Rugby league’s famous Confraternity Carnival will be hosted by Brisbane’s Marist College, Ashgrove in 2026.
Organisers Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League have awarded the hosting rights for the 46th carnival to the historic Brisbane college.
This will be the 11th “Confro” in Brisbane but the first to be played on the historic grounds of Marist College, Ashgrove.
And it will link to the past for Marist College which was founded by the Marist Brothers in 1940 with its students playing rugby league until 1951.
Marist College joined the Confraternity Carnival in 2016, becoming a familiar sight in the top division with wins in the Bob Lindner Trophy in 2023 and 2024. The college also features in the Associated Independent Colleges’ rugby league season in Term 3 of each school year.
The announcement follows the successful staging of the 2025 carnival in Rockhampton, hosted by The Cathedral College which claimed the girls’ Confraternity Shield final.
This year was a record-breaking Confraternity Carnival with 72 teams – 56 boys’ teams and 16 girls’ teams – contesting the event.
The 2026 carnival will start with the opening ceremony and Mass on Sunday 28 June followed by play from Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July 2026.
Brisbane schools first hosted the carnival in 1982 followed by 1984, 1988 and 1992. The carnival then moved into regional cities before returning to the capital in 2006 and 2010.
The most recent Brisbane carnivals have been hosted by Marist College, Ashgrove’s fellow AIC members – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe (2012), Padua College (2017), Iona College (2021) and St Laurence’s College (2023).
Valentine Holmes (Ignatius Park College, Townsville 2012) and Xavier Coates (Marymount College, Burleigh Waters, 2017) were among the future State of Origin stars to play in recent Brisbane carnivals. The pair will be one of seven Confro graduates representing Queensland on Wednesday night alongside captain Cameron Munster (Emmaus College, Rockhampton), Harry Grant and Kurt Mann (St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon), Lindsay Collins (Padua College) and debutant Gehamat Shibasaki (Ignatius Park College, Townsville).
The Carnival has produced more than 140 NRL and NRLW players.
QISSRL President Peter Elmore said he was delighted that Marist College, Ashgrove would host the Carnival.
“This Carnival grows in size every year and we thank The Cathedral College for hosting a record number of participants in 2025,” Mr Elmore said. “More than 1800 players and coaching staff participated this year watched by family and friends.
“The carnival takes plenty of hard work to organise and we are grateful to have the energy and the expertise of Marist College, Ashgrove to stage the 2026 gathering.”
Marist College Principal Michael Newman said the 2026 carnival participants would be welcomed to Brisbane and to the historic Marist College, Ashgrove grounds.
“We’re proud to be able to host this carnival which has such a positive impact on the lives of so many people,” Mr Newman said.
“The Confraternity Carnival is a celebration of sportsmanship, our community, and the values that define our Catholic education. The carnival is built on respect and we are excited to play host for the first time.
“We are proud to share our beautiful campus with visiting teams and our dedicated staff will work tirelessly to ensure that this Carnival is a memorable and enriching experience for everyone involved.”
