Over the second week of the Term 1 holidays, two basketball teams from St Bede’s College toured Australia, competing against some of the top schools in the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions.

The tour kicked off with a match against Bremer State High School, an emerging basketball programme in the Ipswich region. Although it took some time for the boys to adjust to the heat, both the Senior A and Senior B teams secured solid wins to start the tour on a high note.

The second match was against fellow Catholic school, St Joseph’s Nudgee College. Set on beautiful grounds, the fixture saw the Senior B team fall short, but the Senior A team secured a comfortable victory. The coaches even managed to grab a coffee from the Bede’s Café beforehand!

Wednesday was packed, beginning with a tough match against St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. In two tightly contested games, both teams managed to grind out wins. Immediately afterward, the teams jumped into vans and headed to Churchie (Anglican Church Grammar School). Despite arriving in the middle of the night, everyone was impressed by the stunning campus. Unfortunately, the late arrival and fatigue caught up with the teams, and both games were lost.

On Thursday, the boys faced Brisbane Boys' College, the 2024 state champions. The teams competed fiercely, narrowly losing both games. A special thanks to David Bennett from the school, whose manākitanga made a lasting impression.

That evening, the boys had a chance to relax by attending a Brisbane Broncos rugby match. The early scoring action led to an electric crowd, and the group quickly picked up the local celebration after each try.

Friday was Anzac Day, a solemn and respectful occasion across Queensland. Brisbane was noticeably quiet, and the boys honoured the day with a minute of silence before their game against St James' College. The college has a unique and diverse student body, with a strong representation of Sudanese students. Coach Kirron Byrne has done a remarkable job building a positive and inclusive culture at the school. The Senior team managed to secured a win in this meaningful fixture.

Afterward, the team headed to the Gold Coast for a bit of fun, visiting Wet ‘n’ Wild and Movie World theme parks. They also got competitive at Top Golf - though who actually won depends on who you ask!

The final game of the tour was against basketball powerhouse, The Southport School. After a couple of days of leisure, the boys found it hard to regain their rhythm and, unfortunately, lost both games by the largest margins of the tour. While it wasn’t the ending they had hoped for, the overall results and experiences over the 10-day tour are something to be proud of.

A huge thank you to Brenda Martin, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes leading up to the tour, managing our itinerary and fundraising efforts. Brenda worked nonstop over the tour; cooking, cleaning, washing and directing the group from location to location. Somehow she even managed to do score bench for all of the games. She is the real MVP!

We also extend our gratitude to Blair Terrell, Grant McKenzie, and Tom Hughes for their support during the trip. The trip simply would not have been possible without your participation.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and we are hopeful of recreating it again in two years’ time.

Australian Tour 2025 Results

Bremer State High School vs
Senior B – W – 55/54
Senior A – W – 93/51

St Joseph’s Nudgee vs
Senior B – L – 114/80
Senior A – W – 85/65

St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace vs
Senior B – W – 87/82
Senior A – W – 95/89

Anglican Church Grammar School-Churchie– vs
Senior B – L – 64/54
Senior A – L – 89/79

Brisbane Boys – vs
Senior B – L – 54/51
Senior A – L – 92/87

St James College – vs
Senior B – L – 82/72
Senior A – W – 83/57

The Southport School vs
Senior B – L –
Senior A – L – 94/64