CAS Rugby 2023

[WLF3]

I believe the Knox vs Barker game might be televised on Rugby NSW tv. Cluch?

Elfster, While I think it's terrific that a CAS game appears to be happening on Cluch, and great for K and B, and if it is Knox driven then it stands to reason, but, whilst being biased, I would have thought the best game to cover this Sat would be Trinity v Waves, as both have skin in the final result. Maybe this situation has nothing to do with the most important round game.

For those also wondering why the CAS games aren't covered on Cluch, I did hear, for understandable reasons, that 1 CAS school did not want it's games being broadcast because of it's relative weakness. The other 5 were in favor, particularly during Covid, but the way I was told, is that the way the CAS schools operate in these types of issues is in unanimous agreement, or it does not proceed. Happy to be corrected but it came from a most reliable school source and not WLF3!

 

[rod skellet]

Elfster, While I think it's terrific that a CAS game appears to be happening on Cluch, and great for K and B, and if it is Knox driven then it stands to reason, but, whilst being biased, I would have thought the best game to cover this Sat would be Trinity v Waves, as both have skin in the final result. Maybe this situation has nothing to do with the most important round game.

For those also wondering why the CAS games aren't covered on Cluch, I did hear, for understandable reasons, that 1 CAS school did not want it's games being broadcast because of it's relative weakness. The other 5 were in favor, particularly during Covid, but the way I was told, is that the way the CAS schools operate in these types of issues is in unanimous agreement, or it does not proceed. Happy to be corrected but it came from a most reliable school source and not WLF3!

My understanding you are correct. All 6 school headmasters must agree.

 

[WLF3]

I must say as a CAS student and parent of a GPS rugby player, I was very impressed spending the bulk of a Sat morning at Oakhill. A real rugby school through and through. Games on all the ovals all morning and at least 20 teams from what I saw on the program. A jewell of the ISA.

Yep agree Crashy, we have been to Oakhill twice in the last 3 year ( 2 of my boys involved) and it has been a terrific experience both in terms of the competitive footy played, the matching up of actual team numbers in each school, the BBQ is terrific. BUT the parents helping out on the BBQ are the game sealer, great people!

I wish OAKHILL, and at least 1 other, eg Auggies, maybe Pats, were asked to join our CAS comp!
I realize the numerous issues this would pose for both the CAS and ISA but from a footy point of view it would be great.
Not to mention the strengthening of our CAS Rep side, but that is really just a bonus.

 

[WLF3]

My understanding you are correct. All 6 school headmasters must agree.

Spot on Rod.

 

[Mule]

My early guess at Knox 1sts for 2024 with their current teams. Will be strong! All 16s coming through are Gen blue and lots of returning backs with 1sts experience.

1. Billy Lloyd (2nds)
2. Seb Gyngell (2nds)
3. Harper Strachan (2nds)
4. Ethan Howarth (2nds)
5. Ollie Ryan (16s)
6. Tom Haslam (16s)
7. Jarvis Orr (16s)
8. Heath Turner (1sts)
9. Nick Layton (16s)
10. Tye Jecks (1sts)
11. Archie Tunks (16s)
12. Max Roach (1sts)
13. Reilly Caswell (1sts)
14. Dylan Hall (2nds)
15. Henry Colvin (1sts)

Rumour that Dylan Hall isn’t playing rugby again, concentrating on Track. Hunter Chan would be a great alternative.

 

[Rugby is my bible]

Word on the street Alister Ramsey (knox boy equivalent to David Pocock) is in for a huge game this weekend. After his his shameful performance last weekend he will be keen to jump right up for a cracker this weekend.

 

[Goosestep]

Yep agree Crashy, we have been to Oakhill twice in the last 3 year ( 2 of my boys involved) and it has been a terrific experience both in terms of the competitive footy played, the matching up of actual team numbers in each school, the BBQ is terrific. BUT the parents helping out on the BBQ are the game sealer, great people!

I wish OAKHILL, and at least 1 other, eg Auggies, maybe Pats, were asked to join our CAS comp!
I realize the numerous issues this would pose for both the CAS and ISA but from a footy point of view it would be great.
Not to mention the strengthening of our CAS Rep side, but that is really just a bonus.

I think Oakhill has shown they deserves to play higher teams on a regular basis

 

[Ziggy]

Yep agree Crashy, we have been to Oakhill twice in the last 3 year ( 2 of my boys involved) and it has been a terrific experience both in terms of the competitive footy played, the matching up of actual team numbers in each school, the BBQ is terrific. BUT the parents helping out on the BBQ are the game sealer, great people!

I wish OAKHILL, and at least 1 other, eg Auggies, maybe Pats, were asked to join our CAS comp!
I realize the numerous issues this would pose for both the CAS and ISA but from a footy point of view it would be great.
Not to mention the strengthening of our CAS Rep side, but that is really just a bonus.

I think you are onto something here - all 3 schools would be fine additions

 

[777]

Yep agree Crashy, we have been to Oakhill twice in the last 3 year ( 2 of my boys involved) and it has been a terrific experience both in terms of the competitive footy played, the matching up of actual team numbers in each school, the BBQ is terrific. BUT the parents helping out on the BBQ are the game sealer, great people!

I wish OAKHILL, and at least 1 other, eg Auggies, maybe Pats, were asked to join our CAS comp!
I realize the numerous issues this would pose for both the CAS and ISA but from a footy point of view it would be great.
Not to mention the strengthening of our CAS Rep side, but that is really just a bonus.

You would probably know better WLF3, but I'm pretty sure that both Pats and Pius were invited to play in the CAS rugby comp in the early 80s. It was a shame that nothing came from it, but there is precedent. I'd have no issue if Oakhill, Auggies, and Pat's joined, after all, most of the CAS schools play them in trial games, so why not make it into a comp game?

It would def screw up the ISA comp though, and leave the rest of the schools struggling. But I'm curious as to why both Stannies and Kinross never went down the Canberra comp path? Logistically, it's a better fit to being playing St. Eddies and Marist then travelling into Sydney every 2nd week. But that question belongs in the ISA forum.

 

[Snort]

Between 1978 and 1983, St Pats and St Pius competed in the CAS Rugby rounds on a trial basis. The experiment was discontinued. It caused a bit of chaos because the CAS competition was then strictly unofficial, with no formal points awarded, and so no one ever ruled whether matches played by St Pats and St Pius "counted". Generally, teams counted those games if they won them, and not otherwise! There was particular confusion (from memory) in 1979, when Waverley was undefeated against CAS schools (don't mention the draw, though, WLF) but (I think) lost to St Pats, whereas St Aloysius lost to Waverley but beat St Pats - so at one stage both schools claimed a premiership, with St Aloysius counting the St Pats game and Waverley not. (Trinity also won against St Pats, so we were happy to count them!)

Anyway, it didn't proceed. My recollection is that it was decided that if the competition were to expand, two schools were needed (or else there would be a bye) and St Pius were seen as not being up to standard, and couldn't supply teams for the full range of sports (plus their 1st XVs of this period contained some alarmingly violent players, which didn't help their cause).

 

[WLF3]

Between 1978 and 1983, St Pats and St Pius competed in the CAS Rugby rounds on a trial basis. The experiment was discontinued. It caused a bit of chaos because the CAS competition was then strictly unofficial, with no formal points awarded, and so no one ever ruled whether matches played by St Pats and St Pius "counted". Generally, teams counted those games if they won them, and not otherwise! There was particular confusion (from memory) in 1979, when Waverley was undefeated against CAS schools (don't mention the draw, though, WLF) but (I think) lost to St Pats, whereas St Aloysius lost to Waverley but beat St Pats - so at one stage both schools claimed a premiership, with St Aloysius counting the St Pats game and Waverley not. (Trinity also won against St Pats, so we were happy to count them!)

Anyway, it didn't proceed. My recollection is that it was decided that if the competition were to expand, two schools were needed (or else there would be a bye) and St Pius were seen as not being up to standard, and couldn't supply teams for the full range of sports (plus their 1st XVs of this period contained some alarmingly violent players, which didn't help their cause).

Ok Snort, you have successfully poked the bear

My recollection of all this was nothing to do with a trial to enter the CAS, the Waves team was never told any such thing.
In those days the Waves played St Pats every year at some stage of the season, but it had no bearing on the CAS comp, only the current CAS school members made up the comp. These same schools competed in all other sports eg Athletics, swimming etc, no sign of Pats or Pius.
In fact Barker didn't even play Pius in 1979!
Waves won that year fair and square, undefeated in all CAS games, and it is correctly written in the CAS Rugby records.

Now times have changed and I think the case for new and stronger Rugby schools should be seriously considered for the Rugby comp, can't comment on other sports. I also think Rugby is quite a separate case to other sports due to safety considerations, ie, being truly competitive is a serious requirement, particularly in scrums.

For interest sake, I am aware that at least 1 CAS school, not the Waves as has been touted, voted against Pats joining, I am not sure Pius was really ever being considered but could be wrong in the case.

Will I see you at Trinity?

 

[Snort]

Will I see you at Trinity?

Hope so - planning on it.

 

[Elfster]

Found this.

Which also included a much younger me doing some officiating.

Must have been a hot and dry winter in 1995. Or the grounds just look bad due to the quality of the video

 

[Snort]

Ok Snort, you have successfully poked the bear

My recollection of all this was nothing to do with a trial to enter the CAS, the Waves team was never told any such thing.
In those days the Waves played St Pats every year at some stage of the season, but it had no bearing on the CAS comp, only the current CAS school members made up the comp. These same schools competed in all other sports eg Athletics, swimming etc, no sign of Pats or Pius.
In fact Barker didn't even play Pius in 1979!
Waves won that year fair and square, undefeated in all CAS games, and it is correctly written in the CAS Rugby records.

Now times have changed and I think the case for new and stronger Rugby schools should be seriously considered for the Rugby comp, can't comment on other sports. I also think Rugby is quite a separate case to other sports due to safety considerations, ie, being truly competitive is a serious requirement, particularly in scrums.

For interest sake, I am aware that at least 1 CAS school, not the Waves as has been touted, voted against Pats joining, I am not sure Pius was really ever being considered but could be wrong in the case.

Will I see you at Trinity?

I promise you it was a trial basis. But the Headmasters never turned their minds to what it meant for the competition, because they continued to pretend that there was no official competition.

Barker was drawn to play St Pius on the day that Australia played a Test against Ireland at the SCG. Trinity v Cranbrook and Barker v St Pius were also set down on that day, but were deferred to allow players to go to the Test instead. Trinity v Cranbrook was eventually played on a Wednesday afternoon after school, and Barker and Pius couldn't find a suitable date. But the game was part of the original draw.

I don't remember how it worked for other sports. St Pats played the cricket, basketball and soccer, but I can't recall whether Pius did.

Anyway, certainly agree with you that times have changed!

 

[WLF3]

I promise you it was a trial basis. But the Headmasters never turned their minds to what it meant for the competition, because they continued to pretend that there was no official competition.

Barker was drawn to play St Pius on the day that Australia played a Test against Ireland at the SCG. Trinity v Cranbrook and Barker v St Pius were also set down on that day, but were deferred to allow players to go to the Test instead. Trinity v Cranbrook was eventually played on a Wednesday afternoon after school, and Barker and Pius couldn't find a suitable date. But the game was part of the original draw.

I don't remember how it worked for other sports. St Pats played the cricket, basketball and soccer, but I can't recall whether Pius did.

Anyway, certainly agree with you that times have changed!

Not sure how you know it was a trial basis, that's news to many, but it certainly wasn't communicated to the CAS teams as such, and the fact that ALL the CAS schools did play each other but NOT the other 2 may be coincidental ( I think not ) but doesn't sound like a serious trial to me. If it was the real thing then Barker and Pius would have found time for just 1 game to complete the "Trial". Our Coach Br Murphy, who was instrumental in school boy footy at that time, never mentioned any such trial.
We were instructed that if we beat Barker at Barker in the very last game then we would be the outright winners of the CAS comp.
Had we lost, it would have been a 3 way tie with Aloys and Barker!

Such was the pressure and crowd for that last game, and the real winner is written in the CAS Rugby records, and it doesn't say Aloys!
It's an Aloys convenient conspiracy!
So someone else, ie the CAS board etc, must have also agreed who really won.
I did note that Aloys have a picture of the 1979 team as winners in their clubhouse, cheeky buggers, so do we at Queens Park.

FYI we never played Pats or Pius in any other sport!

Ancient history now, and Yes times are very different now, and we should move with the times.

 

[moa999]

Found this.

A dominant Knox team that year.

The entire 1995 team were selected for CAS representation including if I recall 14 of 15 in the named 1st XV squad, 8 players were selected for NSW and 5 went on to play for Australia.

 

[scrumhead99]

Knox 10+
Cranbrook 30+
Waverley 3+

 

[Running_rugby_1954]

The history of the competition is wonderful to hear. Snort I know you did a lot of work building the records formCAS rugby. Is it possible to share it on here again?

 

[Snort]

The history of the competition is wonderful to hear. Snort I know you did a lot of work building the records formCAS rugby. Is it possible to share it on here again?

Here you go - sort of up to date...

 

[moa999]

Here you go - sort of up to date...

What years was a home and away comp played?
Presumably from beginning to when Waverley joined in the mid-40s.
And again from somewhere in the 2000s to 2016?