Rain wasn’t going to postpone this week’s Rugby Union Archdiocesan Trials at a sun-filled Bill Delauney Reserve in Revesby Heights.
Seventy-five students battled it out for 22 places on the rugby team roster traveling to Forbes for the MacKillop Trials on Monday 21 June.
With lots of quality on offer, the process was made all that more difficult for the selectors on the day.
But Sydney Archdiocesan Team coach, Ry Kato, was pleased with the talent on show – and the turnout.
“It’s been a good day – the sun is out, we’ve had a lot of kids and it’s been tough picking 22 players to take to Forbes,” said Kato.
“The quality is so high, and I’m impressed with all these kids here” – Ry Kato
Kato rejected the notion rugby union is a dying sport.
“I believe the sport is growing and I don’t think interest is dropping because there are keen kids and the quality is high at the moment,” he said.
Sydney Archdiocesan Team:
- Christian Brothers Lewisham – Jahkai Welsh-Tighe
- Christian Brothers Lewisham – Javier Kilkenny
- Our Lady of Mt Carmel Mt Pritchard – Mathias Alai
- Our Lady of Sacred Heart Randwick – Louis Benuska
- Our Lady of Sacred Heart Randwick – Bae Gilligan
- Marion Horsley Park – Ian McEwan
- St Anthony’s Marsfield – Charlie Briggs
- St Bernard’s Botany – Aholelei (Junior) Pohiva
- St Brendan’s Annandale – Thomas Lennox
- St Catherine Laboure Gymea – Aaron Iona
- St Charles Ryde – Joshua Whitty
- St Francis de Sales Woolooware – Kaike McKinlay
- St Francis Xavier’s Lurnea – Caden Burns
- St Jerome’s Punchbowl – Dontae Siofele
- St Joseph’s Como-Oyster Bay – Randy Ennis
- St Margaret Mary’s Randwick North – Jackson Gray
- St Mark’s Drummoyne – Beau Rootsey
- St Mary-St Joseph Maroubra – Billy Beetson
- St Michael’s Lane Cove – Matthew McDonald
- St Michael’s Lane Cove – Matthew Walters
- Villa Maria Hunters Hill – Freddie Bruce
- Villa Maria Hunters Hill – Billy Dunlop
ABOUT SPORT
Rugby Union is one of 16 representative pathway sports offered to primary school students at Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS).
“Sydney Catholic Schools is proud to provide our students with the fundamental skills in a variety of sports and the opportunities to trial and represent at a state and national level,” Sydney Catholic Schools’ Executive Director, Tony Farley, said.
“This includes instilling core values of discipline, teamwork, respect, integrity and fair play in our young sporting stars.
“At Sydney Catholic Schools, we believe sport is for everybody, from our elite athletes to students who have a love of sport.
“Besides being fun, sport can help kids perform better in school, relax more and worry less.
“Sport also teaches students valuable lessons in working with others and how to be gracious in defeat.”
SCS offers students a pathway to higher representative sport, starting with school trials, moving through to zone, conference, and inter-Diocesan levels and, finally, progressing to state and national competitions.
