Confraternity Carnival foundation school Padua College will take Brisbane’s hopes into tomorrow’s boys’ final against hosts Ignatius Park College after thrilling semi-final showdowns in Townsville today.
Padua College was part of the inaugural “Confro” in 1980 and today became the first Brisbane team to reach the Confraternity Shield final since 2005 after holding out a valiant Iona College, Lindum 16-12 in a wet semi-final.
On the neighbouring field at Jack Manski Oval, Ignatius Park College outlasted St Patrick’s College, Mackay 6-0. Fullback Lincoln Baker produced Ignatius Park College’s golden ticket into the decider with a solo try in the second half.
A drought will be broken tomorrow regardless of which team wins. The host college hasn’t claimed a final since Ignatius Park won in Townsville in 2013 with a team including future State of Origin forward Coen Hess.
And Brisbane schools have been shut out of the Shield final since Padua’s 2005 win sealed
when Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt fell just short of a final-minute try.
The Confraternity Carnival is sponsored by CQ University and run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League. The Carnival features 52 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams and is played this year across six fields at Brothers Townsville Football Club and neighbouring Ryan Catholic College.
Brisbane’s Division 1 schools come into Confraternity Carnivals from their rugby union seasons, forcing them to fast-track preparations often without any competitive games.
Padua College has turned a 20-minute trial match into four wins this week and the narrowest
of losses to defending champions St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon.
They jumped to a 12-0 lead against Iona College which had been unbeaten this week under new coach Mat Cameron. Iona fought back and scored late to move within four points of
their rival from Brisbane’s Associated Independent Colleges.
Padua College coach Gary O’Brien, a longtime former head coach in the Queensland Cup, said his team’s defence had helped to overcome errors this week.
“When our completion rate has been high, we’ve scored points but otherwise we’ve really had to defend our errors,” O’Brien said.
“They’re just a good group of kids to coach. They’re very proud Paduans and they listen, they play for each other and they play for their school.”
Padua College captain Brock Dillon is racing the clock to be fit for the decider as most of the 52 boys’ teams battle the wear and tear of five games since Monday. Every team will play its sixth match tomorrow.
Ignatius Park College won a battle of the arch-rivals that was closer than their recent Aaron Payne Cup win over St Patrick’s College in Mackay earlier this month.
The game was scoreless until Ignatius Park College slotted a penalty goal as the halftime
siren sounded. The greasy conditions tested both teams before Baker’s solo burst outgunned two Mackay defenders in a 50-metre sprint to the corner.
St Patrick’s College had a final chance to level the scores when they received a penalty after the siren but their high kick landed safely for Ignatius Park and put the home team into a final following their Shield victories in 2019 and 2022.
The defeat added to the near misses for St Patrick’s College, which lost to Ignatius Park
College in the final at home in 2022 when trying to win their first boys’ title since 2003.
A total of 16 teams each contest the boys’ Divisions 1 and 2 while 20 teams are playing in
Division 3.
The Division 1 second-tier Bob Linder Trophy final will feature Marist College, Ashgrove and St Augustine’s College, Cairns. Marist College defeated Shalom College, Bundaberg 18-0 while St Augustine’s edged 2018 Shield champions St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 16-12.
The Neil Bloxsidge Plate – the main prize for Division 2 teams – will be played between Marist College, Emerald and Aquinas College, Ashmore.
Aquinas College – the inaugural Shield champions in 1980 – defeated Division 2 crowd favourites Columba College 36-0 while Marist College, Emerald defeated Holy Spirit College, Mackay 14-6.
The Confraternity Bowl for the second tier of Division 2 will feature Villanova College, Coorparoo and Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby. The main Division 3 trophy will be played between Townsville’s Ryan Catholic College and Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay. The second-tier Division 3 final will be played between St John’s College, Nambour and Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville.
Boys’ Day 3 results DIVISION 1
Confraternity Shield semi-finals
Padua College, Kedron 16 d Iona College, Lindum 12
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 6 d St Patrick’s College, Mackay 0
Positional play-offs
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 20 d The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 0
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 22 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 20
Bob Lindner Trophy semi-finals
Marist College, Ashgrove 18 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 0
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 16 d St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 12
Positional play-offs
St Peter Claver College, Riverview 28 d St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 16
Rockhampton Grammar School 32 d St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe 0
DIVISION 2
Neil Bloxsidge Plate semi-finals
Aquinas College, Ashmore 36 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 0
Marist College, Emerald 14 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 6
Positional play-offs
Assumption College, Warwick 12 drew with St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 12
All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 22 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 16
Confraternity Bowl semi-finals
Villanova College, Coorparoo 30 d St Columban’s College, Caboolture 0
Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby 14 d Clairvaux MacKillop College, Mt Gravatt 8
Positional play-offs
St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 24 d St Michael’s College, Merrimac 18
Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 30 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba
10
DIVISION 3
Confraternity Cup quarter-finals
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 18 d St Patrick’s College, Gympie 0 Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 6 d Chanel College, Gladstone 0 St James’ College, Spring Hill 20 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 4
Good Shepherd College, Mount Isa 10 d Unity College, Caloundra West 8
Semi-finals
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville d Good Shepherd College, Mount Isa
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 20 d St James’ College, Spring Hill 4
Positional play-offs
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 16 d Unity College, Caloundra West 10
Chanel College, Gladstone 26 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 14
Men of League Challenge quarter-finals
St John’s College, Nambour 28 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 0
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 12 drew with Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 12
McAuley College, Beaudesert 12 d St John’s School, Roma 6
St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree 22 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 14
Semi-finals
St John’s College, Nambour 26 d St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree 16
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 12 d McAuley College, Beaudesert 0
Positional play-offs
Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 22 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 14
St John’s School, Roma d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham
Trinity College, Beenleigh 12 d Emmaus College, Jimboomba 6
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 10 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 8
