U15’s Rugby League

The Edmund Rice College Under 15’s Rugby League teams commenced their season with the Ben Creagh Shield held at Albion Park earlier this term. The event consisted of eight schools, including Edmund Rice College, who participated with two teams, namely the 15 Red’s and the 15 Black’s. Both teams played exceptionally well and represented the College with distinction. In this report, we present detailed accounts from the team captains of each team.

Captain’s Report: ERC Under 15’s Red

The Edmund Rice College Red team comprised of 21 talented footballers who quickly came together and played an Edmund Rice style of football. Throughout the day, the Red team played exceptionally well and made it to the finals. However, they were defeated by Albion Park High School, who subsequently faced the Edmund Rice Black team in the grand final.

In their first game against Holy Spirit College, the team lost their halfback, Baxter Towle, early in the game due to a late hit, and he failed the head injury assessment, ruling him out for the rest of the day. Toby Evans stepped in as the halfback and did an excellent job with the set plays, even though he had not trained in the role. The team lost the game 12-6, but they played well against a strong opponent.

In their next game against Figtree High, they won 6-0, with Abdel Sultan scoring a fantastic try in the corner, and Joel Stewart making outstanding kicks as the hooker. Although the team lost in the semi-final against Albion Park High, they fought hard with some excellent tackles and runs. After the game, they cheered for the Edmund Rice Black team, who went on to win 26-0 in the grand final.

TEAM: Tyler Tagliapietra, Will Mason, Nate Long, Angus Lawson, Adam Gorgievski, Toby Evans, Baxter Towle, Rocco Boiano, Joel Stewart, Brodie Kelly, Bailey Everatt, Abdel Sultan, Torren Brunton, Christian Yeo, Noah Lobmayr, Mathew Whitfield, Finn Ardita, Kalan Taylor, Ayman Hikmat, Archie Kerr, and Hami Miller.

By Baxter Towle & Joel Stewart

Captain’s Report: ERC Under 15’s Black

The Edmund Rice College Black team trained well in the weeks leading up to the Ben Creagh Shield and put up an outstanding performance on the day. The team won their first game against Albion Park High convincingly, with a score of 28-0. The forwards set the platform with strong runs, and the backs capitalised on the Albion Park defence’s mistakes.

Their second game against Woonona High was a challenge, with Woonona scoring first. The coaches advised the team to match Woonona’s intensity and stick to their structure. The team took this advice on board and won the game 8-6, with Cooper Morrison scoring a try. The Edmund Rice College Black team went into the grand final undefeated all day.

In the grand final against Albion Park High School, the team played with high intensity and scored a try in the first five minutes, with Tom Voase scoring off a high bomb from Creighton Meafou. They then went on to score another try before halftime. In the second half, the team continued their strong commitment to play for each other and scored another four tries, ending the match 26-0 in favour of Edmund Rice Black. The team will now progress through to the Southern Country Cup final, where they will face Kiama High School.

TEAM: Cooper Morrison, Ashton Moran, Jeremy Packer, Hayden Flanagan, Callum Cooney, Tex Anderson, Creighton Meafou, Daniel Duggan, Jack Manns, Peter Pantsos, Tom Voase, Cooper Jones, Fletcher Potter, Kambell Quinn, Hamish Lepp, Joel Stewart, Bailey Everatt, and Abdel Sultan.

By Daniel Duggan & Cooper Morrison

Overall, both Edmund Rice College Under 15’s Rugby League teams exhibited excellent sportsmanship and played exceptionally well throughout the day, making the College proud. The Red and Black teams demonstrated great teamwork, determination, and skill, and we look forward to seeing their continued success in the upcoming games.