Rugby 7s and Badminton Offer Exciting New Sport Opportunities Unleash Your Inner Athlete: R

ugby 7s is a variant of Rugby Union that emphasizes quick ball movement, speed, and agility. It is played on a full-sized rugby field and games consist of two sevenminute halves, totalling 14 minutes. The sport has gained significant media attention in recent years, especially after its inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games, where the Australian women’s team won gold. Rugby 7s has also become increasingly popular at the school, club, and professional level. In mid-2022, a group of students expressed interest in forming their own 7s team at Tara. The process involved careful planning and constant input from the students to gauge interest and commitment to form a squad and compete in local competitions. Senior girls were given the opportunity to attend a “come and try” session led by NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU), where they were taught the fundamental skills and techniques necessary to participate safely.

In Term 4 2022, a group of 10 girls comprising of six Year 12s and four Year 11s commenced their training, focusing on essential skills such as passing, tackling, scrummaging, and strategy. Their coach, Ben, who is an elite rugby player and coach, instilled confidence in the girls to participate in a local competition, the Chloe Dalton Schoolgirl 7s. The girls played two matches on Monday nights at Barker College each week, which helped them gain valuable experience and improve their training.

The girls won their very first game convincingly and surpassed some strong teams who have been playing rugby for several years. They showed significant progress on a weekly basis, and in doing so, made the semi-finals. A narrow loss to Oakhill 1 saw them compete in the 3rd v 4th playoff, which they won against a strong team they hadn’t beaten all season. It was a great display of the progress they have made, with some incredible passing, tackling and teamwork. For the girls to finish 3rd in their very first competition is outstanding, and we are so proud of their achievements. The team owes much of their success to their coach, Ben, who has provided them with excellent guidance and support in their journey to learn and excel in a new sport for Tara.

Mr Will Bickersteth - Sport Coordinator

In 2023, IGSA Sport added Badminton to its list of Saturday sports available during Term 1. This new addition has given girls a second option for racquet sports, in addition to the three other sports already offered. Badminton has become very popular at Tara, with the school entering 21 teams across Years 7 to 12. To help the girls learn, we employed new experienced coaches, who between them have won numerous singles and doubles State titles. Girls have been taught the fundamental skills, including footwork, shot selection, positioning, and game strategy, and all teams have been performing well with some excellent results each week. The School is excited to see how this new sport will grow in the coming years.

Be Inspired. Be Challenged. Be Excellent. BE YOU.