TCC Boys Top 4

Our TCC Boys team have fought their way to the top four of the CQUniversity Confraternity Shield Semi-Finals winning a thrilling match 15 -10 against the talented outfit from St Augustine’s College, Cairns on Tuesday afternoon under lights at Kettle Park.

St Augustine’s scored first in the match.  An important detail, as they would be awarded the win should it be a draw. Our try scorers Mickey, Kaelen and goal kicker Henry leveled the score at 10 all. With just three minutes to go, Henry's Henry popped a field goal. The home crowd erupted.  

Under enormous pressure, our defence held, led by our courageous captain Leki, who was awarded Player of the Match, before Terrick sealed the deal and scored in the dying seconds of the game securing the win for TCC 15 – 10 and a place in the Semis finals of the Shield.   

'Heartbreak Tuesday' was a definitely a heart stopper for our supporters, an exciting and thrilling match. 

The Semi final will be played Thursday at 3pm against St Patrick's College, Mackay at Kettle Park.

For a comprehensive wrap up of Day 2 Play from the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League please read on!

Heavyweights gain Confraternity revenge in dramatic draw

Two Central Queensland schools, a North Queensland heavyweight and a gutsy Brisbane school have qualified for rugby league’s prized boys’ Confraternity Shield semi-finals after today’s play-offs took a dramatic twist in Rockhampton.

St Patrick’s College, Mackay drew its quarter-final 10-all with Ignatius Park College but that was enough to knock their Townsville arch-rivals and defending champions out of the Shield race.

Confraternity Carnival hosts The Cathedral College and their coastal neighbours St Brendan’s College Yeppoon also qualified for Thursday’s final four while Padua College, Kedron will represent the state’s south.

Padua College only played its first league match of the year in yesterday’s opening pool match after switching from its rugby union season but the Brisbane school toppled local rivals Iona College 22-12 in the quarter-final.

Premier David Crisafulli visited today, bringing the jersey he wore for Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham in the 1996 carnival in Mackay.

Mr Crisafulli took in action at a packed event which includes a record 56 boys’ teams and 16 girls’ teams from Catholic and Independent schools. The carnival is run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League.

Today’s most dramatic ending occurred in the clash between St Patrick’s College, Mackay and Ignatius Park College.

The teams have a rich Confraternity history, spiced by Ignatius Park College’s win in last year’s semi-final and the 2022 final.

A solo act from Ignatius Park fullback Lincoln Baker decided last year’s semi-final but this year it was a brilliant moment from St Patrick’s halfback Adam McSherry that would decide the game.

McSherry, contracted by the NRL Dolphins, split the Ignatius Park defence and fended off their desperate cover tacklers to score the first try. This would be the difference when the scoreline finished 10-all. Under carnival rules, drawn quarter-finals are decided by the first scoring play.

St Patrick’s coach Shane Mau said his players had played well at the right time after taking the opening three matches to settle into rhythm.

“We’ve been building into this and that game was spot-on,” Mau said. “Ignatius Park are a very good team and we knew they would be physical. Our players stepped up and worked really hard.”

St Patrick’s College, seeking its first Shield win since 2003, will meet hosts The Cathedral College after tomorrow’s rest day.

The Cathedral College fell behind against a brave St Augustine’s College as the Cairns team put in one of their best carnivals in recent years. The large home crowd helped The Cathedral College fight back for a 15-10 win.

St Brendan’s College have conceded only one try in four matches with one of their youngest and most unheralded teams in years, shutting out a resilient Shalom College, Bundaberg 12-0 today.

St Brendan’s will meet Padua College on Thursday to reignite a rivalry that included the most recent drawn quarter-final result. Padua College advanced in 2019 in Bundaberg on the same set of countback rules that promoted St Patrick’s today.

Padua College has performed well in its switch from rugby union season. Despite losing some of its best middle forwards, the 1980 Confraternity Carnival originals have again reached the final four.

Marist College, Ashgrove is on track for its third consecutive win in the Bob Lindner Trophy which is fought out between the bottom half of Division 1. Marist College was impressive

against Ignatius Park College in this morning’s final pool match, losing narrowly before a strong win in the Trophy quarter-finals. Other Trophy semi-finalists are Marymount College, Burleigh Waters, St Peter Claver College, Riverview and Rockhampton Grammar School.

The Division 2 race for the Neil Bloxsidge Plate will come down to four southeast Queensland semi-finalists: St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane; neighbours Villanova College, Coorparoo; St Columban’s College, Caboolture and Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt.

The highest honour in Division 3 is the Confraternity Cup. Four teams remain in the running: St Patrick’s College, Gympie; McAuley College, Beaudesert; and Townsville schools Ryan Catholic College and Southern Cross Catholic College.

The first ever Division 4 playoffs included quarter-finals wins for Confro debutants Burdekin Catholic High School, St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights, Emmaus College, Jimboomba and Trinity College, Beenleigh.