It was an action-packed weekend of rugby with Matthew Flinders Anglican College heading down the motorway from Sunshine Coast to A.B. Paterson College last weekend. The day started at 8.30am and carried through until1:00pm with four games being played in the hot conditions.

The day started with a 12/13 year game of 7s to get the boys on the field and putting some of their training into action. Matthew Flinders proved too strong with a 31-0 win. Archie Moriarty was voted player's player from the opposition with his strong defence.

The next game saw much longer minutes with 15 a side in the U13/14 age group. The game was a tight contest but eventually went to Matthew Flinders as they put on a 17-5 victory. This team showed great cohesion and lots of standout players, voted player's player by the opposition was Charley Chapman, a regular to the A.B. Rugby program.

Another modified game of 10s was rolled out for our 15/16 year boys who put on a masterclass performance, winning 26-0. The defence shown by these players reflect the zero-points Matthew Flinders were able to achieve. Luke Hutt was voted player's player for the game.

Our First XV team, who previously played Matthew Flinders on their home turf three weeks prior, was always set to be a big game. The A.B. players have really come together since the Sunshine Coast trip to work on achieving some goals this year in the Rugby space, with extra training both in the gym and on the field. The game was a real arm wrestle that saw Mathhew Flinders take the lead early. Through some great goal line defence and bursts of energy from the team, A.B. crawled themselves back within five points. The last 15 minutes was anyone’s game, but with great composure Matthew Flinders held onto their lead finishing 20-15. Blake Charnley was named player's player scoring two tries on the day.

As all good rugby days should finish, a meal and drink with presentations was enjoyed and we thank all our students for staying with us on a Saturday. To the parents who supported in great numbers, thank you. Many of you and your children were not directly involved in the Rugby teams but showed true Brumby Spirit by supporting us. A massive thank you to our staff Mr Tim Grosser, Mr Paul Dilkes, Mr Steve Mikael and Mr Matt Stopel, as well as our external coaches Tait Rolfe, Noah Fielding, Marcus Te Ohaere-Fox. As always, a huge shout out to the Activities Team who made the day possible, as well as our Maintenance staff for assisting in the day’s setup.

I look forward to more Rugby days at A.B. Paterson College!

BRADLEY LAWTON | HEAD OF RUGBY