NSW AAGPS 2023

[twoandahalfback]

I won't claim to know all of the history but Grammar became more of an academic school under Headmaster Mackerras in the 70s and 80s. Their rugby program continued on but they lost more games than they won through the 80s and 90s. With the advent of professional rugby in the mid 90s, rugby scholarships programs became more prevalent in other schools particularly as those schools wanted to compete with the dominance of Joeys. Grammar had neither the right demographic of boys to compete nor the desire to offer sporting scholarships. Eventually boys with genuine rugby talent also started leaving the school to further their rugby careers eg Julian Huxley and Harry Jones (Rats winger who played GPS 1sts and CAS 1sts). Eventually it became a safety issue as thrashings and injuries left Grammar with no choice but to withdraw from the 1st XV.
Grammar has a small but enthusiastic program today. I believe that they are very happy with the arrangement of playing in the 3rd XV as they win as much as they lose and rarely win or lose by a large margin. My understanding is that there is no desire to return to the 1st XV competition - I'm not sure how they could even get there if they wanted to. Arguably they are little stronger than this 3rd XV competition and I think they have won the Premiership about 3 times in the last decade. They look like they will play off against Scots (and maybe Kings) for the 3rd XV Premiership this season in Term 3.
However it is not a deep program at the school with only 8 teams this year (3 in the Opens, 2 in the 14s and only one in every other year). I believe the current Year 11 cohort have been one of the strongest age groups over their years in the high school. The current 13s and 14s are reasonably strong and they often have comortable wins against lower graded teams which means that the boys don't often get the sort of challenging experiences that will make them better players. I highlight this as one of the challenges for a program with so few teams is where do they fit in.

Good to know, thanks for the detail. I think the lack of supporters is also a bit disheartening for the boys, potentially why the program lacks numbers. That being said, Weigall has seemed more lively this year, but I do worry about how long it will continue after the stronger senior cohorts graduate.

 

[Rudderless]

It’s actually not complicated at all.

Gen blue select two teams plus some reserves, these boys go into a camp for around a week all gear food and flights to qld are payed for by wartahs. The same happens in every state with there respective sides.

Then the next best kids are picked in nsw schools 1 and 2, and from state champs a nsw juniors and nsw barbs team is selected.

Later in the year all the academy teams play in a tournament where a “Aus 18s” side is picked.

From the school’s tournament being held currently a Aus Schools and Aus barbs team is selected.

U18 Rebels, Force and Brumbies Academy squads are all getting plenty of game time in front of Rugby AU selectors with 2 games each these holidays.

Yesterday Brumbies 44 Force 7 (halftime was 14-7)

Force now head to Melb this Sat to play the Rebels at 10am at the Harlequin Rugby Club before heading home.
Live on the RugbyVic Facebook page.

 

[Joker]

U18 Rebels, Force and Brumbies Academy squads all getting plenty of game time in front of Rugby AU selectors with 2 games each these holidays.

Yesterday Brumbies 44 Force 7 (halftime was 14-7)

Force now head to Melb this Sat to play the Rebels at 10am at the Harlequin Rugby Club before heading home.
Live on the RugbyVic Facebook page.

Don't tell me this!!!!

 

[propsarespeedy]

Good to see Oakhill/two blues prospect Hasani Bloomfield (U15s) has been signed by the Waratahs, don't know the exact details of the contract but it's great to see he's commited to union. There was heaps of talk of him coming to a GPS school as many boys from the ISA do but so far he's stayed at Oakhill and is playing in the 16s in a very talented team.

 

[Rudderless]

Don't tell me this!!!!

View attachment 16757

Funny guy.

Joker, those State Academy squads are on the same pathway as the 2 Waratahs and QLD teams who played each other at Ballymore last Saturday.

 

[Bad Intentions]

No - those boys made the Australian 18s Team

Australian Schools and U18 squad confirmed

Rugby Australia have announced a 25-man Australian Schools and U18s squad.

www.rugby.com.au

Basically from the Gen Blue/Qld academy
Open to any player 18 and under - whether they are at school or not
So boys like Fowler eligible again this year.

The Aussie school boys team

The Australian Schoolboys 2022 Touring Team of Japan

The Australian Schoolboys 2022 touring team of Japan photographed at the end of today's training at Randwick Boys High School and David Philips Sports Field, home of the Waratahs. Next stop, Tokyo.

schoolsrugby.com.au

From boys that played at the equivalent of this weeks schools tournaments
Only open to boys at school

same thing mate

i dont wanna hear it

 

[brumbiesrugby]

This makes sense.

The Aus Schoolboys was once seen as the cream of the schoolboy crop. It was a sense of pride if your school produced 1 or 103 (as in Joeys case). Such a shame.

Here is the best Aussie Schools team of all time. Recognize any famous faces? Can you pick the year? Was this Australia’s greatest rugby team? You can very easily argue that it is- not just because of their exceptional record, but more importantly that how they performed had such a major impact on the local game.

View attachment 16716

1977-78 Aust Schools, Geoff Mould coach. Ellas etc

 

[UncleSam]

I know this new pathway selection has its positives but I think it's much easier for everyone if it goes.

GPS, CAS and ISA teams ---> NSW schools 1 and 2 vs QLD 1 and 2 -----> Aus u18s

Pretty easy to understand and majority of boys get a run in the GPS sides so don't see the need for so much rugby especially when they all return to their respective schools for another 4 weeks of schoolboy rugby.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

We all agree we like the ‘Schoolboy’ teams.

Their are problems between the ASRU & RA that are part of the separation.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Harry Jones went to Kings then Barker and left school in 2014ish? Grammar were a basket case back in the 90's long before Harry was even born.

Agreed but it was an illustrative example of a player who had attended the school but left before he reached the Opens age group. I believe there are many more examples of players who started at Grammar and then played 1st XV at other schools but not with the same profile. I am not criticising the boys or their parents for their choices but explaining factors that influenced the decline.

 

[Bad Intentions]

Uncle sam is getting fresh

 

[Game_Day_Ritual]

same thing mate

i dont wanna hear it

Is there any teams lists Australian Schools or Baa Bass?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I haven’t seen one yet. Haven’t had a hard look tbf.

Some players I know

Hamish Grover (I) Aus Schools
Benji Noble (I) Aus Barbarians

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Posted by @Ziggy on the CAS forum.

 

[Rudderless]

Tonight at Woollahra Oval

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Jesse McLean named for the NSW U19s State of Origin.

 

[Goosestep]

Is that not though, a damning indictment of the game in this country? That a game between 17-18 year old private school boys, is genuinely the highlight. It certainly is the best Rugby to watch, but it is a disgrace on the leadership and administration of Rugby in this country that it is so. I suppose one should not over think it and just enjoy the specatcle, but for me it describes a big reason as to why the game in this country is badly broken.

College football is one of the biggest sports in all
Of America .. is that an indictment on American Football ?

 

[Joker]

Ok.
Where is this venue?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Bottom field at Newington? Old main oval.

 

[Stevenhutchings]

Fowler named to start in revels clash tomorrow.