Rugby league’s most famous schoolboy nursery burst back into life today with three of its best-performed teams making bold starts in their bid for the CQU Confraternity Shield in Mackay.
Defending champions Ignatius Park College, Townsville and “Confro’s” most successful school St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon won both their boys’ matches on the opening day of the Confraternity Carnival, which has drawn teams from more than 50 schools across Queensland.
Host school St Patrick’s College, Mackay also began with a dominant boys’ win in front of a large home crowd watching the carnival in their city for the first time since 1996.
Meanwhile, last year’s hosts Iona College, Lindum, The Cathedral College, Rockhampton and St Augustine’s College, Cairns surged through the first day unbeaten.
In the girls’ competition, St Patrick’s College, Mackay, Shalom College, Bundaberg and Marymount College, Burleigh Waters won two matches today in the quest for the inaugural CQ University Shield girls’ title.
Confraternity Carnival, sponsored by CQ University and staged by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League, brings together 48 boys’ teams and nine girls’ teams from Catholic and Independent schools across Queensland. The first carnival was played in 1980 with a host of Queensland’s greatest players emerging from the event.
There was much uncertainty heading into this 42nd Confraternity Carnival after the havoc wrought by Covid cancellations in previous years. There was no carnival in 2020 and last year’s tournament at Iona College ended with a snap Covid lockdown after the pool rounds.
That leaves Ignatius Park College as the defending champions for a Division 1 title won in Bundaberg three years ago. But there are similarities for the men in blue and white, who won their two matches today by a combined aggregate of 80-0.
Coach Steve Lansley’s team only gave up two tries across the week in their Shield win in Bundaberg and kept their line intact today against Aquinas College, Ashmore (44-0) and Marist College, Ashgrove (36-0).
But Lansley said his players could not be satisfied with today’s performance ahead of tomorrow morning’s final pool match against St Augustine’s College, Cairns before the quarter-finalists are decided.
“We defended our line well but we were too often defending because of our mistakes,” Lansley said.
“We will have to get much better if we want to go deep into this carnival. It’s a high-quality carnival and I could see today how well some of the other teams have played in their games. It’s going to be a tough week.”
St Patrick’s College, Mackay attracted a large crowd watching a comfortable 34-10 win over St Peter Claver College, Riverview. Hundreds of people, some in work clothes heading away from the office to see family and friends play, saw a strong start to St Patrick’s quest to win its first Shield title since 2003. The home team were playing a late game tonight under the lights at BB Print Stadium.
St Brendan’s College – the most successful Confro school with 13 Shield wins – moved past Padua College, Kedron (22-0) and Shalom College, Bundaberg (20-6) as it chases its first title since 2015.
Padua showed its fight in the second match of the afternoon when it clawed back to draw 16-all with Marymount College, Burleigh Waters. Padua were among the teams from greater Brisbane’s Associated Independent Colleges competition launching into their league seasons after their rugby union competition. Iona College was among them, impressing with wins over Rockhampton Grammar School (24-6) and St Peter Claver College, Riverview (20-8).
The boys’ competition is played in three divisions of 16 teams. After tomorrow’s pool matches, the teams will be divided into six groups of eight to play for trophies. The quarter-finals in each competition begin tomorrow with semi-finals on Thursday after Wednesday’s rest day. The finals will be contested on Friday.
A host of teams remain unbeaten after the first day of the Division 2 competition including St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane, Marist College, Emerald and Charters Towers’ Columba Catholic College.
In Division 3, Good Shepherd College, Mount Isa, St Mary’s College, Woree and Unity College, Caloundra West were among the unbeaten group.
The girls’ competition is headed for its first final with Marymount College adding to its unbeaten Confro record today. The Gold Coast team won all three pool matches in last year’s tournament and added two wins today.
Shalom College, Bundaberg, won both its matches to show that it could figure in Thursday’s finals. St Patrick’s College, Mackay, were impressive after shaking off an encouraging start from Confro debutants St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville.
The standard of the girls’ competition has been praised as representatives from the Queensland Under 19 representative program featured alongside promising new league talent.
DAY 1 RESULTS
BOYS
Division 1
Pool A
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 32 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 0
St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 20 d St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe 6
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 28 d St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe 10
St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 18 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 0
Pool B
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 44 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 0
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 14 d Marist College, Ashgrove 6
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 36 d Marist College, Ashgrove 0
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 22 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 0
Pool C
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 34 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 10
Iona College, Lindum 24 d Rockhampton Grammar School 6
Iona College, Lindum 20 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 8
To play tonight: St Patrick’s College, Mackay vs Rockhampton Grammar School
Pool D
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 18 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 8
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 22 d Padua College, Kedron 0
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 16 drew with Padua College, Kedron 16
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 20 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 6
Division 2
Pool A
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 26 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 4
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 36 d St Columban’s College, Caboolture 0
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 20 d St Columban’s College, Caboolture 4
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 34 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 6
Pool B
All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 8 drew with St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 8
Marist College, Emerald 20 d Assumption College, Warwick 14
Marist College, Emerald 20 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 6
Assumption College, Warwick 10 d All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 8
Pool C
St Michael’s College, Merrimac 24 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 0
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 24 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 6
St Michael’s College, Merrimac 22 drew with St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 22
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 28 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 10
Pool D
Holy Spirit College, Mackay 22 d Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 8
Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby 28 d Clairvaux MacKillop College, Mt Gravatt 6
Clairvaux MacKillop College, Mt Gravatt 52 d Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 0
Playing tonight: Holy Spirit College, Mackay vs Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby
Division 3
Pool A
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 40 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 0
Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 28 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 10
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 54 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 0
Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 16 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 10
Pool B
Good Shepherd College, Mount Isa 16 d Chanel College, Gladstone 8
Emmaus College, Jimboomba 18 d St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 14
Chanel College, Gladstone 30 d St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 10
Good Shepherd College, Mount Isa 8 d Emmaus College, Jimboomba 6
Pool C
St Mary’s College, Woree 14 d St James’ College, Spring Hill 4
Unity College, Caloundra West 18 d Trinity College, Beenleigh 6
Unity College, Caloundra West 18 d St James’ College, Spring Hill 0
St Mary’s College, Woree 12 d Trinity College, Beenleigh 6
Pool D
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 16 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 0
St John’s School, Roma 18 d Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 12
St John’s School, Roma 18 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 8
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 18 d Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 12
GIRLS
Pool A
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 20 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 4
Emmaus College, Rockhampton 34 d Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 0
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 36 d Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 4
Pool B
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 16 d St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville 10
St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville 22 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 1 0
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 24 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 0
Pool C
Shalom College, Bundaberg 20 d The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 12
Shalom College, Bundaberg 14 d St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon 8 The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 34 d St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon 6
