One of Queensland’s best rugby league nurseries, stacked with Queensland State of Origin stars, has made an early claim on the boys’ Confraternity Shield on the opening day of the schools’ carnival in Rockhampton today.
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon, the alma mater of Origin forwards in Harry Grant and Kurt Mann, were unbeaten on Day 1 with a squad missing the reputations of the previous teams that have claimed 14 Confraternity Shields.
This St Brendan’s team coached by former NRL back Scott Minto has only five Year 12 students in its squad. None of its players have signed NRL contracts. That’s in contrast to former squads that included the likes of Origin players Ben Hunt, Matt Scott, Corey Oates, David Taylor and Julian O’Neill.
But St Brendan’s held defending champions Ignatius Park College, Townsville, to a gripping 0-0 draw in their opening match before surging past a competitive Marist College, Ashgrove 26-8 in the second pool match.
Marist Ashgrove and unbeaten Ignatius Park meet in the final pool match tomorrow morning before the quarter-finalists are decided for the Division 1 Confraternity Shield, which is the highest-ranked prize in this 45th Confraternity Carnival.
The carnival, sponsored by CQ University and run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League, features a record 56 boys’ teams and 16 girls’ teams from Catholic and Independent schools across Queensland. It is played this year across seven neighbouring fields in Rockhampton and hosted by The Cathedral College.
The opening day of “Confro” usually shines a light on the favourites for the historic Shield but today’s results didn’t make it easier to assess the field with five of the 16 Division 1 teams unbeaten.
The Cathedral College, playing before large home crowds, and St Patrick’s College, Mackay won their two pool matches.
Padua College, Kedron, playing its first league matches after winning the First XV rugby union title in the Associated Independent Colleges competition in Brisbane, was impressive with two wins.
Tomorrow’s final pool matches will decide the make-up of the Shield quarter-finals, with the bottom half of Division 1 to play off for the Bob Lindner Trophy. Semi-finals will be played on Thursday and the final on Friday.
A total of 16 teams each contest the boys’ Divisions 1, 2 and 3 while eight teams are playing in Division 4.
Six teams are unbeaten in Division 2 after today’s two matches: St Edmund’s College, Ipswich; Villanova College, Coorparoo; St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie; St Columban’s College, Caboolture; St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane; and Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt.
In Division 3, five teams were unbeaten: St Patrick’s College, Gympie; St John’s College, Nambour; Ryan Catholic College, Townsville; Unity College, Caloundra West; and McAuley College, Beaudesert.
Division 4 was held for the first time in carnival history featuring Good Counsel College, Innisfail, playing its first matches in 25 years. Good Counsel was unbeaten along with Trinity College, Beenleigh.
Boys’ Day 1 results
DIVISION 1
Pool A
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 0 drew Ignatius Park College, Townsville 0
Marist College, Ashgrove 18 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 10
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 30 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 4
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 26 d Marist College, Ashgrove 8
Pool B
Padua College, Kedron 17 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 6
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 20 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 6
Emmaus College, Rockhampton 36 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 6
Padua College, Kedron 34 d St Augustine’s College, Cairns 10
Pool C
Iona College, Lindum d St Mary’s College, Toowoomba
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 12 d Rockhampton Grammar School 0
Rockhampton Grammar School 14 drew St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 14
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 16 d Iona College, Lindum 8
Pool D
Shalom College, Bundaberg 32 d St Patricks College Shorncliffe 6
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 12 d Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 0
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 36 d St Patricks College Shorncliffe 0
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 20 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 0
DIVISION 2
Pool A
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 22 d All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 12
St James College, Spring Hill 20 d Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 8
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 14 d St James College, Spring Hill 6
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 18 d All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 0
Pool B
Villanova College, Coorparoo 26 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 10
Marist College, Emerald 12 drew Assumption College, Warwick 12
Assumption College, Warwick 26 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 6
Villanova College, Coorparoo 22 d Marist College, Emerald 12
Pool C
St Columban’s College, Caboolture 20 d Blackheath & Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 10
St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 20 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 8
St Columban’s College, Caboolture 26 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 18
St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 26 d Blackheath & Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 18
Pool D
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 16 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 6
Clairvaux Mackillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 32 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 0
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 54 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 0
Clairvaux Mackillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 14 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 10
DIVISION 3
Pool A
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 22 d St Michael’s College, Merrimac 4
St John’s College, Nambour 10 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 6
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 22 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 6
St John’s College, Nambour 16 d St Michael’s College, Merrimac 10
Pool B
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 14 d Chanel College, Gladstone 6
St John’s College, Roma 26 d St Mary’s College, Cairns 10
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 14 d St John’s College, Roma 10
Chanel College, Gladstone 12 St Mary’s College, Cairns 10
Pool C
Unity College, Sunshine Coast 16 d Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 10
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 32 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 0
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 22 drew Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 22
Unity College, Sunshine Coast 24 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 6
Pool D
McAuley College, Beaudesert 4 d Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 0
Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 20 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 12
Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 10 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 8
McAuley College, Beaudesert 24 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 10
DIVISION 4
Pool A
Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 22 d St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 12
St Anthony’s College, Townsville 34 d Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 6
Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 28 d Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 6
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 24 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 13
Pool B
Trinity College, Beenleigh 20 d Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr 6
Emmaus College, Jimboomba 18 d Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 12
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 20 d Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr 6
Trinity College, Beenleigh 16 d Emmaus College, Jimboomba 6
