Sports

Aquatics: Swimming

PSA CHAMPIONS

JASON LU / CAPTAIN OF SWIMMING

As three-time defending champions, Church Swimming entered the 2020 season as favourites, and was determined not to disappoint. Armed with a strong crop of Year 7s, the boys wasted no time getting back into the pool and gym in early January. As always, Mr Bill Kirby worked us hard throughout the pre-season, ensuring that we were equipped with the speed, fitness and confidence we would need to succeed once again.

Over a few informal meets and the House Carnival, the boys raced to earn their prized places in the School’s swim team. The results were demonstrated at the Quads carnival in which we won our 12th consecutive John Ryan Shield with a convincing victory over Trinity. The team was looking strong, but our real test would come at the PSA competition, two weeks later.

Come the night of the meet, we knew we would have a tough few hours ahead, but the boys rose to the occasion, taking the lead from the beginning and never relenting. Special mention goes to record breakers Jackson Anderson (Year 7), Sam Hicks (Year 7), Thomas Michael (Year 10), Nicholas Johns (Year 11) and Kai Wylie (Year 11). However, perhaps most impressive, was the School’s relay performances; in a powerful display of team spirit, the boys placed first or second in 21 of the 24 relays on the night. Our 280-point victory over second place finishers, Hale, is owed to the collective efforts of every boy on the team.

On behalf of the team, I’d like to thank and acknowledge coaches Mr Bill Kirby, Mr Will Greenwood and Mr Travis Nederpelt, as well as all the age group managers and other staff who have contributed to our continued success. Four consecutive PSA titles is a testament to their passion, commitment and dedication to the team, and I trust that CCGS Swimming will continue to excel in years to come.

Nathaniel Elks, Ben Colvin, Tom Chatfield, Harry Dowling, Joel Newton, Charlie Emanuel, Connor Asphar, Oliver Harmer, Matthew Lamb, Ben Remke, Daniel Jones, Thomas Keogh, Jack Reynolds, Matthew McGrath, Tom Ristovsky, William van Dongen, Benjamin Vines, Thomas Michael Nicholas Coutts, Angus Kay, Finn Lip, Finn Kelly, Jensen Kirby, Ben Lynn, Louis Douglass, Conor Brogan, Isaac Yeo, Luke McManus, Christian Wong, Samuel Fretwell, Grant Hogarth, Nic Ng, Nicholas Johns, Joshua Rasmussen, Kai Wylie, Aran Wheatley, Thomas Arbery, James van Dongen, Oscar Fischer, Tom Stevens, Luke Colgan, Angus Sheldrick, James Russ, David Kovacs, Hamish Brogan, Oliver Moran, Sam Day, Elliot McNeilly, Alex Graham, Ash Gibson, Ari Barboutis, Leon Cardaci, Myles Blake, Kalani Chong Sue, Callum Chin, Callum Leggett

FOURTH ROW:

Oscar Males, Lucas Downs, Joshua Nowrojee, Jeremy Reynolds, Sivan Sharma, Hugo Fischer, Matt Shephard, Benjamin Shipton, Theo Browne, Liam Dey, Regan Tubby, Charlie Reynolds, Joshua Foster, Ethan Duffy, Ronnie Hobson, Charlie Butlin, Tom Offer, Darcy Finch, Matthew Tan, Sam Hicks, Massey Doolan Sam To, Benjamin Frank, Henri Rose, Albie Stevens, Tom Kennington, Jeremiah Wang, Andre Ristovsky, Jakob Akhlil, Tom Edibam, Billy Ure, Nicholas Treloar, Tom Fox, Zac Barboutis, Jack Woodard, Bence Kovacs, Jackson Anderson, Oliver Douglass, Jetlen Egerton-Warburton, Dylan Johnson, Max Eldon, Hamish McCarthy, Tom Wittenoom, Sam Harding, Theodore Trott

SECOND ROW:

Kingston Lim, Alex Eddison, Frederick Dharsono, Oliver Laird, Zenith Shakibaie, Solomon Backshall, Ms Megan Pentony, Mr Will Greenwood, Mr Bill Kirby, Oscar Brant (Vice-Captain), Jason Lu (Captain), Mr Luke Farmer, Ms Katie Dunstan, Dr Holly Rose, Charlie Bydder, Duke Fogarty, Joshua Clements, Joshua McManus, Tom Hay, Liam Chan

2020 MITRE

Aquatics: Water Polo

CHARLIE EMANUEL / CAPTAIN OF WATER POLO

The Christ Church First VII Water Polo team came second this season with opponents Scotch College winning the Dickinson Shield, ending a two-year winning streak for the School. Years 7, 8 and 9 all performed well, with most divisions only losing one or two games over the season.

The boys trained for two hours a day over five continuous weeks in the summer holidays. Term 1 came around with the first game against Wesley. This was our first match in the new pool, so tension and excitement were high. After a close last quarter, the boys managed to secure the win 11-8 to solidify the first win in the new Christ Church and MLC Aquatic Precinct.

Special mention goes to Year 10 players Sam Day and Alex Graham, who played consistent and valuable roles in the team throughout the season while being the youngest, and Seconds players Daniel Jones and Solomon Backshall, who didn’t miss a single First VII training session. Year 11 players Angus Sheldrick and Luke McManus stepped up this year as dominant players, scoring numerous goals between them in their Firsts debuts. Captain Charlie Emanuel and Vice-Captains Harry Dowling and Conor Brogan led the team through some tough times, especially after finding out the team couldn’t play the final two games against Scotch and Aquinas. Year 12 players Finn Kelly, Tom Ristovsky and Lucas Konowalous all played vital roles in the team, securing a second place finish.

Congratulations to the following First team players: Tom Ristovsky (Coaches’ Award), Angus Sheldrick (Runner-up Most Valuable Player) and Charlie Emanuel (Most Valuable Player).

First VII Water Polo

BACK ROW: David Kovacs, Lucas Konowalous, Daniel Jones, Luke McManus, Anton Komninos, Mr Alex Gunnel (Coach) MIDDLE ROW: Solomon Backshall, Sam Day, Alex Graham, Angus Sheldrick FRONT ROW: Tom Ristovsky, Harry Dowling (Vice-Captain), Charlie Emanuel (Captain), Conor Brogan (Vice-Captain), Finn Kelly

Athletics

TIM CHANEY / TEACHER IN CHARGE OF ATHLETICS

Like many facets of school life in 2020, the PSA Athletics season was disrupted by the impact of COVID-19. The delayed winter season meant there was little time for the CCGS Athletics Team to prepare for the carnival held on 11 September.

With neither the House Athletics Carnival nor the annual Quadrangular meet able to proceed, the team was brought together quickly with a limited number of trials. Given the cancellation of all competitive meets in the lead up to the PSA carnival, it was very difficult to predict how the team would fair. Despite the steady improvement in results over previous years, CCGS faced a big challenge in bettering its performance in 2020.

There were many outstanding individual and team performances throughout the day, with the highest number of School records broken in a single meet. Some of these highlights included:

Under 13

William Kempson led both his age group and CCGS, scoring 64 individual points. He broke the School’s record in the High Jump and Triple Jump, winning the Division 1 events. He also finished first in Division 2 400m and Long Jump and was a member of the School’s record-breaking 4x100m team. Jackson Anderson scored 60 points with top three placings in five events. Alfie Mill broke the Under 13 80m Hurdles school record whilst Cameron Bills finished second and third in his two distance events. The Under 13s took first place overall in their age group, a fantastic achievement.

Under 14

Massey Doolan had two first place finishes in Division 1 events, winning the 200m and 400m and finishing second in the 100m. He combined with Kalani Chong Sue, Aaron Goh and Calvin Teoh to win the 4x100m Relay in a School record time of 48.55 seconds. A School record was also broken by the winning 4x400m Relay team consisting of Jakob Akhlil, Tom Grylls, Lincoln Hobbs and Alfie Mill. Many of these boys featured strongly in individual events, with the Under 14 age group placing second overall. Under 15

Dylan Calderwood competed in five events, placing second in three and finishing with 35 individual points. Matthew Tan also scored strongly in what was a demanding day on the track. James Appleyard and Lucas Koh combined well in the middle distance events, with three top-three finishes between them. The Under 15 4x100m team, consisting of Mayowa Afolabi, Dylan Calderwood, Daniel Hales and Tom Sergeant, was also impressive – finishing second.

Under 16

Oliver Austin contributed strongly with good results in the Triple Jump and Long Jump. Nic Hill also performed well in the High Jump, placing second in Division 1. Several boys stepped up and competed admirably in a year group which was impacted by injury. Special mention must go to Joshua Neervoort who raced an age group above his own for a second year in a row, competing in the 1500m in which he broke a School record.

Under 17

Kai Wylie dominated the throwing events, placing first in the Shot Put and second in Discus. Parker Robinson had two top-three finishes on the track while Rudy Greville and Joel Hart both finished second in their respective High Jump events. Nicholas Johns also had a busy day, competing in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.

Open

Co-Captains Oscar Brant and Theo Browne commanded the team with enthusiasm and effort, with Theo leading his age group with 30 points. Lucas Goebel had a first-place finish in the Division 2 100m whilst Oliver Higgins had good results in his two throwing events. Many thanks must go to the Open age group athletes who competed in the blue and gold for the final time.

Overall, the team was outstanding and managed to secure fourth place overall. This is Christ Church’s best placing in 25 years. As we look to 2021, I am confident CCGS has the potential to push even further up the rankings and challenge the top three powerhouse athletics schools. Many thanks goes to the Physical Education and Sport department staff who assisted in coaching and preparing the team.

PSA Athletics Team

Luka Brown, Nicholas Johns, Lachlan Oakley, Nicholas Coutts, Jesse Keleman, Joseph Rohr, Harry Dowling, Joel Newton, Korede Oyemade, Rudy Greville, Henry Davis, Patrick Walker, Tom Ristovsky, Parker Robinson, Lucas Goebel, Daniel Baltis, Noah John, Grant Hogarth William Martin, Vaughn Robson, Nic Hill, Joshua Harmer, Nic Ng, William Kempson, Kai Wylie, Hugo Gibbs, Finn Kelly, Kalani Brooks, Will Wardle, Nicholas Tomlinson, Oliver Austin, Owen Pang, Angus Roberts, Will Bailey, Aiden Tubby, Samuel Cheney, Edward Willesee

FOURTH ROW:

Tom Sergeant, Oliver Magraith, Seville Cooper, Orlando Keleman, Ollie Wardle, James Appleyard, Oliver Higgins, Theo Browne, Oscar Brant, Jago Field, Luke Colgan, Diyoan Gajanayake, Jackson Dring, Matthew Garside, Thomas Harris, Oscar Males, Mayowa Afolabi, Sam Gibson, Jes Bromley, Dylan Calderwood Jakob Akhlil, William Oakley, Jackson Anderson, Massey Doolan, Tyrell Stewart, Daniel Hales, Benjamin Shipton, Jacob Cocks, Scott Caporn, Max Duff, Lincoln Hobbs, Lucas Koh, Kalani Chong Sue, Clancy Dennis, Lochie MacKenzie, Travis King, Matthew Tan, Ethan Duffy, Cameron Leggett, Reece Duckworth, Sam Brampton, Aaron Goh

SECOND ROW:

Alfie Mill, Edward Rawlins, Ryan De Marchi, Sam Minchin, Sam Harding, Luke Dorsett, Tom Poulson, Isa Yusoff, Andre Ristovsky, Tom Grylls, Mr Tim Chaney (Coach), Haimish Collins, Calvin Teoh, Harrison Tay, Oliver Baker, Elijah Dennis, Lachlan Evershed, Darcy Sergeant, Joshua Neervoort, Ben Whiteman, Cameron Bills

Badminton

BRENDAN JONES / CAPTAIN OF BADMINTON

After a record-equalling second position finish in last year’s competition, the boys were eager to take out the badminton trophy this season. With key players Theo Browne (Year 12) and Luka Brown (Year 12) switching to badminton from other sports, the team appeared competitive. A shortened season meant each fixture was crucial and as the season was ultimately decided by as little as two points, team members can hold their heads high.

The season was defined by highly competitive fixtures against key rivals Wesley and Hale who were also in contention for the Brother Kelly Cup. A win over Wesley for the first time in 16 years meant our spirits were high, and even after a 5-4 loss to Hale after four, nail-biting three-set matches went against CCGS, the boys never lost hope. After dominating all other schools, the season came down to a ‘do or die’ clash against Hale. Unfortunately, Hale proved too strong and once again, CCGS finished in second position for a third successive year.

Although the First team comprised of only Year 12s is departing, the younger year groups are full of talent and CCGS Badminton will once again charge towards the Brother Kelly Cup. This is foreshadowed by an undefeated Seconds team as well as strong success throughout the Badminton fraternity. We would also like to extend gratitude to Mr Nick Kidd and Mr Drew McDonald for their continued efforts and motivation throughout the season.

First VI Badminton

BACK ROW: Lochie Evans, Mark Morris, Mr Nicholas Kidd (Coach), Will Edibam, Isaac Yeo FRONT ROW: Peter Fang, Adam Robbins, Brendan Jones (Captain), Larry Shi (Vice-Captain), Luka Brown, Theo Browne

Basketball

ALEC MCDONALD / CAPTAIN OF BASKETBALL

Christ Church Basketball as a whole enjoyed some of its most successful matches this season.

The First team included students from many years including Year 9s, Orlando Keleman and Matthew Tan, who participated in all the team’s training sessions and were handy water boys on game day. Off the back of the team’s MVP Tobey Martin (Year 12), the First team managed to secure a season record of five wins to five losses.

This success was mirrored by the Second team, which finished with a season record of six wins to four losses, backed by some outstanding performances by Luke Brown (Year 11) and Jesse Keleman (Year 12). This was complemented by basketball in the junior years showing a lot of promise for the future. Both the 7As and 9As dominated almost every opponent that came across their paths.

Overall, the future is bright and after a successful trip to the US over the 2019 summer holidays, I’m sure many young basketballers honed their skills while socially isolating in the hope of being invited on a tour in the future.

First V Basketball

BACK ROW: Mr Rob Vickery (Manager), Braelyn Dale, Benjamin Ellis, Tobey Martin, Mr Mike Ellis (Assistant Coach), Lucas Moore, Mr Brad Armstrong (Coach), Declan Barrett, Josh Lamb, Harper Gadsby FRONT ROW: Jesse Keleman, James Sarre, Alec McDonald (Captain), Owen Pang, Vaughn Robson

Cricket

Oliver Higgins / CAPTAIN OF CRICKET

We started the season against Trinity; unfortunately, we couldn’t defend a respectable 195 despite a key performance from Fletcher Netherway (Year 11).

Next, we played Guildford on a scorching day and proved the better team, earning a much-needed confidence boost after a convincing result. We then shifted our attention to crosstown rivals, Scotch. A valiant surge from the tail wasn’t enough as Scotch prevailed as victors by a handful of runs.

In Week 4 we played Wesley, and after a strong performance with the bat, notably Joseph Rohr (Year 12) who passed 50, we defended our score.

The next two games proved to be a reality check – losing both.

We started off the new year with a terrific win against Wesley; Joseph Rohr was, once again, in the runs.

We stumbled in our next game, falling short to a Guildford side who played impressive cricket.

The highlight of our season was the following week’s victory against Trinity who ended up winners of the competition, taking out the Darlot Cup.

Hale would prove simply too strong for us in our last game.

Overall, this year demonstrated how bright the future of Church Cricket is, with several junior teams having terrific seasons. The Year 8 and 9A teams were undefeated the whole season, which is simply unheard of. Well done to all cricketers for another successful season.

First XI Cricket

BACK ROW: Max Rohr, Paul Boyatzis, Jack Cooper, Thomas Harris, Oliver Higgins (Captain), James Williams, Diyoan Gajanayake, Rufus Zampatti (Vice-Captain), Harry Williams FRONT ROW: Joseph Rohr (Vice-Captain), Daniel Miles, Campbell Hart, Fletcher Netherway

Cross Country

JES BROMLEY / CAPTAIN OF CROSS COUNTRY

2020 was a revolutionary year for running. However, no record breaking Kenyan nor billion-dollar company has even come close to the awe-inspiring prestige and enterprise of the Cross Country Team.

Mr Marai and Teacher in Charge Mr Chaney harnessed the enthusiasm of the youngsters to develop an unparalleled culture of determination and respect amongst the group. The dominance of Aquinas throughout the winter was too established to contest first place; our competitive rivals then became Scotch and Wesley. CCGS pummelled all teams in the 5 x 3km Relay, with special mention to the winning relay team of Jes Bromley (Year 12), Sam ‘Slam’ Duncan (Year 12), Lucas Koh (Year 9) and Joshua Neervoort (Year 9) which finished over a minute ahead of Aquinas.

With five of our top 15 runners out due to injury, our final 8km Kings Park fixture saw Henry Davis (Year 11) put in his best run of the season to see CCGS slot into third place, one point behind Scotch, with Aquinas taking the overall win. With an abundance of talented junior runners, such as Cameron Bills (Year 7), Jonah Hanikeri (Year 8) and Alfie Mill (Year 7), great things are surely to come from this team in the future.

First XV Cross Country

BACK ROW: Nicholas Shields, Parker Robinson, Henry Davis, Geordie Bartle, Jeffrey Shenton, Braelyn Dale, Joe Harwood, Matthew McGrath, Sam Duncan THIRD ROW: Liam Bong, Matthew Garside, Harry Day, William Henry, Ben Hart, Lucca Harvey, Tommy Fermanis, Charlie Stevenson, Jack Crago, James Appleyard SECOND ROW: Mr Jacob Marai (Coach), Sam Brampton, Mitch Watson, Lucas Koh, Daniel Clayton, Oliver Magraith, Benjamin Shipton, Zachary Cheng, Jakob Akhlil, Mr Tim Chaney (Coach) FRONT ROW: Jake Hashem, Joshua Neervoort, Oscar Koh, Jonah Hanikeri, Jes Bromley (Captain), Morgan Klug (Vice-Captain), Anish Weerasooriya, Cameron Bills, Alfie Mill

Football

JACKSON DRING AND SAM GELAVIS / CO-CAPTAINS OF FOOTBALL

2020 was one of Christ Church Football’s better seasons with consistent performances from many teams.

The Year 7s had a tough maiden season, being the underdogs of the competition, yet managed to pull off wins here and there. Special mention goes to the all-star Joshua McManus (Year 7) who improved the team’s style of play. The ruthless Tom Grylls (Year 8) led from the front as he and the 8As came away undefeated, showing that talent is developing in the younger years. Similar to the Year 7s, the 9As only managed to win two of their eight games, however, many of their players were amongst the top performers, showing depth.

The Year 10s suffered a huge list of injuries which inevitably put them at a disadvantage, but to their credit, they still won just under half of their games. As veterans of school footy, the First XVIII began as favorites to win the Alcock Cup. With early wins against Wesley, Hale and Guilford, the season looked promising, however, two onepoint losses to Aquinas and losses to Scotch saw us out of contention.

We’d like to thank all the coaches for making this year such a special one and to everyone – the best of luck for the future.

First XVIII Football

BACK ROW: Tom Ristovsky, Thomas Keogh, Oliver Harmer, Lucas Moore, Luke Brown, Hugh Davies, Joseph Rohr, Harry Dowling THIRD ROW: Harry Williams, Dan Morgan, Finn Kelly, Jonah Brooks, Kalani Brooks, Conor Brogan, Manus O'Leary, Harry Treleaven SECOND ROW: James Williams, Rory von Altenstadt, Hamish Dickins, Fletcher Netherway, Mr Sam Wallace (Coach), Ryan Thomas, Will Bailey, Oscar Brant, Diyoan Gajanayake FRONT ROW: Cameron Leggett, Tyrell Stewart, Angus Sheldrick, Sam Gelavis (Captain), Jackson Dring (Captain), Ethan Duffy, Barney Treleaven, Joshua Foster

Hockey

ARMAN BRIAN / CAPTAIN OF HOCKEY

With the winter season nearly cancelled due to COVID-19, the boys were even more motivated to achieve success this year. Starting our pre-season with tireless sprint sessions definitely improved our fitness levels, as well as the boys’ eagerness to have a hit on the turf. With many of last year’s team being Year 12s, the many empty spaces were filled by younger boys.

Going into round one against Trinity, the squad debuted many boys. The game was tough, yet well-played, allowing the fellas to come away victorious. This first game showed the promise of this emerging younger talent, and also set a high benchmark for us to strive towards in each game.

As the season wore on, the boys experienced last-minute game winners to cold-hearted defeat. Throughout all these ups and downs, we played hard until the final whistle blew, consistently supported one another, and also created great memories of blue and gold that the Year 12s will cherish. Overall, Christ Church First Team Hockey finished second in the competition, with only a two-point difference between us and victors Wesley.

The younger years have shown much promise, with many of the teams winning the majority of their games this season. There is a great deal to look forward to.

First XI Hockey

BACK ROW: Zeph Netherway, Fletcher Wetherell, Nic Ng, Rafe Haselhurst, Connor Asphar, Stan Birch, Leo Beilin, Cameron Lee MIDDLE ROW: Dr Richard Charlesworth (Coach), Rohan Waring, Scott Caporn, Max Briffa, Oliver Moran, Liam Goebel, Trent Madden, Travis King, Mr Brendon Noble (Coach) FRONT ROW: Solomon Backshall, Ripley Cooper, Sebastian Chandraratna, Hugo Charlesworth (Vice-Captain), Arman Brian (Captain), Oliver Higgins, Oliver Pemberton, Ethan Tan

Rowing

JACKSON BERGSMA / CAPTAIN OF ROWING

CCGS Rowing started halfway through Term 3 2019, with the Seniors commencing their seven training sessions a week schedule to start building their fitness into the summer holidays. We also welcomed new Teacher in Charge of Rowing, Mr Warwick Yeates.

During the racing season, the Year 9s had promising results, especially the 9As and 9Bs who pushed for top three places against strong Trinity and Aquinas crews. The Year 10s showed great potential, notably the 10As who came away with the second most wins.

The Fourth VIII had some decent contests, especially considering the crew was dominated by Year 10s for much of the season. The Third VIII displayed consistency, frequently coming in a close second or third. The Second VIII looked strong leading into the Head of the River, maintaining its dominance over the field after injury and illness.

Finally, the First VIII had one of the tightest fields you can have in PSA Rowing with the Christ Church boys being the most consistent, coming second most weeks. In the last regatta of the season, the Firsts finished two seconds behind the winners, which was a promising result from a heavily disadvantaged lane.

The boys were left heartbroken after the Head of the River was cancelled due to COVID-19, especially the Year 12s who trained relentlessly for five seasons in hopes of winning the Hamer Cup this year. Unfortunately, there was no happy ending, and this disappointment will stick with us for a long time.

Rowing Squad

Ben Hart, Lachlan Sellars, Grant Hogarth, Tom Jackson, Matthew McGrath, Will Colvin, Hugo Welborn, Callum Browne, Patrick Walker, Tom Chatfield, Tucker Bailey, Tom McGrath, Benny Johnston, Ethan Boyle Bertie Arundell, Prewitt Nair, Daniel Eley, Lachlan Wilson, Gilbert Parker, Daniel Ranasinghe, Ben Colvin, Asher Horgan, Theo Klepec, Charlie Stevenson, Harry Holmes, Liam Colligan, Oliver Richardson, Frank Stevenson, Jacob Cohen

FOURTH ROW:

Scott Caporn, Sam Singleton, Oliver Locke, Callum Parramore, Jack Sheldrake, Oliver Wheatley, Luke Nixon, James Robson, Nicholas Cook, Zac Heaton, Angus Park, Cheslyn Sproat, Alexander McLarty, Harrison Lisle, Jesse Madden, Angus Eliott-Lockhart Ilario Cherubino, Jarrod Pretorius, Oliver Pemberton, Ryan Liang, Bailey Alcock, Daniel Feltham, Nic Cradock, Oscar Argyle, Thomas Mellick, Bill Warner, Dylan Cramer, Lochie MacKenzie, Thomas Read, Alexander Blair, Sebastian Chandraratna, Jack Trevena, Zak Stanley, Ryan Tanner

SECOND ROW:

Harry Ranger, Luca Miles, Ethan Wilson, Harry Stevenson, Jack Lee, Christopher Wallwork, Zak Reed (Vice-Captain), Mr Warwick Yeates (Teacher in Charge), Mr Simon Cocks (Coach), Jackson Bergsma (Captain), Spencer Wright, William van Dongen, Henry Chandler, Samuel Ou, William Mawson, Luke Whitby

Rugby

ANGUS ELLIOT-LOCKHART AND ETHAN WILSON / co-CAPTAINs OF RUGBY

We presented at St John’s Wood very excited to begin. Due to COVID-19, we were aware of the discussions surrounding the season and remained hopeful we would have at least one round of fixtures. By Week 6 of Term 2 we knew we had fixtures and all the boys really started to put everything into what would amount to a shortened season. The introduction of rolling subs saw all teams utilise their bench more than previous years, which allowed many players to have game time and experience, especially the First XV.

Eventually the First XV placed third, which does not truly reflect the team’s achievements, with very close games to Hale and only a three-point loss to PSA winners Scotch.

The Year 10s also proved to be a dominant team, losing only one game. A special mention goes to Vaughn Robson (Year 10) who played with the Firsts all season.

The season, although shortened, will remain for the Year 12s as their last for CCGS and as far as we are concerned, that’s all it was. Not a shortened season but ‘our’ season. Thank you to all the staff and coaches who made it a great one.

First XV Rugby

BACK ROW: Tom McGrath, Monte McGrath, Hugo Welborn, Jacob Minchin, Callum Browne, Lachlan Hooper, Patrick Lee THIRD ROW: Kai Wylie, Benny Johnston, Gilbert Parker, Nicholas Johns, James Sarre, Jackson Bergsma, Archer Steadman SECOND ROW: Mr Andrew Cole (Coach), Paul Boyatzis, Vaughn Robson, Mr Chris Anderson (Teacher in Charge), Charlie Stevenson, Luke Carey, Mr Tom Jercam (Coach) FRONT ROW: Ethan Robson, Jesse Madden, Kristian Sherrard, Angus Eliott-Lockhart (Captain), Ethan Wilson (Captain), Tom Jumeaux, Luca Robertson, Henry Chandler

Sailing

ZACHARY SPRUNT / CAPTAIN OF SAILING

Like many other sports, the 2020 sailing season was drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Teams Racing program started with vigour, with two training sessions a week and many young recruits in the team. With experienced skippers Sam Rose (Year 11) and Barney Woo (Year 12), as well as some promising results in early practice races against both the Scotch and Shenton teams, there were high hopes for the annual State and national regattas.

Unfortunately, as Term 1 came to an end and social restrictions began to set in, host Nedlands Yacht Club announced that the State regatta would not be proceeding. With no means of qualifying, and travel restrictions coming into force, the national regatta also became impossible.

This was a huge disappointment for the entire team, particularly the Year 12s, denied the chance to participate in these events. Thank you to old boy coaches Mr Liam Forrester and Mr Alex Harden-Jones, as well as Mr Arvi Pocock and Mr Scott Chrystal for co-ordinating the program. The team will continue to train hard for years to come, and eyes will be on the promising young sailors in the team as they persevere towards next year’s season.

Sailing Representative Team

BACK ROW: Sam Rose, Barney Woo, Jasper Jones, Benjamin Keen MIDDLE ROW: Joshua Van Wyk, James Ferguson, Ted Woo, Zachary Sprunt (Captain) FRONT ROW: Alex Molyneux, Campbell House, Angus Cameron, Alasdair Cameron, James Renouf

Soccer

HARRISON BARTLEY / CAPTAIN OF SOCCER

2020 saw the Christ Church Soccer team eager to regain its prestigious status. With unexpected delays due to COVID-19, the First XI was exceptional in responding to the subsequent short pre-season.

The season saw the most competitive of PSA teams in recent years. The race between Aquinas, Christ Church, Scotch and Hale for the title came down to the last few games.

The First Team had its highest number of wins since being awarded the Lawe Davies Cup in 2016, with its best game being the 3-0 win over Scotch. The lads battled their way to a deserving victory with a stunner from Matthew Divirgilio (Year 12) and goals from Yousif Amri (Year 11) and James Russ (Year 11).

Although the season was promising, the First XI fell short of winning the title. However, the momentum and talent brought into the team by the younger players has serious potential for the years to come.

The standout player for the team was Ryan Verley (Year 11), awarded Player of the Year due to his consistent and composed ability at right back.

In the younger years, special mention goes to the 8Cs for having a 100 per cent win record as well as the 8As and 9Bs for achieving an over 80 per cent win rate.

Special thanks to the coaching staff of Mr Mike Ristovksy, Mr Robbie Gaspar, Mr Gareth Phillips, Mr Liam Reddy and Mr Mark Lee for a wonderful season.

First XI Soccer

BACK ROW: Ben Cooke, Christopher Wallwork, Samuel English, Sam Assumption, Ashton Torre, Lucas Goebel MIDDLE ROW: Ethan Teo, Yousif Amri, Ryan Verley, Mr Todd Harnwell (Coach), Cooper Allen, James Russ, Jonathan Roost FRONT ROW: Gabriel Johnstone, John Hoffmann (Vice-Captain), Harrison Bartley (Captain), Matthew Divirgilio (Vice-Captain), Harrison Tay, Guy Davies

Surfing

PSA Champions

FINN KELLY / CAPTAIN OF SURFING

The CCGS Surfing season kicked off with the Junior Bodyboard competition. After an excellent exhibition of talent, Max Yeo (Year 9) took the win, with Sam Harding (Year 8) second and Ben Walker (Year 10) in third place. The Senior Shortboard competition was won by Finn Kelly (Year 12), followed by Keiran Bucktin (Year 11), Declan Barrett (Year 12) and Solomon Backshall (Year 12). Unfortunately, the Junior Shortboard competition was cancelled so last year’s winners, Dawson Greig (Year 10), Jake Yeo (Year 9) and Jensen Kirby (Year 10), surfed in the interschool competition.

Hoping to win the PSA Surfing shield for the first time since 2014, on Friday 21 August, we rocked up at Scarborough Beach at the crack of dawn to find perfect offshore shoulder-high runners. The 8.00am siren started the first heat of the senior boys and despite a valiant effort by Declan Barrett, Keiran Bucktin and Finn Kelly, we were unable to defeat the boys from Hale School. Next were the senior bodyboarders who had unfortunately lost tube pig Ryan Thomas (Year 11) due to a rib injury. Nevertheless, Luke McManus (Year 11), Oscar Brant (Year 12) and Luke Jensen (Year 12) put in a strong performance to procure another second-place finish.

In the penultimate heat of the afternoon, our junior surfers Jake ‘the snake’ Yeo, Dawson Greig and Jensen Kirby took to the waters as PSA favourites. Despite being the best surfers in the draw by a country mile, brain fades saw them drop to second place. However, the result placed us close to the lead as we entered the final round. Our junior boogers, Max Yeo, Sam Harding and Ben Walker, put in the performance of the day, smashing their division to secure the shield for CCGS, ending our six-year drought.

Ultimately, it was a terrific season for the CCGS PSA Surfing champions, and we couldn’t have done it without the expert coaching from Mr Hunn and Mrs Fricke.

Surfing Competition Squad

BACK ROW: Mr Simon Hunt (Coach), Kieran Bucktin, Luke Jensen, Luke McManus, Jensen Kirby, Declan Barrett MIDDLE ROW: Sam Harding, Lennox Badger, Solomon Backshall (Vice Captain), Finn Kelly (Captain), Ben Walker, Oscar Brant, Dawson Greig FRONT ROW: Max Yeo, Gabriel Haselhurst, Jake Yeo

First VIII Tennis

BACK ROW: Mr Rob Kilderry (Coach), Christian John, Samuel English, Luka Brown (Captain), Brendan Jones (Vice-Captain), Mark Morris, Lochie Evans, Harry Davison-Petch FRONT ROW: James Newton, Archie Brown, Theo Browne, Rory von Altenstadt

Volleyball

SAM ASSUMPTION / CAPTAIN OF VOLLEYBALL

The First VI season began late in Term 3 2019 with the longest pre-season schedule that Christ Church Volleyball had ever seen, including a tournament against Wesley, Scotch and Hale. It gave many boys a chance at experiencing the standard of Firsts Volleyball and subsequently created the depth we required for a strong season.

This allowed for us to go into Round 1 against Trinity with levels of fitness and confidence not experienced in previous seasons. Throughout the season we reviewed the squad’s progress through team-chosen ground rules and experienced significant improvement.

The second half of the season was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19, however, we recorded another straight set win against Guildford and another strong performance against Hale.

The Second VI had a strong season with four wins and several players playing games with the Firsts. The Thirds and Fourths achieved five and six wins respectively with strong performances throughout, while the 10As remained undefeated in 2020 exhibiting strong signs for the future of volleyball at the School.

We must attribute the growth in the volleyball program this year to our outstanding coaching and management staff, comprising Head Coach Gareth Whitehead and old boy Mr Chris Ellis, as well as Mr Jeremy Power and Mr Graham Nolan who kept the sport running behind the scenes.

First VI Volleyball

BACK ROW: Mr Jeremy Power (Coach), Evan Vellar, Rudy Greville, Sam Assumption (Captain), Max Brampton, Andrew Edis, Cameron Lee (Vice-Captain) FRONT ROW: Leo Beilin, Finn Retallack, Ryan Verley, Ethan Yem