Goodbye Term 2!! In what has been a very disrupted and difficult term for Sport and Co-Curricular we say farewell to Term 2 and look forward to the holiday period and the return of sport in Term 3. Our Rugby and Football staff and coaches have been busy planning a holiday program to ensure that the students get an opportunity to play as much as they can in 2020. From being involved in the Rugby trainings and walking the fields of Football sessions, it is clear that there is a very structured and considered approach to the training sessions and the skills and abilities of the boys will continue to improve over time. Please make sure you check your email, spam email, and Team App to ensure that any communication from the Teachers-in-Charge is received.
Athletics Carnival – POSTPONED!!
Unfortunately, the Sydney Academy of Sport is not in a position to allow our carnival to go ahead on Friday 24 July. We are looking at alternative options to ensure we select the best athletes to represent the College at the ISA Athletics Carnival on 9 September. Please watch this space!
Summer Photos
COVID-19 has meant that the Summer Photos as planned for mid-March had to be postponed. We are looking at dates currently with Year 12 teams in Summer Sports as a priority. These photos will be taken in Term 3 before Year 12 students finish school. We will have more information for you on this in Term 3.
Lockdown Rowing from Matt Ungemach
Since the news hit, that National Rowing Championships had been postponed and all international Regattas had been cancelled, the St Augustine’s College rowers reset all training and tried to come to grips with the impact, stay motivated and fit and be ready when the curtain raises.
Our Year 10 VIII would have defended their National title for the third consecutive year. Nikolas Pender and Patrick Burke had their eyes set to represent Australia at the U19 World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.
Our squad started with a break from rowing for about three weeks to revitalise and recharge, before they commenced a more formal training regime. Gym equipment, including rowing machines and spin bikes from Mosman Rowing Club have been distributed wide and far to some of the boy’s homes.
The boys and their parents have been challenged by rowing coach, Judith Ungemach and have completed daily tasks where teams of four (two rowers/two parents) compete for virtual kilometres on the rowing erg, bike, run and swim. Over 55 days more than 10,500km have been accumulated.
The leading team were the Assassins with our own Judith grinding the Ks followed by Team Epic, The Alphas, ISO Breakers, Oarsome Foursome, The ExOARcisers and Pandemic Force. Parents have also been seen during weekly ZOOM mobility and strength sessions, joining their sons! The energy and enthusiasm fuelled by banter was phenomenal.
Old boy, Torben Ungemach (2019) has been awarded the Laurie Stepto Award 2020. It is for an outstanding rower in NSW of any gender. It was a great honour for our Torbinator to receive the award presented through Rowing NSW. A previous St Augustine’s College recipient was Sean Murphy in 2015.
Sean Murphy (Class of 2014) has qualified for the Olympic Qualification Regatta to go to the Tokyo Olympics. With its postponement he had to reset his training and targets and aims for re-selection in October this year.
Now with NSW Government restrictions easing, the boys are back on the water in groups of ten in single sculls only and under strict movement and hygiene standards.
We are hoping for further easing of restrictions soon and that our boys can go back into the big boats. They are ready for it.
Debating
Teacher-in Charge, Keira-Jaye Turner has been busy building her Debating empire and managed to organise a series of debates for Term 3. Our Year 6 and Year 8 debating teams have recently had an online debate with Queenwood and were victorious in both. Well done boys!