Rugby Update

Mr. Mark Ealey —

2021 season just around the corner

The 2021 season is now just weeks away. Here is some information that hopefully will be helpful.

1) The U58kgs grade of 2020 changes to U55kgs. Therefore we will field one U55kgs team. St. Bede's College Rugby has actively supported the underweight teams and will continue to do so. This year our U55kgs team will be coached by Reuben Whalley (parent) and two senior students, Jackson Wright and Will Sparrow. 

2) U14 open will have three teams, Red (= A) and two equal teams: Black and White. Gerry Davidson and Nick Ryan will coach the Red team. Senior students Bram Lutters, Aidan Viney, Liam Potts and Cory Hanrahan will coach the Black and White teams. Parent coaches and managers will be involved too, depending on into which teams their sons are selected.

3) U15 open will have two teams (Red & Black). The Red team will be coached by Wiremu Gray, Matt Malone and Charles Simpson, with technical assistance provided by Crusaders Captain and All Black Scott Barrett. The Black team will be coached by senior students James Methven and Will Penney. 

4) U65kgs (U16) - one team. This team will be coached by UC Sports Coaching degree student Ben Kolmer and senior students Elliott Prendergast, Connor Selwood and Jem Lilburne.  

5) There will be no U16 open grade this season. The CRFU tells us that every year the percentage of U16 boys playing U18 is increasing so they have removed this open grade.

6) "U17 section" in U18 grade. The CRFU will try to concentrate U16 - U17 teams (or teams with mostly U17 boys) in one section of U18. We will enter one such team, coached by PE teacher Reed Wilson, old boy Lachie Williams and senior student Loti Sevele. 

7) We will field four open U18 teams. 1st XV, 2nd XV, 3rd XV and 4th XV, which will be chosen on merit. The 1st and 2nd XV management are introduced in the 1st XV introduction attached. 3rd XV will be coached by Kyle Byers with assistance from Brendan Laney. 4th XV will be coached by teachers "Baz" Dunne and Richard Freeman.

8) U75kgs grade will be two teams. This is a new initiative by the CRFU. We started with enough numbers for one team, then more boys signed up, so we are intending to enter two even teams. Teacher James Burnside and old boy Ethan Trouten-Fraher will coach one of these teams but we still need parent assistance with the other team. 

If all goes well we will field 14 teams, two more than last year.

The presentation given by the 1st XV coaches is attached.

Parents who can assist with coaching an U75kgs team should please contact Mark Ealey.

After trials, boys should please seek to assist with packing away any gear used. No litter should be left on the ground.