Waratah Shield 2016

[Quick Hands]

Yes folks, it seems that this competition may actually happen in 2016 after all.

4 schools involved (to be officially confirmed)

Hills Sports
Scots
Oakhill
St Augustine's

Wed 24 Aug
Hills v Augustine's
Scots v Oakhill

Wed 31 Aug
Final between the two winners


****Apparently CAS schools declined to be involved

 

[Runner]

Any idea where these games may be played?

 

[I like to watch]

Don't play it this year.
If it can't generate more interest next year, then it needs to be consigned to history.
Maybe bring it back if a super comp is ever established.

 

[Huly]

Scots pulled out due to summer sporting/academic commitments

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rinse and repeat.

Looking like it will be Oakhill v St Augustine's in a Waratah Shield final. ... ... ... again.

 

[Quick Hands]

Rinse and repeat.

Looking like it will be Oakhill v St Augustine's in a Waratah Shield final. . . . again.

Whow actually runs the Waratah Shield? Is it the NSWSRU or CHS?

My understanding was that Oakhill came in only because Knox (and presumably Waverley) weren't interested, in order to maintain a 4 team structure. If there's no Scots either, then it makes no sense to include Oakhill.

I thought that original idea was to have the premiers from GPS, CAS, ISA and the state sports highs play each other. No CAS, no GPS, then surely you're left with two - ISA premiers and State Sports High premiers. One game winner takes all.

Then maybe put the thing in a museum.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

It has been dying a slow death over the last 10 years, along with the overall decline in junior village club and school participation.

It is "owned" by NSW Schools RU but I recall a program from several years back where NSW RU also claimed an element of administrative ownership.

I dips me lid to the likes of John Papahatzis and the like who have fought a very valiant rear guard action to keep the patient alive. The proposal to make it a playoff between the major associations was an inspired concept, however like many inspirational ideas, the execution has been white anted by others with conflicting priorities and objectives.

It is only schoolboy rugby, nothing really important.

 

[Quick Hands]

It seems to me that the rump of schools who were left in the Waratah Shield are now all in 2 round home and away competitions, which end at about the same time as trial HSCs start. I can see why at the end of a demanding rugby season that Headmasters and parents think that enough is enough and it's time to get into the books. The Waratah Shield in its current form simply provides another competition for schools who are already well-catered for. In that sense it is now superfluous.

On a much more positive note, I'm told that there are well over 100 schools in the Waratah Cup. These are schools which don't have an organised competition in which to play - in fact the Waratah Cup seems to have taken up the role that the Waratah Shield originally played.

As much as those of my generation who played in the Waratah Shield when it was a genuine state wide knockout might lament its demise, no one is missing out on a game of rugby. In fact the rise of the Waratah Cup now means that the disenfranchised are back in the game (pardon the pun).

 

[sarcophilus]

How is the cup going?
that competition is taking the game to those schools more casually engaged in heaven's game
has that disappeared as well?

finding the format that would be enticing to schools regularly engaged in rugby has proven difficult as some of the significant associations have been more inclined to take an isolationist approach. Given these institutions, primary task is education the fact the pointy end of a footy season runs into the pointy end of twelve years of investment in education it is not entirely unreasonable the latter wins out.

Leave The Shield with the ISA as they have invested more into it over the past couple of decades. That association seems to be the more open and flexible of the regular rugby playing associations. That association having three divisions and several grades may be in the best position to broaden the shield's standing

Or make it the prize for a final between CHS v ISA champions as this year seams to be shaping to be
the trophy will still have merit without the workload of an already heavily (over)burdened time table

 

[sarcophilus]

ha you must have posted as I was thinking
I am a bit slow

 

[Quick Hands]

The latest:

St Augstine's v Hills Sports

Oakhill v Westfield Sports

This Wednesday afternoon at TG Millner. Times unknown, but I suspect early afternoon.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Pretty close:
St Augs v Westfield Sports (1 v 2)
Hills v Oakhill (1 v 2)

KO for St Augs 1.30pm TG Milner.
Not sure Hills time.

St Augs carrying quite a few injuries, almost as bad as the Wobs after Saturday night. Jack O, Bonnie H, Luke R (no.6) all out. Need to call on the 2nds and 16s.
However Oakhill also carrying injuries, and most likely Hills and Westfields at this time of the season, especially with all their league players.

 

[Quick Hands]

Pretty close:
St Augs v Westfield Sports (1 v 2)
Hills v Oakhill (1 v 2)

KO for St Augs 1.30pm TG Milner.
Not sure Hills time.

St Augs carrying quite a few injuries, almost as bad as the Wobs after Saturday night. Jack O, Bonnie H, Luke R (no.6) all out. Need to call on the 2nds and 16s.
However Oakhill also carrying injuries, and most likely Hills and Westfields at this time of the season, especially with all their league players.

It's been hard to keep up with it all. The participants have changed two or three times.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Yes they have QH - and the 'Waratah Shield' is a shadow of it's former self as well.
The boys are well aware of that.

 

[Quick Hands]

Good luck to them. Looks like it will be a wet week which might suit teams which play a forwards based game.

 

[The Honey Badger]

Do we have any results for the games played today?

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Westfields Sports forfeited at 11.30am today.
After the venue was changed to Oakhill because of the weather; the venue however makes no difference to Westfields or St Augs, Oakhill grounds are fine to play rugby on.
Believe Westfields forfeited due to lack of fit and capable players (as I kind of predicted) - but not great to forfeit at the last minute when St Augs players were actually on the bus and pretty much heading off for the game.

Presume Oakhill v Hills went ahead today at Oakhill, perhaps someone can report from there.

 

[Quick Hands]

Without taking anything away from the boys who are participating, this really seems like a waste of everyone's time. First CAS withdraws, then Scots withdraw, then Westfields forfeit. Oakhill and St Augs played last week in the ISA final round to decide the premiers.

I really wonder what this all now proves and how much time and effort some schools (who I presume are still training), the organisers etc are putting in to what seems an exercise in futility.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Just got an update - Oakhill 28 Hills 17.
Well done to Oakhill.
Now Hills and Westfields can play their rugby league semi or GF next Wednesday instead. Hope they can rustle up the numbers for that.

Meanwhile Waratah Shield final - Oakhill v St Augs coming up.
Ho hum.

 

[Quick Hands]

As a long time supporter of the Waratah Shield, I find the current position embarassing for the code and demeaning to the competition past. I was having a conversation with a younger rugby person today who thought that the competition had always been a boutique non-event played by a few schools. I had to enlighten him on its rich history and I played in it when it was a genuine statewide knockout and just about every game from round 1 was competitive.

If this is the best that we can do, I say let it go after this year.