teams that are to be graded. Players should attend wearing normal PE uniform, cricket whites are not required. In the event of bad weather please check the College senior sports twitter account @SPXSeniorSport.  Any questions can be emailed to registrar@stpiuscricket.org.au

Training: Team training commences next week from Monday 27 August. All training is at Oxford Falls. Training schedule is as follows:

• Monday – ISA Squad trials
• Tuesday –  No training on Tuesday 28 August due to Staff Meeting
• Wednesday – ISA Squad trials
• Thursday – Junior School teams during school sport. Senior School U13, U14 and U15

Bus transport to Oxford Falls leaves from outside OLD Church at 3:20 and return to Anderson Street at 5:30pm.

Mr D Reay - Cricket Convenor

Football

Dear Parents and players,

A big congratulations to the 2nd XI, 15B, 14A, 14C, 13A and 13 B side for their progression into this weekend’s Grand finals, commiserations to the 13C, 15A and 1st XI who all had hard fought losses on the weekend.

All Grand Final games will be played out at Oakhill College and support would be much appreciated by all teams.  Please see the times and fields attached below.

Good luck to all the teams - hopefully we will have multiple ISA Champions to celebrate at the upcoming Football Presentation evening on Wednesday the 5th of September.

Mr S Yue - Senior Football Convenor

FOOTBALL CLUB NEWS

Congratulations to the six teams that are in the ISA Finals this weekend at Oakhill College.  Well done to those teams that just missed out last week in the Semis, including our 1st XI who lost in a tense penalty shootout.  We wish all our teams every success in the Grand Finals.

If you haven’t sent a team photo please get them in this week.  Thanks to those parents who have already sent in some great shots.  We still need team shots for  14B, 15A,  16A, 3rds and any of the Junior College teams that would like to be included.  Also any finals shots would be great to include as well.

The Presentation Night is Wednesday 5th September and we endeavour to have the ‘Year in Review’ out in the same week.

If we don’t get a team photo your team won’t appear in the magazine.  We need these team photos by next week.  Send your photos to footballspx@gmail.com - save this to your phone and upload those photos as soon as you take then.

Rodger Paino - SPX Football Committee

Rugby

Results Saturday 18th August:

St Pius X Senior Rugby Presentation Evening:  The annual presentation evening will be held next Tuesday 28th August in the Gym starting at 7pm. I remind all parents that the presentation evening is a compulsory event for all students.

St Pius X Rugby Raffle:  A reminder that all tickets were to be returned to school sold or unsold by TODAY. All tickets must be back by tomorrow, 23rd August, in an envelope with the families name clearly marked on the front. The raffle will be drawn at the rugby club social on Saturday 25th August.

Under 15s New Zealand Tour 2019:  Next week at the annual presentation evening all players from the Under 14s age group will receive an invitation to the 2019 New Zealand Tour. The tour will occur during the first week of the April school holidays, departing Sydney on Friday 12th April and returning on Friday 19th April in time for Easter Weekend.

The tour is open to any boys who currently plays rugby or is interested in playing rugby in the future. It is not graded and there is no selection process, just a minimum number of 20 boys for the tour to go ahead. Students must be eligible for the Under 15s in 2019, that is they turn 15 next year.

I ask parents to consider this fantastic opportunity for their sons, with more information available in the invitation.

Mr J Lynch - Rugby Convenor

From the Rugby Development Officer

Blue skies and desert storms

On a crazy climatic day with four seasons rolled into one, St Pius returned to winning ways across many grades at St Gregory’s.  The final game of the season can often be a 'damp squid' but SPX teams across all grades played with great spirit and character.

None more so than our First XV who have found playing in the top division a real challenge. Their performance on Saturday was full of SPX synonyms:  gutsy, committed, spirited, brave, enthusiastic, etc. At times the treatment table area was like an A & E unit at the Royal North Shore, such was the commitment!

All our 16s' teams won and this augurs well for next season.  16 is the age when skills are clearly evident, but the move into Opens rugby against players in Years 11 and 12 is both a mental as well as physical challenge.

Our 13s have played some outstanding rugby. I love the “shape” of our 13's playing style. If only we were bigger. Should we introduce mashed potato into the tuck shop?

The 15A team, despite huge player losses through injury, won a tight game on the bell because they wanted to win!

Overall it’s been a fabulous and hugely enjoyable season of rugby from Prep right through to the Opens.

Thanks to all who have contributed - coaches, parents, support groups and especially those players who have turned up for every session and maintained the St Pius spirit.

Dare I say ...  it all begins again soon. Enjoy your summer sport and come back fired up for 2019.

Mike Penistone - Rugby Development Officer

FROM THE RUGBY CLUB 

End of Season Social Function – from 5pm this Saturday, 25th August – The Willoughby Hotel – Please Book Your Free Tickets now!!

As a ‘thank you’ to all our SPX Rugby Supporters, the Rugby Supporters’ Club will be holding an ‘End of Season Social Get Together’ at the Willoughby Hotel (315 Penshurst Street, Willoughby) from 5pm on Saturday 25th August. The Rugby Club, through the hotel, will provide a good selection of high quality ‘stand-up’ food and the only thing that those attending will have to pay for will be their own drinks at normal pub bar prices.

We will have the whole first floor to ourselves with two televisions showing live coverage of the Wallabies v All Blacks Bledisloe Cup Test Match from Eden Park in New Zealand from 5.30pm. (There will be plenty of room for those who want to get away from the televisions).

Children are most welcome – we will have a table tennis competition on the night for the children.

On the night we will have a number of lucky door prizes, including the opportunity to win two free tickets to the 2019 SPX Rugby Club Dinner, and a free ticket to the upcoming inaugural SPX Rugby Supporters’ Club Golf Day starting at 1pm on Wednesday 12th December at Roseville Golf Club.

There will be no fund raising at the function - the only thing you will need money for are your own drinks!

To assist us with catering for the function please book your free tickets now - this link will take you directly to the TryBooking Site to book your tickets: www.trybooking.com/390673

Save the Date:  Wednesday, 12th December 2018 – Inaugural SPX Rugby Club Golf Day at Roseville Golf Club  from 1pm - ‘Ambrose Shotgun Start’.  Further details to be provided in coming weeks – bookings opening shortly.

(Please note the date has now been moved from initially notified date of 28th November).

Paul O'Neill - President SPX Rugby Club

ISA Tennis

Last weekend we saw the Finals for the competition and some fantastic gameplay! Our Division 5 and Division 7 teams made it through to these matches.

Zachary Bull, Patrick O’Brien Aiden Saraceno and Alec Ramsbottom in our Division 5 team played well but ultimately went down to a very strong St Pat’s team.

Tom Ryan, Alessandro Muranty, Reuben Cuasay, John McKinnon and Nathan Constantino in our Division 7 team had an amazing match against St Paul’s Grammar. Our opposition hadn’t lost a fixture all season, however, went down to SPX in the very exciting tiebreaker of the last set. Congratulations to our Division 5 Finals winners!

I’d like to take this opportunity send a huge thank you to all of the parents of our players this season. Without your support and some very early morning drives our players wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such a successful season.

Ms A O’Brien - ISA Tennis Convenor