Sydney Subbies 2025

[Footyhead#2]

When will rugby wake up and make schools rugby midweek and club rugby Saturday? League do it without issues.

And please don't ever believe the line about "oh the training for schools is too intense and requires too much dedication" - because the same kids playing first XV at Oakhill are often also playing and training league at the same time.

I struggle to see your logic here Phitzy... Sydney and Brisbane have some of the best Schoolboy rugby comps in the world. GPS & CAS rugby programs are elite and way better than what the clubs could offer.

In my opinion we need to be expanding Schoolboy rugby to include more schools, not dismantling the competitions that are successful. Imagine where the sport would be in Australia without the big rugby schools.

I am very impressed with how far the ISA comp has come in the last 20 years. I believe this is one of the reasons we now have 4 or 5 competitive NSW Schoolboy rep teams each year. If we can create a second or third ISA comp it would create more rugby players and more Schoolboy rep depth.

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

Division 3 and 4 first grade draws are out.

NSW Suburban Rugby Union

rugbyresults.fusesport.com

NSW Suburban Rugby Union

rugbyresults.fusesport.com

 

[The ultimate ressie]

No games at Ryde oval for Lane Cove Iggies. Is that pre arranged as part of the merger? Pity
Was a decent ground for viewing with a nice coffee shop

 

[Pfitzy]

I struggle to see your logic here Phitzy...

Stop clubs dying, and therefore rugby dying.

That's it. That's the logic.

 

[Pfitzy]

Sydney and Brisbane have some of the best Schoolboy rugby comps in the world.

I think that's a fairly subjective statement. We can't win an U20 tournament after all so it can't really be the tip of the spear.

I accept that the schools programs are good; they invest a lot in it, mostly for their immediate benefit, which is their prerogative.

How many XVs are these schools putting out compared to years past?
What is the percentage of players from those schools programs who continue to play rugby at any level post-school?
Do you think that rugby league is producing astronomical numbers of players ready for professional sport because of their school system, or their club system? They have more of both, after all.

We need to be conscious of the fact that relying on rugby schools to produce the talent - a good portion of which is only marking time until they got back to rugby league - is fraught with peril.

Other sports with more money and better pathways are coming, and I wonder if schools rugby is sustainable in that environment.

Would I like to see rugby in all schools? Sure - but the horse has probably bolted on that, with the exception of certain teachers who bring their love of the game to green fields e.g. my old high school was league all my life but found success in rugby when a teacher took the natural talent of those country kids and won some state titles.

 

[Footyhead#2]

Stop clubs dying, and therefore rugby dying.

That's it. That's the logic.

So to do this you want schoolboys to play 2 games of rugby per week? That doesn't double the participation, it just doubles the output. What happens to their Wednesday classes? How do you manoeuvre 1500+ kids at Kings to play against Scots on a Wednesday?

And then on a Saturday when Dural and Northern Barbarians all of a sudden have 40 teams each, where are they all going to play...? Maybe at the empty fields at Kings and Barker!

I think you will find the Headmasters, teachers, parents and students themselves would prefer they focus on learning during the week than play a second game of rugby.

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

No games at Ryde oval for Lane Cove Iggies. Is that pre arranged as part of the merger? Pity
Was a decent ground for viewing with a niceY

Yes it was. Agree it was and still is good for viewing and will continue to be used as a back up if Tantallon Oval is closed. Player facilities were at best average and Ryde Council were happy to charge an arm and a leg too.

However the move away from Ryde Oval has likely been the catalyst for the resurgence of player numbers. Have basically doubled access the board as Tantallon is a more central location for former students of Riverview.and have been attracting seniors from other nearby(ish) clubs-Hunters Hill, Mosman etc.

 

[The ultimate ressie]

Yes it was. Agree it was and still is good for viewing and will continue to be used as a back up if Tantallon Oval is closed. Player facilities were at best average and Ryde Council were happy to charge an arm and a leg too.

However the move away from Ryde Oval has likely been the catalyst for the resurgence of player numbers. Have basically doubled access the board as Tantallon is a more central location for former students of Riverview.and have been attracting seniors from other nearby(ish) clubs-Hunters Hill, Mosman etc.

Good to hear
Keep up the good work

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

So to do this you want schoolboys to play 2 games of rugby per week? That doesn't double the participation, it just doubles the output. What happens to their Wednesday classes? How do you manoeuvre 1500+ kids at Kings to play against Scots on a Wednesday?

And then on a Saturday when Dural and Northern Barbarians all of a sudden have 40 teams each, where are they all going to play...? Maybe at the empty fields at Kings and Barker!

I think you will find the Headmasters, teachers, parents and students themselves would prefer they focus on learning during the week than play a second game of rugby.

I think if we keep doing the same as we always have rugby is going to die out. You talk about how amazing the school system is but that isn’t translating into player numbers after school.
We have this amazing Div 1 with strong teams but we are struggling to fill divisions below it.
The lower clubs in Shiite have been struggling for years to fill teams while the big clubs get bigger and now and Eastwood can’t run a 4s.
Pfitzy isn’t saying the school system is broken and needs to be fixed hee trying to change it so there are 40 junior teams playing on a Saturday rather than clubs struggling to field sides.

He’s banged on about it numerous times, if the game doesn’t work together we aren’t going to grow. You will have your 1500 kids playing on a Saturday and not much else

 

[CrashBandicoot2]

So to do this you want schoolboys to play 2 games of rugby per week? That doesn't double the participation, it just doubles the output. What happens to their Wednesday classes? How do you manoeuvre 1500+ kids at Kings to play against Scots on a Wednesday?

And then on a Saturday when Dural and Northern Barbarians all of a sudden have 40 teams each, where are they all going to play...? Maybe at the empty fields at Kings and Barker!

I think you will find the Headmasters, teachers, parents and students themselves would prefer they focus on learning during the week than play a second game of rugby.

Funny how a Private school cant organise mid week games, when Public schools have been doing that every week for the last 50 years,

Finish Wednesday classes at 12pm - Have a designated Sports afternoon. Students and staff to travel to whether their sport is booked. Play games at 2pm and 3pm.

Im sure Kings have a few Private buses that can help transport enough children around. If not, then maybe they can use all the money they receive to hire a few extra buses for an afternoon.

As a previous student of a Public school it was great to do
Monday - School Training
Tuesday - Club training
Wednesday - School Game
Thursday - Club Training
Friday - Rep Training
Saturday - Club games
Sunday - Rep games,

Take me back to simpler times!

 

[Pfitzy]

You will have your 1500 kids playing on a Saturday and not much else

And when that number drops.... well...

 

[Footyhead67]

Looks like Maccabi have moved up to Div 5 and Penrith fallen down to Div 6 according to Subbies website. Sydney Harbour also in Div 6 making it now a 10 team comp.

 

[KentwellCup>ShuteShield]

Hasn't Maccabi been absent for awhile?

 

[Pfitzy]

Hasn't Maccabi been absent for awhile?

One team last year and I *think* Halligan Cup the year before. EDIT: no wait - Div 5 in 2024 and 2023, Halligan Cup 2022

Thankfully they're no longer at Lyne Park - which was a bit rough to play on and not full size! I look forward to the ocean views at Burrows

 

[footy_footy]

Looks like Maccabi have moved up to Div 5 and Penrith fallen down to Div 6 according to Subbies website. Sydney Harbour also in Div 6 making it now a 10 team comp.

Unsure of the finer details behind the Penrith move but seems like a good call. Emus have been guilty of being too ambitious in the past in my opinion (the move to John I Dent for example). Focussing on getting one team firing in 2025 should provide a strong foundation for future growth. To get one team through a season you are probably looking at 30+ players total.

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Hasn't Maccabi been absent for awhile?

It’s also a Maccabi games year so there numbers are usually stronger in those years.

 

[Ref_Ted]

Division 3 and 4 first grade draws are out.

NSW Suburban Rugby Union

rugbyresults.fusesport.com

NSW Suburban Rugby Union

rugbyresults.fusesport.com

Tell me Div 3 (Clark Cup), Div 4 (Jeffrey Cup), Div 5 (McLean Cup), Div 6 (Meldrum Cup) is not the final structure.
4 divisions of single team clubs?

 

[Footyhead67]

Tell me Div 3 (Clark Cup), Div 4 (Jeffrey Cup), Div 5 (McLean Cup), Div 6 (Meldrum Cup) is not the final structure.
4 divisions of single team clubs?

They've only posted first grade fixtures.
Div 3, 2 grades + colts
Div 4, 1 grade + colts
Div 5, 2 grades
Div 6, 1 grade

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

One team last year and I *think* Halligan Cup the year before. EDIT: no wait - Div 5 in 2024 and 2023, Halligan Cup 2022

Thankfully they're no longer at Lyne Park - which was a bit rough to play on and not full size! I look forward to the ocean views at Burrows

Lyne Park was good for parking your seaplane though.

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

I'm not going to even acknowledge the first part of that statement (I'd be angry too knowing the Renegades Roll could never reach the lofty heights of the Briars Burger)

I want to hear more of this discussion/fight

I think just to be fully across it I really should try both.
There should be a best burger/sandwich trophy each year for Subbies. I’m willing to sacrifice myself for this difficult task