COVID impacted on Confraternity Carnival for the second successive year, but only after two days of superb schools action at Iona College.
Organisers made the decision to cancel the 41st annual Carnival just before finals matches began after the Queensland Premier announced a three-day lockdown would begin at 6pm tonight.
That announcement came as the final pool matches for the boys were underway while the inaugural girlsʼ competition had reached its last pool matches.
“Confro”, sponsored by CQ University, brought together more than 1230 players, mostly from Catholic schools across Queensland.
There was an audible groan around Iona College on Brisbaneʼs bayside as the decision to call off the remainder of the carnival was announced.
Iona delivered an outstanding carnival, overcoming the disappointment of last yearʼs full cancellation with first-class facilities and volunteers.
However, the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League was left without a choice but to end the carnival as the lockdown impacted on each of the 50 schools that had travelled from all parts of the state to compete.
“The health and safety of our participants is our priority at all times,” QISSRL President Peter Elmore said.
“We thank everyone who has worked so hard for this carnival. We have enjoyed an outstanding three days, beginning with Sundayʼs opening mass and ceremony.
“Iona College has been a brilliant host. Itʼs been a wonderful carnival. The spirit of play across the last two days has been excellent. The spirit of confraternity was upheld.
“We didnʼt have the chance to gather last year and, while we couldnʼt play out this week, we can focus on the many positives that the first three days gave us.
“While we are unable to play finals matches, more than 1230 students had the opportunity to become Confro players.
"They are now part of the Confro community and will always be part of that community.”
The Confro community runs deep across Australiaʼs rugby league scene with the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Wendell Sailor, Anthony Milford, Ben Hunt, Matt Bowen, Matt Scott, Nate Myles, Daly Cherry-Evans and Xavier Coates among its many graduates.
The 2021 records will show multiple unbeaten teams during the last two days.
Across the girlsʼ and boysʼ competitions, Marymount College, Burleigh Waters, St Patrickʼs College, Mackay and The Cathedral College, Rockhampton, were unbeaten in all of their qualifying matches.
The cancellation prevented an exciting afternoon of quarter-finals. Ignatius Park College, Townsville – the defending champions in the boysʼ Confraternity Shield chase – were scheduled to meet heavyweights St Brendanʼs College, Yeppoon.
Ignatius Park did not concede a point in two matches yesterday, but they started slowly today as Marist College, Ashgrove raced to a 14-0 lead in their pool clash.
But Ignatius Park then rattled off 40 unanswered points to cruise towards the quarter-finals.
The top eight teams for the Confraternity Shield included teams from Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Gold Coast and two Brisbane teams – hosts Iona College and St Patrickʼs College, Shorncliffe which both qualified with two wins each.
In Division 2, Holy Spirit College, Mackay, St Laurenceʼs College, South Brisbane, St Michaelʼs College, Merrimac and All Souls St Gabrielʼs School, Charters Towers were all unbeaten in their three matches.
In Division 3, Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay, Chanel College, Gladstone, and Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby, were undefeated.
Next yearʼs Confraternity Carnival is scheduled for Mackay. It will be the first time since 1996 that Mackay has hosted the Carnival.
The draw and all results can be seen at www.confraternitycarnival.com.au.
All matches were livestreamed on www.confraternitycarnival.com.au.
Day 2 results – Boys
Division 1
Pool A
Marist College, Ashgrove 32 d Shalom College 4
Ignatius Park College 18 d St Augustine’s College, Cairns 0
Ignatius Park College 44 d Shalom College 0
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 24 d Marist College, Ashgrove 16
Pool B
Iona College 32 d Aquinas College 12
The Cathedral College 26 d St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 6
Iona College 18 d St Mary’s, Toowoomba 6
Cathedral College 46 d Aquinas College 6
Pool C
St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe 12 d Rockhampton Grammar 6
Marymount College 32 d St Peter Claver 4
Marymount College 20 d St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe 14
Rockhampton Grammar 22 d St Peter Claver College 10
Pool D
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 44 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 8
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 26 d Padua College 6
St Patrick’s, Mackay 26 d St Brendan’s College 20
Padua College 28 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 0
Division 2
Pool A
Clairvaux MacKillop College 22 d Assumption College 0
Holy Spirit College 22 d Blackheath and Thornburgh College 8
Assumption College 20 d Blackheath and Thornburgh 4
Holy Spirit College 12 d Clairvaux MacKillop 10
Pool B
St Laurences College 22 d St Edmund’s College 12
St Mary’s, Woree 20 d St Thomas More College 6
St Laurence’s College 30 d St Mary’s, Woree 4
St Edmund’s College 50 d St Thomas More College 0
Pool C
Columba Catholic College 26 d St Columban’s College 0
St Michael’s College 48 d Faith Lutheran College 0
St Columban’s College 20 d Faith Lutheran College 12
St Michael’s College 12 d Columba Catholic College 8
Pool D
All Souls St Gabriel’s 8 d St Joseph’s College 0
St Teresa’s College 32 d Marist College, Emerald 14
Marist College, Emerald 24 d St Joseph’s College 10
All Souls St Gabriel’s 22 v St Teresa’s College 8
Division 3
Pool A
Ryan Catholic College 18 d Emmaus College, Jimboomba 4
St Anthony’s College 26 d St James/Chisholm College 8
St Anthony’s College 12 drew Emmaus College, Jimboomba 12
Ryan Catholic College 38 d St James / Chisholm College 0
Pool B
Xavier Catholic College 22 d Unity College 6
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 16 d Ambrose Treacy College 8
Unity College 32 d Ambrose Treacy College 0
Xavier Catholic College 28 d St Augustine’s, Augustine Heights 6
Pool C
Chanel College 26 d Trinity College 12
St John’s, Roma 18 d Good Shepherd College 6
Good Shepherd College 20 d Trinity College 10
Chanel College 24 d St John’s, Roma 8
Pool D
Gilroy Santa Maria College 18 drew St Patrick’s College, Gympie 18
Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 20 d Mt Maria College 6
Mt Maria College 26 d Gilroy Santa Maria College 20
Our Lady of the Southern Cross 36 d St Patrick’s, Gympie 6
Day 2 results – Girls
Pool A
Marymount College 32 d Southern Cross Catholic College 0
Emmaus College, Rockhampton 30 d Southern Cross Catholic College 10
Marymount College 32 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 6
Pool B
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 34 d Trinity College 0
Shalom College 18 d Trinity College 14
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 16 d Shalom College 4
Pool C
The Cathedral College 24 d St Joseph’s College 0
The Cathedral College 40 d Clairvaux MacKillop College 16
St Joseph’s College 12 d Clairvaux MacKillop College 6
Day 1 results - Old favourites surge in absorbing start to Confraternity Carnival
Main image courtesy of Academy Photography
