Rugby Victoria this week played host to The Northlands School, who hail from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The touring school took on Rugby Victoria Academy schools Fountain Gate Secondary College and The Grange P-12 respectively at Power House Rugby Club.
The first game saw The Grange U16s take on The Northlands School U16s 2nds. The two sides employed differing styles of play, with The Grange playing more direct, taking advantage of their size, while Northlands played with more width, relying on their speed and agility. The match saw plenty of running rugby, with the teams going tit-for-tat on the scoreboard for the majority of the game. The Grange though held their composure and ran in a number of tries late in the match to take the win.
The second match involved Fountain Gate U16s taking on Northlands U16s 1sts. This match again saw similar styles of play develop, with another arm wrestle of a match occurring. The teams were in arms-length of each other on the scoreboard for the entirety of the match, with Northlands looking like they were going to come away with W in the final minutes of the game. Although Fountain Gate had other plans, and in the final play of the game Seb Sialau kicked a penalty to snatch the victory away from Northlands. Well done to all who competed on the day and many thanks to The Northlands School for dropping by Melbourne on their Australian tour and providing such strong competition.
The wins to both respective academy programs highlights the growth and development of the players as individuals as well as a team.
We caught up with both schools to see the impact these Rugby Academies have had on the school and the students.
FOUNTAIN GATE SECONDARY COLLEGE - JIMMY ORANGE (DIRECTOR OF RUGBY)
How has the Rugby Academy been received by the students since its inception?
It has grown in numbers since it started in 2015 with just Year 9 and 10 classes. We now have over 100 students from Year 7 – 12 either in academy classes or pre-academy after school programs. There are more and more applications for the academy every year and Rugby has without doubt become the most popular sport at school.
Has the program had any positive impacts with students off the field?
We set high standards of being on time, attending school and behaving and performing in the classroom. The students understand that they represent the academy when they pull on that uniform and to remain in the academy they must uphold the values we hold and the code of conduct we abide by. The academy students are motivated to do well to remain in the academy and at school. We have students achieving in VCE, passing English for the first time and wanting to be role models for the younger kids coming through.
What did the boys take away from the experience of playing an international side in the Argentinians this week?
This was a long time coming for us, we started as a sevens only academy and our numbers are now getting strong enough to play 15 aside rugby. The boys relished pulling on the school jersey for what was a landmark game for a public school in Victoria. We were lucky to have a very successful hit out against the Harlequins Under 16’s team during the holidays but taking on a well drilled Northlands school from Argentina was another level of competition. They were a well drilled, fit and motivated team who pushed us to the end. The boys learnt a lot about keeping their discipline and playing under pressure. To get the win in the last play of the game from a penalty kick in strong winds, showed maturity and composure and the boys were very proud of their performance. This game is the first step in more 15 aside rugby in the future and the boys just want to train harder and get better for future fixtures.
What does the Rugby Academy provide for the students of Fountain Gate?
For some it’s an opportunity to try rugby, especially with our young girls who prior to this year had not had a lot of opportunity to play rugby. For others it’s a reason to be at school and work hard. For all our students it’s a chance to become a professional player or work in the industry somewhere one day, get fit and be part of a team. We offer them Certificates in Sport and Recreation, First Aid and coaching.
What significant success stories have you had with the Academy?
In terms of an individual, Trevor Hosea who was in the first year of the Academy has probably had the most success since leaving school. He was our captain at school and such a big presence on the field and in leading by example. You’ve got a kid who’s around 6’7” or 6’8” and talks like a captain, moves and has hands like a back and the strength of a forward. He could even knock the occasional drop goal over from the side line when he had to. On top of that, he worked hard in the classroom and stayed humble throughout. We’re very proud of him making the Rebels team and representing Australian Under 20’s at the World Cup. The students here see his success and believe that can be them too. We now have state reps from every year group and both sexes. Antoinette Eli is another who has just come back from the first Schoolgirls tournament as player of the tournament and is on track to become a Wallaroo, that’s her goal and we support her all the way. I think our greatest success is getting students to have a crack at VCE and try to get to University once they finish. A lot of our rugby demographic would have left school or not attempted VCE in the past or even contemplated university but it is becoming a reality for them now. I’m just so proud of what we as a school have achieved in a short four years and what has become the pride and joy of Fountain Gate Secondary College. I’m grateful to the help of those who have come on board with the academy in the last few years. These include the boys from Iron Armour Academy who have provided valuable coaching and mentoring for our youth, especially those at risk and really helped to grow the program early on. Also, this year Rugby Victoria bringing in specialised coaches to assist in developing our young talent and we have already formed a strong partnership with them which will continue for years to come.
THE GRANGE P-12 COLLEGE - KENDALL CLARKE
How has the Rugby Academy been received by the students?
The Rugby Academy, as one of our four pillar sports of the Sport Science Academy has been really well received by both current students and members of the community with a number of students coming to the College to get involved with the elite level coaching, conditioning and support that is being provided to them through our partnership with Rugby Victoria. Numbers are steadily increasing for both male and female enrolments to further increase their rugby talent.
Has the program had any positive impacts with students off the field?
Students are more engaged than ever within the College community and are showing a greater connection to school and learning. The program is helping to not only develop discipline on the field, but also in the classroom and around the school grounds with increasing attitudes to school and subsequently more positive learning environments
What did the boys take away from the experience of playing an international side in the Argentinians this week?
The Under 16 boys team were thrilled to be provided with an opportunity to represent The Grange P-12 College, and show the Argentinian’s that coming to Australia was not going to be an easy feat. The Argentinian side are an incredibly drilled team that put together some really strong tactical play in which The Grange had to adapt their game style in order to secure the win. Playing a completely unknown opposition was both a challenge and great learning experience for the boys and it was great to see the day go beyond competition, to also sharing lunch together and with students getting to know each other, their cultures and show true sportsmanship.
What does the Rugby Academy provide for the students of The Grange?
The Rugby Academy is steadily building at The Grange P-12 College with regular field, strength and conditioning trainings each week for both boys and girls from Years 5-12. Students receive elite level coaching from some of Rugby Victoria’s leading Rugby and Strength and Conditioning Coaches to help build stronger, faster and more tactically advanced student athletes in the Western suburbs.
