SCT, I see that your website also carries the following interesting article:
SYDNEY, NSW (08/05/12) - There are nine member schools that form the uber-elite Athletic Association of Great Public Schools of NSW. The GPS is the strongest rugby competition in NSW and possibly all of Australia.
As with most of the Associations across Australia, a serious disparity exists between the top and bottom schools, in terms of rugby strength.
St Joseph's and The Kings School have dominated the GPS premiership, going back to 1892. The Scots College, St Ignatius College, Newington and the Church of England Grammar School (Shore) have won fewer premierships than their Old Boys would have liked, but imprortantly, they compete on an equal footing and all are capable of beating each other on any given day.
The problem lies with the three smaller GPS schools, i.e. The Armidale School, Sydney Boys High and Sydney Grammar School, who have all found it increasingly difficult to compete with the bigger GPS schools. There is absolutely no question of these three schools leaving the GPS competition, just because they have weaker rugby programs (remembering that rugby is just one component of the GPS Winter Sports program).
On the other hand, it is a reality that these schools are suffering embarassing and morale-destroying hidings against the other GPS 1st XVs on the rugby fields. No-one wants to see that, least of all the staff and parents of said schools. It has also resulted in some boys abandoning rugby as their chosen winter sport, which in itself simply perpetuates the problem.
A perfect solution is not imminent, but this is how the AAGPS have structured the rugby competition for 2012 in as far as the afore mentioned three schools go.
Sydney Grammar 1st XV will remain in the 1st XV Comp
Armidale 1st XV will play in the 2nd XV Comp
Sydney Boys 1st XV will play in the 3rd XV Comp
Sydney Grammar 2nd XV will play in the 4th XV Comp
The GPS has also made the 3rd XV competition official, i.e. they will now play for a trophy along with the 1st and 2nd XVs. This ensures that the 1st XVs of all three schools have a trophy to play for.
Sydney Boys already dropped to the 2nd XV competition in 2011 and to be truthful, continued to struggle. It seems much more likely that they will find their equilibrium in the 3rd XV competition.
Armidale should hold its own in the 2nd XV competition. For Sydney Grammar, the task is to prove it can remain viable in the 1st XV competition. They probably won't have the firepower, but you can bet that the boys are going to put their bodies on the line, week in, week out. I know that this writer will be willing them on to achieve what looks to be a highly unlikely objective.