Rugby league’s famous Confraternity Carnival will reach new heights when the largest number of teams in the competition’s history play in Rockhampton next month.
Queensland Independent Secondary School Rugby League has confirmed 72 teams will contest “Confro” across four boys’ divisions and two girls’ divisions – an increase on last year’s total of 68 teams.
That includes two new boys’ teams and one new girls’ team from schools playing in the Carnival in their own right for the first time since it was established in 1980. The extra teams for 2025 are:
- Good Counsel College, Innisfail (returning to Confro)
- Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr (new)
- Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli (first time in their own right)
- Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs (returning)
- St Patrick’s College, Townsville (girls’ competition, new)
The girls’ competition will be split into two divisions for the first time, with eight schools in each division.
It’s another step in a Confraternity Carnival that began in 1980, establishing its reputation as a statewide gathering of school rugby league teams that play in the “Spirit of Confraternity”.
The 45th Confraternity Carnival, sponsored by CQ University, will be hosted by The Cathedral College, Rockhampton from 30 June to 4 July 2025. It will be the fifth time that the Carnival has been played in Rockhampton.
More than 220 schoolgirls and more than 1100 schoolboys from Catholic and Independent Schools across Queensland will take part. The Carnival will be played across seven fields at once for the first time. Those fields will be at Kettle Park and Saleyards Park.
Since 1980, Confraternity Carnival has become one of the nation’s best rugby league nurseries. “Confro” graduates made up almost half of the Queensland squad for the 2024 State of Origin series including Daly Cherry-Evans (St Patrick’s College, Mackay), Valentine Holmes (Ignatius Park College, Townsville), Ben Hunt and Harry Grant (St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon), Lindsay Collins (Padua College, Kedron), Xavier Coates (Marymount College, Burleigh Waters) and Felise Kaufusi (Shalom College).
Confraternity Carnival was played in Rockhampton for the first time in 1994 before returning in 1999, 2008 and 2016. Future stars to have played in Rockhampton carnivals include Matt Bowen (St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie), David Shillington (Padua College, Kedron), Kyle Feldt (Ignatius Park College, Townsville) and Michael Morgan (Ignatius Park College)
Organised by QISSRL, Confraternity Carnival has been held every year from 1980 except for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 Carnival was cut short due to a Covid lockdown.
St Patrick’s College, Mackay is the defending girls’ Confraternity Shield champion while Ignatius Park College, Townsville will defend its boys’ title won in Townsville last year.
QISSRL president and Padua College Rector Peter Elmore said the extra teams would add to the excitement of Confraternity Carnival this year.
“The Carnival has grown in size since it was first contested in 1980 but, regardless of how many teams play, it remains an event in which fair play, respect and fellowship are most highly valued,” Mr Elmore said. “We are proud of the many schools and players who have contested this event over the decades. The Spirit of Confraternity underpins this Carnival.”
The boys’ carnival is contested in three divisions of 16 teams (Divisions 1, 2 and 3) and one division of eight teams (Division 4).
The girls’ carnival will be played between eight teams in each of Division 1 and 2.
