My apologies Snort, I clearly had the names confused. Yes I am talking about Andrew Heath. Regrettably, although he appears to like Rugby as a sport, his agenda from an educational point of view is less friendly. One solution would be to maintain the number of boys in each year group and have the girls "added on". That way Barker maintains its numbers in boys and its depth( Although having 3 teams in each age group is hardly real depth). In the mid 1990s, If I remember correctly Barker failed to win a match in 1996 and 1997 and may have only scored one try.
However, they implemented an improvement plan under I believe under Tim Wallace, an Old Boy of the School. Their Rugby improved out of sight. To the extent, they won the CAS premiership 3 times in the mid Naughties. I also believe they won the Waratah Shield about this time. Their results against he GPS Schools were particularly good. Flogging Kings and Newington one year, as well as beating Scots. They went down to the 8ths and were immensely respected as a Rugby School ( As well as a school in general).
This tradition is now but a memory on the agenda of excessive liberal educational belief. From my experience in teaching, co-oeducation as a benefit is greatly overstated. It might marginally, gentrify the boys but often at the expense of the girls who can feel quite uncomfortable with the presence of boys.
Girls in their own per groups develop more naturally and become socially superior to boys in their self-confidence, communication skills and academic pursuits. The presence of boys in this regard can be at times quite destructive for girls. Although, some schools do coeducation better than others.
As the late Jika Travers said when asked about co-education
" My Boys get all the co-education they need, on Chatswood Railway Station" .
For me it was Strathfield Railway Station with the girls from PLC,MLC and Meridian.