Returning here after a longish gap. The following message was carried on the TAS Rugby FB page.
"Welcome to TAS Rugby 2023.
For planning/reference, a few key dates below:
8-18 April 2023 TAS Development Tour to NZ
22-23 April 2023 TASRC- Under 12s Mixed, Under 14s Girls 7s, Under 16s Girls 7s
29 April 2023 TAS v Kinross (at Coona) - All Age groups, boys and girls
19 May 2023 TAS v SBHS (GPS Home) - All sports/all ages
27 May 2023 TAS v Riverview (GPS Home)-Teams TBC
3 June 2023 TAS v Scots (GPS Away) - Teams TBC
8 June 2023 Dick Hodgson Shield v Farrer (Home)- All ages/All sports
17 June 2023 TAS v Sydney Grammar (GPS Home)
21 June 2023 TBC TAS Under 12s only v Trinity (Home)
22 July 2023 TAS v Kings (GPS Away)- Boys Year 7-12 TBC
29 July 2023 TAS v St Joseph's (GPS Away) - Boys 9-12
5 August 2023 TAS v Shore (GPS Home)- Teams TBC (Also TAS Reunion Weekend)
24 August 2023 NCIS Rugby 7s Under 12, 14, 16 (At TAS)
TAS has also entered the NWRYR competition again in 2023- Boys and Girls all age groups. Numbers of teams entered will be determined once Winter sports choices are made (Week 5 Term 1)."
Two comments.
First, when I came back to Armidale, I hoped to see more TAS games. First Sydney game dominance and then covid intervened. Maybe this year?
Second, at 680 TAS has record numbers this year but the proportion of girls (now 41%) means that growth in boys numbers is much slower and spread across multiple sports. On the other hand, TAS is becoming a force in girl's rugby.
I now live just up the road from TAS. The scale and beauty of the school is a far removed from the days when all grounds work was carried out by Blanco on his Ferguson tractor and Backfield was essentially a hard paddock.
Finally, and this comment will mean nothing to newer commenters who do not remember the padre title once awarded to me, my blessings on the third comp and all those who support it in the face of Sydney dominance!