AIC Rugby 2019

[D'Lite Full]

Padua 2 tries to 1 victors in three periods of typical trial rugby. Padua had a few First XV standard players missing last night and I was told by a Sunshine CGS mum that they were missing some QLD reps. A breakaway and a centre? How good was their little blonde fullback though? He can kick! Was a 9 last year too. They are a courageous and tenacious team. Just couldn't get on top of the PC forwards.

I really liked the look of Padua's pack but hard to say how well they will perform in the AIC. There are some big bodies and with some additional games/fitness they will be better. Disappointing for both teams that scrums went uncontested late in the game .

The Ballymore Cup will be interesting.

 

[Serge Blanco]

Iona vs SPC Curtain Raiser for Reds vs Brumbies 1.00pm next Sunday

 

[spud]

SLC are playing ATC this Friday. Not sure if it will be SLC's Firsts? Hope not. ATC missing probably half a dozen of their best through other commitments. Depth not a strength there just yet.

Final score??

 

[RugbyReg]

Final score??

30 nil apparently. No doubt SLC weren't at fullstrength but ATC were legit missing their top 8 or so players. At least. Guys played who were playing their first game of rugby. The team was about half grade 10s and 11s. I'm staggered it was this close.

But again, I don't know what type of team SLC were

 

[D'Lite Full]

Iona vs SPC Curtain Raiser for Reds vs Brumbies 1.00pm next Sunday

I would suggest this will be a real pointer to the AIC season. Both have players back from 2018 teams. Pats will probably be a young team this year but their halfback will be the fulcrum of their game plan. Iona might have too many guns in the outside backs? Just a trial but will be intriguing and well done on whomever supported the initiative to get this curtain raiser happening.

 

[Torpedo Punt]

Is this the first year ATC have year 12 going through ? Im sure over time they will be strong and will hopefully add a "Downlands" type game to the AIC comp.

 

[RugbyReg]

Is this the first year ATC have year 12 going through ? Im sure over time they will be strong and will hopefully add a "Downlands" type game to the AIC comp.

yep first year. They will be ok (in the 1sts) this year, as much because they have some brilliant talent (one player who remains the best schoolboy rugby player I have ever seen, unfortunately he has a Broncos contract). They just don't have sufficient depth at the moment in the two senior years. But from next year and on is when they will really mature.

 

[mcdonladclan]

Rugby god,. you are way off on this one.. its still just a year max difference. When prep started they moved the school intake to July thru June.AIC have simply done the same with sport to make sure boys are playing with their cohort. In GPS (since July 2002 birth year) , now you will be playing with half your team made up from another year..I think the AIC system will keep more kids playing sport. Either way its the same maximum age difference of 12 months. ( I guess unless grade 9 was the best 3 years of your life ).


That's very short sighted view TP... every year there are many families that choose to have their son repeat or kept down a year.... boys have always repeated school grades for social, emotional & academic reasons. These are valid reasons but is does mean that there are many within a grade's cohort that have an age gap of up to 23 months. It's ridiculous and IMO irresponsible of the AIC decision makers to use these same "academic grades" to define levels of a full contact sport. AIC parents now have to sign a waiver as they are fully aware of this inappropriate age gap. I guess it must be easier for them administratively to run their program in this way. Shame on them!

 

[Torpedo Punt]

Its not a big number...its basically not relevant.

 

[Torpedo Punt]

Plus your argument doesnt apply to opens anyway where theres the biggest number of repeats....as well as the odd Grade 10 who makes a first XV. So GPS or AIC you can have a First XV player playing someone 4 years older than them...I agree this is a scary thought and loops back to a weight based comp which Id support up to say Grade 10.

 

[Galloper]

yep first year. They will be ok (in the 1sts) this year, as much because they have some brilliant talent (one player who remains the best schoolboy rugby player I have ever seen, unfortunately he has a Broncos contract). They just don't have sufficient depth at the moment in the two senior years. But from next year and on is when they will really mature.

Hey Reg

As I'm assuming you have a son at AT and are therefore in the loop, does AT aspire towards inclusion in the AIC now that they finally have boys in Years 5 - 12?

If not, who will their rugby (and other sporting) teams play against in the future?

I'm not sure (as in I have no idea either way) whether the AIC schools are keen to admit a new member and go to a 9 school competition, creating a bye issue, but it would seem to make plenty of sense on the face of it in terms of geography,religious affiliation and overall sporting strength.

Alternatively, if it came to the crunch I wouldn't be shocked to see St Peters eventually replaced by AT, as SPLC certainly aren't popular with many within the AIC for a variety of reasons.

 

[mcdonladclan]

Its not a big number.its basically not relevant.

Until a serious injury occurs...then relevant enough??

 

[Jets]

It's hard for SPLC when they are co-ed and all the other schools aren't. Half their student base can't compete.

 

[Torpedo Punt]

Hey Reg

Alternatively, if it came to the crunch I wouldn't be shocked to see St Peters eventually replaced by AT, as SPLC certainly aren't popular with many within the AIC for a variety of reasons.

Yep, its not popular that they can win the swimming ( probably the best swimming school in the country ) and not front up a 2nds cricket team. They need to get some balance.

 

[Torpedo Punt]

It's hard for SPLC when they are co-ed and all the other schools aren't. Half their student base can't compete.

BSHS dont use that excuse..

 

[Galloper]

It's hard for SPLC when they are co-ed and all the other schools aren't. Half their student base can't compete.

Jets, I can assure you that SPLC's unpopularity is not just attributable to the fact that they only choose to be competitive when it suits them, e.g. swimming and tennis, and even then they have to bring in the team from elsewhere.

There also seems to be a misplaced arrogance among a lot of the SPLC sports staff as well (not all), which contrasts with the pretty friendly relations between the teachers/coaches from the other AIC schools.

I have little doubt that MCA would happily wave goodbye to SPLC and never give them a second thought, and it wouldn't surprise me if things are already heading in that direction

 

[RugbyReg]

Hey Reg

As I'm assuming you have a son at AT and are therefore in the loop, does AT aspire towards inclusion in the AIC now that they finally have boys in Years 5 - 12?

If not, who will their rugby (and other sporting) teams play against in the future?

I'm not sure (as in I have no idea either way) whether the AIC schools are keen to admit a new member and go to a 9 school competition, creating a bye issue, but it would seem to make plenty of sense on the face of it in terms of geography,religious affiliation and overall sporting strength.

Alternatively, if it came to the crunch I wouldn't be shocked to see St Peters eventually replaced by AT, as SPLC certainly aren't popular with many within the AIC for a variety of reasons.

yeah mate, I have three boys there so have an interest.

They would have aspirations to be AIC for sure but no real expectations unfortunately. They have challenges with depth in this year's senior cohort and probably next, as these were the years that lost a lot of students to the traditional schools when it was first decided to convert Nudgee Junior to a senior school. From Year 10 onwards, the depth and talent is very good.

Athletics is probably challenged but I hear most schools are heading that way. Is there an AIC Athletics comp?

We are basically filling in where we can and playing who we can at the moment. Playing underneath Downloads in the cricket (so playing GPS Schools) and will be very hodge podge in rugby. Its tough getting consistent games all the way through to our junior school, or even just the senior school. At this stage we have three age groups playing in a southside 6ers 10s tournament and we end up playing a bit of tournament stuff (including Ballymore Cup).

We've built a bit of a relationship with Sunny Coast Grammar this year and will play them again a couple of times, as well as The Armidale School, Downlands, BGS and TSS (I expect not their 1sts) and will pick up a few other games along the way.

 

[Galloper]

Thanks mate, some interesting stuff there.

I definitely wouldn't say that athletics is struggling in the AIC.

Even allowing for the fact that (unlike say BBC as a prime example) there are no imported footballers or pure athletes competing at the AIC championships, the winning times and distances across the board tend to be very respectable with many schools producing athletes who have won or placed at state and national level.

Certainly MCA takes athletics seriously, especially since Dave Miles returned from Eddies in 2015, with a large participation rate and good coaching contributing to them winning the last 4 carnivals after an 11 year drought.

Interestingly, Eddies won the AIC athletics in each of Dave Miles' last 3 years there (2012-2014), so he's been in charge of the last 7 winning athletics teams as well as coaching multiple premiership First XV's at both Eddies and Ashgrove.

 

[Jets]

BSHS dont use that excuse..

One has 3,200 High School students the other has 1,800 P-12.

State High has as many boys as the other schools

 

[Jets]

Jets, I can assure you that SPLC's unpopularity is not just attributable to the fact that they only choose to be competitive when it suits them, e.g. swimming and tennis, and even then they have to bring in the team from elsewhere.

There also seems to be a misplaced arrogance among a lot of the SPLC sports staff as well (not all), which contrasts with the pretty friendly relations between the teachers/coaches from the other AIC schools.

I have little doubt that MCA would happily wave goodbye to SPLC and never give them a second thought, and it wouldn't surprise me if things are already heading in that direction

Yeah, I gathered there are issues. Seems to be the culture of the place, from my limited exposure.