Nudgee offer substantially less scholarships than Grammar, Churchie etc. In fact Nudgee only started offering sporting scholarships in the mid 1980s to counter the level of scholarships being offered at Churchie and Grammar through the 1970s. They are just very good at rugby because of the rugby culture there. Think New Zealand v England.its the culture, not the money.
This weekend:
I suspect BBC might get up this weekend (if they have a kicker. Zero chance without one). I've been really impressed with them this year and they were really let down by their coach who gave them no chance v TSS without a kicker. Both my Dad and I watched the game (him at Miskin, me on Doubletake Sports overseas) and both Nudgee old boys.how often does that happen?! It will be a great game and still either team will know they can be premiers when they come off the field if they hear that TSS have been knocked off by Ippy. TSS should belt Ippy, I'd say by 40 points but we haven't had a big upset match this year and there must be a very small chance of this being the one and TSS having a shocker and Ippy putting it all together for one match.
The other games are pretty pointless, but Churchie seems to be coming along well now, and if in the very small chance Ippy beats TSS, then the last game between Churchie and Nudgee at Ross will be a cracker.
State High v Grammar.I predict a total student crowd of less than 100.State High to win. Grammar to reassess their place in the GPS.
Nudgee have always been, and always will be one of the best rugby schools in Australia.
I do think a big boarding population has always been advantageous as well as the whole angry catholic thing (does anyone have numbers regarding boarding numbers at GPS schools).
If I had gone to Nudgee, I am sure I would probably have ended up carrying the water bottles out for the 27thXV as opposed to my reality of playing in the lower grades at BBC and being ritualistically led like lambs to the slaughter once every year against these kids.
Scholarships belong on another thread (don't ban me but I am going to go on for a little bit here) and it is definitely a legit conversation for that thread.
All I will say here, is that anyone who has been around long enough knows that every school has done it, do it, did it, or continue to do it...etc to a lesser or greater degree. Regardless of whether it was called a scholarship or something else.
Hoping for a BBC win this week of course, but also I am hoping to see a beautiful game of schoolboy rugby full of passion, talent, and a cliff hanger ending that leaves me with a tear in my eye, whoever wins.
Beating Nudgee at Ross is like defeating the All Blacks at Eden Park. A rare moment.. like a comet that passes by every couple of decades, for most schools it is quietly celebrated by old boys.
Good luck to both teams, and all teams this weekend (except TSS of course....)
You know what, if you are from TSS have a few beers this Friday night fellas, and don't worry about IGS this weekend...you have won already and IGS have nothing to play for anyway at this point.