Jumping_jack
Ward Prentice (10)
Great to see Jonti M-F named for Waverley at 15. He will be pushing for that CAS 1st XV jersey, if not at 15 then in the centres for CAS 1sts even with only one game back. A huge in for a big game.
CAS Rugby 2023
- Thread starter rod skellet
- Start date
Ziggy
Chris McKivat (8)
I made that observation as well. Looks like it may be in some serious trouble.
Apart from opens to 1sts to 4ths, only 16A's and B's on school grounds.
13As and Bs side at Cliff Oval (just wondering if they kept these games away from school grounds because they could get embarrassing).
Waverley has the following extra teams:
13Cs playing St Augs, 13Ds and Es playing Joeys Es and Gs.
Combined 14Ds and Es playing Joeys Fs
15Cs playing Joeys Cs
16Cs bye
No 5th XV because of 15 injured in opens but there are 4 reserves in 3rds and 9 reserves in 4ths.
DaSchmooze
Dave Cowper (27)
Small side note here but seeing that does make the whole "there should be schools of like for like in terms of numbers playing each other in their respective comps" a bit of a dead argument. Even whilst in season, sportsmasters have to schedule games against inter association teams and seem to have no difficulty in doing so.
Another interesting thing to see here is that having a strong 1st XV doesnt appear to be driving participation at Barker.
Halfbackenthusiast
Ted Fahey (11)
I have mixed thoughts, I would love for barker to have 5 teams in each age group all of which are competitive but at the end of the day you can’t force kids to play a sport they don’t want to it’s good for no one. I have seen some very talented players in a lot of the As side, especially the 14s look to be quite strong. I agree with a lot of your points, I don’t think scholarships are a long term solution and so the future of the program with the amount of teams is slightly worrying. However, I’ve seen great signs in a new development in the coaching programs, 16As now have a preseason and it’s not just the top players who do 1s and 2s preseason that are benefiting. A number of 15s boys are in the 16s side. There’s no instant solution so this will all take time, 9 of the 15 boys who are playing 1sts started in yr 7, and I see massive improvement from year to year in a number of these boys so despite there clearly being some areas of concerns I still remain optimistic
i love football
Frank Row (1)
I believe jonas dowling from waverley will be the hooker for cas 1stxv
WLF3
Billy Sheehan (19)
Nice reply, I empathize with you and all the Barker Rugby supporters.
I hope the focus, as you mentioned, on the younger teams does eventuate and it will be interesting to see how the age groups fare tomorrow.
As you would appreciate, like a business, all things start at the top, in this instance I assume it's the Sports Master and Principle.
If they can't see this trend, or have no interest, then it will only go 1 way, unless there is a change of personnel.
I am not suggesting this is the "be all and end all" if it doesn't improve, there are more important things at school, BUT each CAS school, likewise GPS, ISA etc, has a duty IMO to ensure it is capable of at least adequately participating in all the major inter school activities.
Shore has been a great example recently, it faced a similar Rugby situation (but probably not as dire as Barker), and did something substantial about it.
Best of luck tomorrow, but not too much!
Backshardasnails
Frank Row (1)
Yea he is 13,
Teams up well with young Colvin out the back
Backshardasnails
Frank Row (1)
Nick Hill from barker would have to be somewhere in there played a massive roll in the last years 16s gen blue side
Flavio
Ward Prentice (10)
As a Barker parent it always concerned the lower rugby programs were not well supported, my boys ended up playing Volleyball with one now in the NSW U21 team, interestingly my daughter played Sevens and still plays for the Armidale Blues.
The difference today is schools are marketing machines an have to been seen to offer a wide range of sports. When I was at school (Alo's) we had Cricket, Basketball and Tennis in summer and Rugby and Football in winter. The list below is the current sports offerings at Barker and naturally it as well as a change in the demographic of the students dilutes the number of kids playing Rugby. Note Joeys has 6 winter sports
Girls' Sport Offered | Boys' Sport Offered |
| AFL | AFL |
| Athletics and Cross Country | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cricket |
| Cricket | Cross Country |
| Dance | Dance |
| Equestrian | Equestrian |
| Fencing | Fencing |
| Football | Football |
| Golf | Golf |
| Hockey | Mountain Biking |
| Mountain Biking | Netball Umpiring |
| Netball | Rowing |
| Netball Umpiring | Rugby |
| Rowing | Snowsports |
| Rugby 7s | Squash |
| Snowsports | Strength & Conditioning |
| Softball | Surf Life Saving |
| Squash | Swimming & Diving |
| Surf Life Saving | Taekwondo |
| Swimming & Diving | Tennis |
| Taekwondo | Volleyball |
| Tennis | Water Polo |
| Touch Football | |
| Volleyball | |
| Water Polo |
Ziggy
Chris McKivat (8)
100% agree. If rugby starts to dwindle and they continue to only field 2 teams per age group, the question that needs to be asked is whether or not there will be a proper rugby program in 5-10 years time.
Ziggy
Chris McKivat (8)
Interesting - is it now starting to cater to its demographic?
Are the boys that Barker are attracting not Rugby players?
It will be interesting to see how close the Rugby games are over the weekend.
Thank god there is finally a school catering for the untapped demand of schoolboys to choose Netball Umpiring as their winter sport
Backintheolddays
Billy Sheehan (19)
It is literally a 'choice' for the school in the diversity of sports they offer. Friends kids that go to Barker do not enjoy the rugby programs lack of depth and the aussie rules is a joke where anyone with talent only plays club to the detriment of the school program. By offering diversity of choice they diminish their capability - choice is a wonderful thing but so is balance. I know TKS is challenged on this front, particularly re aussie rules, but is resisting to ensure depth in their core programs. Do you want solid programs or give snowflake the chance to 'do their thang'. Depends on where rugby stands in another decade as soccer/football is probably the #1 sport in most GPS schools these days. God forbid we'll probably end up with league and rules before much longer.
WLF3
Billy Sheehan (19)
WOW B,
Sticking my neck out here, I have to absolutely agree with you that todays world is all about that word WOKE.
Schools are absolute breeding grounds for this SOFT crap and thus the result is kids (which they still are) must have their needs catered for otherwise they will get OFFENDED!
The next co-curricular activity will be Monopoly! and put me down here as an UMP for my winter, AND summer activities.
P.S. Always buy Mayfair!
Hercules Von Grimmelshaus
Allen Oxlade (6)
Oh dear all showing your age a bit. Offering multiple winter sport options isn’t woke. If you want kids to play rugby then promote it and make it attractive to them, you dont make a deep rugby program by forcing kids to play it. Barker is a co-Ed school so won’t have the same number of teams as all boys schools simple as that.
WLF3
Billy Sheehan (19)
Well H, I think age really isn't the issue, but the suggestion of woke isn't meant to mean its exact definition.
Let's break down your comment.
Yep nothing wrong with offering multiple winter sports, but there comes a point where too many options require too much resource and so the result for each sport/activity will probably become compromised.
Barker has been a co-ed school for a looong time, and had real Rugby depth for decades, suddenly not so.
I am not sure of the numbers but interested to see how many boys are in year 5-12, I would be surprised if the numbers were significantly lower than other CAS schools, keen to hear back.
Regardless of the reasons/excuses change is needed to avoid the obvious.