Our fantastic sisterhood of Players fought off a determined and tough St James' College, Brisbane 26-16 to hold the cherished Rugby League Confraternity Shield high once again after two years.

Last year's sting of loss seemed fresh and inspired the girls to a gutsy win where strength and patience, determination, resolve and resilience were poured into every play.

Last year's Number 10, Lyndsey Major Booth spoke to the group before they commenced and prayed with them to use last year's loss to motivate them further and to offer all their efforts to God almighty and His son Jesus Christ.

Pumped, our courageous young women were light of foot, big of heart, strong in defence and attack that weaved and worked through the fortress of St James.

Before an exuberant home crowd, on now hallowed ground Kettle Park, our Girls have made us proud.

Congratulations to our incredible players Kayla, Millie, Lacey, Heidi, Ellie, Manaia, Madeline, Alexis, Josie, Rachel, Matilda, Charlotte, Maycee, Felicity, Demi, Mylie, Tyla, Gwen, Ella, Remi and Elisa.

Congratulations to our incredible Coaching and Training squad:

Coach: Damon Moore

Manager: Abbi Johnson

Trainers: Aaron Moore, Shannon Littleboy, Sam Kanak and Paul Dever

Strength & Fitness: Angus Deeth.

Lionheart Josie Wogand was named Player of the Carnival, Player of the Final, TCC's Best and Fairest and was named in the Queensland Independent Secondary School Rugby League Merit team alongside Kayla Vella, Rachel Oakley, Manaia Faiumu Malone, Charlotte McLean and Ellie Goodwin. Maddy Johnson was awarded The Cathedral College's Spirit of the Carnival award.

Thank you to our mighty supporters who wore the blue and green and carried the dreams and hopes of our players in every roar of applause.

From the Queensland Independent Secondary School Rugby League Office

Defensive wall sparks home team Confraternity Shield win

The young women of The Cathedral College turned a suffocating defensive set into one of the best finals fightbacks in recent Confraternity Shield history in Rockhampton today.

The Cathedral College surged past St James’ College, Spring Hill 26-16 to claim the final of the girls’ Confraternity Shield, delighting a huge home crowd at Kettle Park. It was The Cathedral College’s second girls’ Shield title following their success in Brisbane in 2023.

The host college was in serious trouble with 15 minutes remaining as the powerful St James’ College pack led 16-10 and stormed the line. But The Cathedral College repelled three consecutive tackles within centimetres of the tryline before forcing a turnover.

From the next set, The Cathedral College produced one of the tries of the carnival. On the second tackle, they passed the ball through seven sets of hands and sent winger Millie Price on a 70-metre sprint to the line to level the scores.

They scored again from the next set, marching downfield for halfback Maddie Johnson to send a cutout pass to Heidi Silvester for a try that put the final within The Cathedral College’s reach.

This was a gritty win, built on forward energy, crisp backline play and the drive of player-of-the-carnival Josie Wogand. And it atoned for The Cathedral College’s tight loss to St Patrick’s College, Mackay in last year’s final.

“About half of our squad played last year so they had experience in that type of game but they weren’t nervous. They were so excited to be playing here in front of their family and friends,” The Cathedral College coach Damon Moore said.

“Before the game, we spoke about our attack but we also spoke about how championships come down to defence. St James’ are a very strong and powerful team and we just prayed that our nimble girls could cause them trouble.”

This was the fourth girls’ Shield final at the Confraternity Carnival, which brings together 16 girls’ teams and 56 boys’ teams from Catholic and Independent schools around the state. The carnival has been run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League since the inaugural boys’ event in 1980.

St James’ College brought a surprise element to the week in their first appearance at a girls’ Confraternity Carnival. Rival coaches did not know what to expect from a school that has started a rugby league excellence program.

Early in the second half, the team from the heart of the capital city looked set to end regional Queensland’s stranglehold on the girls’ Shield.

St James’ scored its 16 points within seven minutes and looked on track to bring the girls’ Shield to Brisbane for the first time after the previous finals were won by teams from the Gold Coast, Rockhampton and Mackay.

St James’ lock Kina Vainga scored twice to continue her excellent form under rookie coach Bella Satui, who rallied her team well. Satui’s little sister Layla was named in the carnival’s merit team.

Photography by Luke Fletcher (QISSRL), Rosie Arthur (TCC) and Pauline Crow (TCC).