2023 Term 3 Week 8 8 Sept 2023

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Each week, I am reminded of the incredible talent, dedication, and commitment evident within our school. This past week has been no exception.

Last Friday evening, I attended the Tweed Business Awards Gala. Our very own Lindisfarne Stage Band showcased their immense talent, and I felt very proud of the dedication and passion that these students displayed as they showcased their talents to the Tweed Business community.

As the Netball season closes, I would like to take this time to thank all of our players, coaches, managers, and parents for their hard work and dedication this season.  Thank you to Danielle Watters and Suzanne Evans for leading the program throughout the year and President Aleisha Weston and the Netball Support group for their efforts during the 2023 season. A  reminder that our Lindisfarne Lions Netball Presentation events are on Wednesday next week: our younger teams at 4:30 pm - 5:45 pm and our Senior teams at 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm; let's celebrate their journey and achievements this season. Bookings can be made via the information in the Netball article below.

The magic of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performed on our own school grounds last Friday and Saturday evening was certainly a great spectacle. Seeing families nestled under the night sky, immersed in Shakespeare’s magic, was heartwarming. Thank you to Katy Otto and the English team for this extraordinary showcase of student talent. 

This Sunday is the annual St Cuthbert’s Day Service at our founding parish, St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, Tweed Heads. This is an important date on our school calendar as we give thanks and recognise the important links we continue to have with the St Cuthbert’s Parish community. We also recognise that the vibrant school we all enjoy today started as a simple vision that was embraced by the Parish over 40 years ago. The Service commences at 9:00 am, followed by light refreshments; all of our community is invited to attend.

The importance of checking in on our loved ones and fostering mental health awareness is something we strongly advocate for at Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School. This Monday, 11 September, at 6:15 pm, we will Sing for R U, OK? Day, at a  community choir event at the M|Arts Precinct in Murwillumbah. Led by the talented Vicky Jacobs, this is the third community choir we have held, and as always, it promises to be an uplifting evening of song, camaraderie, and awareness. Do join us for a musical evening ( family, friends, and extended family members are welcome ), and let's together emphasise the importance of mental health and wellbeing. Further details can be found below. 

The annual friendly rivalry of Year 12 students vs. Lindisfarne staff had us all at the edge of our seats this week. The sporting arena saw some enthusiastic matches, with the staff clinching victory in volleyball and Year 12s showcasing their talent in basketball. It would be remiss of me not to mention the ‘jubilation heard around Lindisfarne’ as Mason Duke hit a long-range 3-point shot to seal the basketball win for the students. All eyes are now on the deciding soccer match on the top oval next week: Who will take home the 2023 championship title?

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our Big Boys’ Breakfasts across both of our campuses. As always, the food was excellent, but it was the connections on display with parents, grandparents, uncles, and significant role models connecting with students over breakfast and sharing moments together. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's these moments of connection that can often be overlooked as we move to the next thing on our ‘to-do’ lists. I encourage each member of our community to find some time to connect this weekend as we start the final few weeks of what has been a busy and rewarding term. 

Our Year 12 students have now handed in their final assignments, and with less than two weeks left of day-to-day classes, they will find this time in the lead-up to their Final School Assembly to be filled with many special moments. As each of you embark on these moments at Lindisfarne, know that these are memories that will stay with you forever. Stay connected and supportive of each other as you have all year. Cherish these final days of school, as your exams will come quickly, so keep up the hard work and diligence with your studies and leave no room for regrets as you finish your day-to-day attendance at School strongly, and with grace and dignity.

This weekend, I'm thrilled to announce that three Lindisfarne teams are set to represent us at the State Finals of the Tournament of Minds, taking place at UNSW in Sydney. After their recent victory as Regional Champions, these teams are setting their sights on claiming the title of State Champions. The teams have been training hard in preparation for the competition, and we wish them all the best of luck.

Secondary Language Literature: Leo Lush, Sian McGilligan, Phoebe Robins, Charli Frazer, Ave Keay, and Tahlia D'Amici. Secondary Social Sciences: Gracie Davies, Astrid Young, Georgia Franzway, Willow Veldhoven, Jahnvi Grover, Olive Capomolla, and Eve Lobascher. Primary Language Literature: Ashton Schneider, Isaiah Mammen, Rex Flood, Elliot Zurawic, Floyd Blair, Adam Blinco, and Samantha Brady.

I’d also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Scott Lewis, Dana Dowker, Jacqui O'Sullivan, Laurelle Gilmour, and Tarley Jones for their tireless support and mentorship to these teams. We're all excitedly cheering for you and can’t wait to hear the results!

Thank you, each and every one of you, for making our school the vibrant, supportive, and high-achieving community that it is as we celebrate our students and the continued success of our school.

Warm Regards, 

Stuart Marquardt
Principal

Dear Students, Staff, Parents and Guardians,

Take a Moment Today and Be Thankful
‘Thankfulness’  Rumi said, ‘brings you to the place where the Beloved lives.’ We are deeply thankful for each and every one of you, for the amazing work you are doing this term, and for the innumerable opportunities offered to our students at Lindisfarne. As the term draws to a close, let us continue to live gratefully and with great-fullness ‘for the things we take for granted are what others are praying for’ (Marlan Rico Lee). In the words of St Paul: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Pets Blessing Service 
Thank you to those who attended and helped with the Pets Blessing Service last Sunday to mark the beginning of the Season of Creation and to commemorate the feast of St Francis of Assisi who modelled for us the love and care of creation. Season of Creation invites us this year to “Let Peace and Justice Flow '' by joining with all people of goodwill to speak out for those most impacted by climate and ecological crisis, as well as by protecting, safeguarding and caring for God’s beautiful and awesome creation.

Appreciative Enquiry During Ministry School
At the recent clergy gathering in Coffs Harbour, we delved, among other things, into the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of St Matthew; Appreciative Inquiry; and Conversations Worth Having. What brought these themes together is the importance of nurturing relationships by the quality of our conversations and dialogue. These questions will help us deepen and enhance our relationships with ourselves and others; what’s working well today? What are we worried about? What could we do next? Practicing the skills of good conversations and teaching our children the same, enables us to create flourishing relationships and communities because we live in worlds, David Copperfield said, our conversations create.

St Cuthbert’s Day on Sunday, 10 September 2023
You are warmly invited to join our school community and the parishioners for St Cuthbert’s Day on Sunday, 10 September at 9am at the parish church (cnr Florence and Powell Streets, Tweed Heads). All are welcome!

Food For Thought from The Talmud
Do not be daunted 
By the enormity 
Of the world’s grief.
Do justly, now.
Love mercy, now.
Walk humbly, now.
You are not obligated
To complete the work,
But neither are you free
To abandon it.

Amidst the vicissitudes of life, may we be inspired that with love, courage, collaboration, fraternity, mercy, humility and God’s grace we shall overcome, for God did not promise us a world without suffering, but His promise is that He will be with us until the end of time (cf. Matthew 28:20).

May Emmanuel -God-with-us -be with you today and every day, and may His presence fill your lives with His peace, joy, love and Holy Spirit.

The Reverend Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

Booking Link

Booking Link

I am happy to announce that our annual R U OK? Day community choir event, Sing for R U OK? Day, will be held on the evening of Monday, 11 September, at M|Arts Precinct in Murwillumbah. Vicky Jacobs will once again be leading us through a pub choir version of a well-known song. 

As always, this event is open to the entire community as well as singers of all levels. It is a really fun way to support an important cause. We are especially lucky this year because Husk Distillery have offered to open their M-Arts based pop-up bar for us, so food and drink will be available.

Additionally, R U OK? Merchandise will be available for sale. The event will kick off at 6:30 pm, please come along for a good time in support of a great cause.

More information will be available in the lead up to the event.

Brett Canning
Recording Studio Producer/Manager

Key Dates for Term 3
Total Football Academy - Monday Afterschool - Final session Monday, 11 September

Skipping Club - Monday and Wednesday Morning from 7.30am on the Junior School Basketball Courts. Final session Wednesday, 20 September.

Jump Rope For Heart 
The Jump Rope for Heart program has gone absolutely gangbusters over the past 8 weeks. All the classes in PE have been skipping their Hearts to a happier healthier future as well as learning about the Heart Foundation. 

The students have blitzed the skipping hours amassing an outstanding 140 hours of skipping outside of school time. They have also blown our fundraising target out of the water. Currently, we are sitting at an AMAZING $12,595 for the Heart Foundation. 

Friday was the culmination of the program with our Jump Off Day, all classes got to show off their skipping tricks and try to beat their World Record number of skips, in front of the whole school. It was a fantastic way to celebrate a FUN and charitable program, with lots of music and mind blowing skipping tricks. Well done to those who raised funds for the Heart Foundation and well done to all the students you are now skipping and healthy heart champions. Click at the bottom for more photos.

Skipping Club
Skipping Club has also been going gangbusters, as you can imagine. With the weather warming up, it has been a great way to start the day. Although the Jump Rope program will conclude in classes this week the Skipping club will continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings until the last week of term. So there are still lots of chances for you to come along and have some FUN and try to complete one of the skipping challenges on offer.

It will continue all term on Monday and Wednesday morning from 7.30 am on the Basketball Court,  finishing on the Wednesday morning in week 10 (20 Sept).

The idea of Skipping Club is to get active, have some fun and learn some new skills and tricks while skipping. Skipping Club is open for all students from Kindergarten to year 4 and we also encourage parents and carers to join us. We have had a number of students and parents complete the ‘100 Club’ which is continuous skipping for 100 skips in a row, there is also a ‘50 Backwards’ Challenge, the ‘20 Double Under’ Challenge, the ‘200 Club’ challenge, the ‘20 Criss Cross” Challenge and the “MEGA CHAMPION” Challenge to achieve. Challenges can only be completed at skipping club and you can only attempt one challenge per day, so get along to skipping club and have a go. 

Those students who achieve one of the challenges will be awarded a certificate on assembly for their efforts.

Getting active and having FUN with our kids is one of the truly great joys in life. Get up, get active, come along and learn some skills and tricks and have heaps of FUN and let’s get skipping to a healthy heart and body. 

Total Football Academy - After school Program 
The total football academy continues for the next two weeks.  The session will be held every Monday and will continue until Week 9, concluding on Monday, 11 September.

Information on the Term 4 program will be coming out in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on the newsletter and your emails if you are interested in joining the Total Football Academy Program for Term 4. 

Rugby Meeting
In Term 4 we have the opportunity to play in two Rugby Union gala days. For Students wishing to participate, there will be a meeting in 4A at Eating Lunch Time on Tuesday, 12 September (next Tuesday). Information about the Gala Days will then be sent home with interested students. 

Nathan Croft
Head of Sports - Junior School 

Piano Results
Year 8 student Sapphira loves everything to do with singing and music. 

At the age of 9, she was introduced to the piano and has been playing ever since. 

Sapphira strives to improve her craft, everyday. Currently preparing for her Piano Grade 7 Comprehensive exam, Sapphira spends more than 9 hours per week practicing both classical and non-classical piano pieces. 

Earlier this month, Sapphira participated in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, where she achieved a "Highly Commended" recognition in the following categories:

• Piano Solo - Grade 7, 20 years & under
• Piano Solo - 13-15 years

If there is one thing that Sapphira loves about music, singing and playing the piano; it’s the opportunity to communicate. She’s using her musical gift to inspire other people to do the same. 

Amber Phillips
Year 8 Coordinator

R U OK? Day Invitation to Sing
Monday, 11 September once again sees the Lindisfarne School community comes together at the M-Arts Precinct, Murwillumbah, to participate in our annual, ‘Sing for R U OK? Day’. 

This special event aims to lead the discussion around suicide prevention. The free community, choir looks to bring locals together to meaningfully connect through music and contribute to the national dialogue on this issue.

Featuring Vicky Jacobs from Melbourne's Glee Club. Refreshments and food are available for purchase on the night.

Please come along dressed in yellow, bring your best singing voice; connect, sing, laugh, reflect and raise funds for this important initiative. 

All ages and abilities are welcome.

St Cuthbert’s Day
Sunday 10 September is St Cuthbert’s Day at St Cuthbert's Anglican Parish, Tweed Heads. This special celebration begins at 9am. The community is invited to come together. 

Bishop Murray Harvey will be joining us for this wonderful celebration, and special prayers will be offered for our Year 12s as they prepare for their final exams. Some of our school musicians will be leading the singing during the Service. All are welcome to attend.

ParentEd - Taking Your Teen’s Psychological Temperature: What Parents Need To Know About Anxiety and Depression in Adolescence
In this session, parents will gain the knowledge needed to identify anxiety and depression in their teenage children and understand the available treatments. 

We will discuss the importance of creating an open dialogue with your teen about their mental health and provide practical strategies for communication.

Additionally, available resources will be explored, for your teens, and ways to support them in managing their symptoms.
Booking Link
Date: Tuesday, 12 September
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Mahers Lane, School Chapel

Cathy Cox
Head of Middle School

Last Sunday the Under 13's Byron Bay Football Club team won the Far North Coast Football competition. The girls took out the competition undefeated & scored the most goals in the competition. Congratulations girls, we are very proud of you all. The commitment to the required training and the sport is something you should be very proud of.

The players from Lindisfarne include:
Milla Sergiacomi (Captain)
Zara McKay
Coco Lennie
Ivy Gilbert
Ruby Cowan
Grace Reid
Archer Scoffern-Barrett

Amber Phillips
Year 8 Coordinator 

Shakespeare Under the Stars
Last weekend marked the success of "Shakespeare Under the Stars." Our rendition of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was met enthusiastically by the audience, and I extend a heartfelt thanks to the Director, Ms. Katy Otto and the ensemble of senior students in the cast. Their dedication and talent transformed the night into a magical experience. Well done to all involved.

Japan Tour

日本ツアー

On Monday, we had our final information session for the much-anticipated Japan Tour. Departing in just over a week, this promises to be a wonderful cultural experience. It is an excellent opportunity for staff and students to immerse themselves in a different world, expanding their horizons while strengthening our global connections.

Staff vs Year 12 Sports Games
Our yearly tradition of Staff vs Year 12 basketball and volleyball games unfolded this week, and both games were well supported by a vocal crowd of spectators. The energy in Ngahriyah was palpable as both teams fought hard for victory. Next up is the deciding soccer match on Tuesday. Will the students triumph, or will the staff secure the win? 

ParentEd Session: Taking Your Teen's Psychological Temperature
I am looking forward to the ParentEd session on Tuesday night, focused on "Taking Your Teen’s Psychological Temperature." This session is a crucial step in understanding and fostering the mental well-being of our young adults. Details have been shared via email, and I encourage parents to attend. Bookings can be made HERE.

Partnership with NSW Police
In our continued commitment to a safe and inclusive environment, we will soon welcome back the NSW Police to work with our students in Years 8 and 9 on crime prevention. This initiative aligns with our mission to empower our students to be responsible citizens. We are excited to nurture our relationship with the Youth Liaison Team in the coming months and years.

School Uniform
Finally, I want to reiterate the importance of wearing our school uniform with pride. It is not just fabric and thread but a symbol of our collective identity and the high standards we set for ourselves. Let us all contribute to maintaining this tangible cultural standard.

Thank you all for your continual support and engagement.

Kate Cornell
Head of Senior School

HSC update 
All the best for the HSC examinations this week
Modern Greek Oral on Thursday 
Music 1 students who have their HSC performance examinations on Thursday and Friday 

Term Break Study Session Timetable will be sent to students and families next Friday 

Year 12 students and Year 11 Accelerants are encouraged to register for ATAR revision sessions in September more information can be found here.

Year 11 Examinations 
Year 11 Examinations - just a reminder that these commence next week the timetable can be viewed here.

Reports 
Year 12 Final reports and Interim Reports for Years 5-10 for Term 3 will be available via Engage on Wednesday, 20 September.

Caroline Jefferies
Dean of Studies

The inaugural Shakespeare Under the Stars event at Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School was a resounding success, bringing the timeless work of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life in a breathtaking outdoor setting. The event, which took place under a moody night sky on the School's grounds, was a true celebration of the Bard's enduring legacy. Students, parents, and community members gathered to witness captivating performances of scenes from Shakespeare's beloved play. The enchanting ambiance of the evening sky added an extra layer of magic to the performance, creating a truly immersive experience for all in attendance.

A special thank you to Ms. Katy Charles Otto, whose unwavering dedication and talent as a director played a pivotal role in making this event a reality. Ms. Otto's passion for Shakespeare and her commitment to nurturing young talent shone through in every aspect of the production. Her guidance and support were instrumental in helping the students deliver outstanding performances that captured the essence of Shakespearean drama.  Additionally, the English staff deserves heartfelt appreciation for hosting and supporting this event, emphasising the School's commitment to fostering a love for literature and the arts among its students. Shakespeare Under the Stars marked the beginning of a tradition that will undoubtedly continue to inspire and delight generations to come.

Mrs Kylie Wharton
Director of English

See below for more images

In addition to regular classes, Lindisfarne has specialist teachers who offer private tuition in Speech and Drama, Piano/Keyboard, Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Vocal and Songwriting/Music Production.

For students continuing with private tuition, it is assumed that lessons are continuing from term to term, for the year unless written notification is submitted to the Performing Arts Administration by the close of business on Monday of the last week of term otherwise the following term’s fees will be charged.

For those interested in enrolling for private studio lessons for Term 4, please contact Performing Arts or complete the application forms on 'SEQTA Engage - Parent Lounge - Documents and Links'. 

Todd Hardy
Director of Performing Arts

At Lindisfarne, we are very fortunate that our Mahers Lane campus is set on around 30 hectares of land. Much of this land is currently undeveloped and provides a lot of habitat for local wildlife. Along the back of the property is a large rainforest which is around 9.8 hectares in size. The rainforest is a really beautiful place with a creek running through it, several small waterfalls and two dams around it. 211 species of animals have been identified at our Mahers Lane campus with many of these species living in and around our school rainforest.

Unfortunately, our school rainforest is heavily infested with invasive weeds. These weeds are a significant threat to the local native wildlife and flora. These weeds outcompete and displace our native species while degrading the habitat in the rainforest. To date, 20 species of invasive weeds have been identified in and around our Mahers Lane rainforest. 

Bush regeneration efforts have been taking place at Lindisfarne for a few years now however this year they have significantly increased. This year all students in middle school and year 10 have the opportunity to be involved in bush regeneration efforts at Lindisfarne through our DiscoverED and year 10 service learning programs. Over this year students have been focusing their efforts on a central patch of the rainforest and the change that they have made has been incredible. Pathways and our outdoor classroom that were previously not usable due to being overgrown with weeds have been cleared. Our students have helped us in removing thousands of highly invasive weeds from the rainforest and some have even started to replant native trees to replace the weeds removed and to benefit local wildlife. While there is much more work to be done the impact that our students are making is nothing short of incredible. We look forward to continuing this journey and bush regeneration work with our students.

Patrick Brabant
School Assistant - Sustainability

Netball

The NCIS Primary Netball was held on Wednesday at Arkinstall Park. It was a great day out for all involved.

Basketball

The Summer League registrations are now open. If you are interested, please sign up -  the competition is only 9 weeks long, and is a social type of game (the Winter League is GCJBL’s serious comp). Dates are 6 October (last Friday of hols) through to 1 Dec.

Please register through SEQTA engage/Parent lounge or SEQTA learn/student cafe under Extra Curricular - click the green SIGN UP NOW - sign up to “Basketball Lindisfarne Lions Summer League sign up”.

After you register through the school, register on Basketball Connect - so that LAGS and GCJBL can see your child's name. Please use the Basketball Connect sign up link - HERE.

Tennis

Lindisfarne Annual Tennis Championships

The Lindisfarne Annual Tennis Championships were held on Wednesday night. A lovely pleasant evening it was, in which a range of player abilities were comfortable having a hit against each other.

Thanks to Nathan Croft and Natasha from Pro One for helping run a smooth evening.

Here are the results:

Tennis Terranora After School program

The Tennis Terranora after-school Tennis lessons will start again on Tuesday afternoons in week 2 Term 4 at Lindisfarne Mahers lane Campus Tennis Courts. These sessions are capped at 20 students. Group lessons for beginners and competition players.

Capped at 20 students.

Pricing: $70 for 7 weeks (sign up on parent lounge, Events and Payments)
Time: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 pm
Start Date: Week 2 to Week 8, 17/10/23 - 28/11/23
Location: Lindisfarne Mahers lane Campus Tennis courts
Run By: Tennis Terranora Coach Caleb Maxted

Horse Riding Recreational Sport

Yesterday, I personally checked out Kyllarie Retreat -  the new addition to our Year 7 to 10 Sport program. What a superb program they are running out there. Here are some accounts from some of our students below:

Horse riding for Rec Sport this term so far has been a thrill. The 30 minute bus ride to a small family owned horse riding company located on Environ Road called Kyllarie Retreat. We have loved all of the horses, riding bareback, jumping and most importantly pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. It is spectacular how everyone has improved so much in their riding. We are very lucky to be able to do something that we are passionate about and our instructors are very kind and always help us. In week 1 we did flatwork, walk-trot-canter,  then we were lucky enough in week 2 to do some jumping, in weeks 3-5 we did more flatwork with trotting poles, we have been lunging, grooming, washing and feeding horses as well.

By Sienna Mannion, Lucy Mannion and Stella Lehmann (Year 7) 

I am so glad I chose horse riding as my Term 3 sport. Not only have I enjoyed the experience of taking care of the horses at Kyallarie Retreat, I have also learned more than I could have ever imagined. Throughout my six weeks (and counting) of learning at the Retreat, I have learnt how to trot, groom, saddle, bridle and even jump a horse. Overall, I have had a positive and enriching experience and highly recommend it to every Lindisfarne student – even if you are an absolute beginner now, you won’t be for long.

Zoë (Year 7)

Horseback riding, the new sport for this semester, is so enjoyable from grooming to riding that the time truly flies. It is entertaining and enlightening. You pick up tips on how to plait a horse's mane, as well as how to take care of its feet and more. You also pick up lunging skills. The trick to riding a horse is mastering the trot and avoiding obstacles. Additionally, you are permitted to ride bareback, that is, without a saddle. 

Lexi (Year 8)

North Coast Mountain Biking

Last Thursday saw the first ever North Coast Independent Schools Mountain Biking Championships held at Wedding Bells National Park mountain bike course just outside of Woolggolga. The event was run by Rocky TRails entertainment and they did a fantastic job coordinating all the age groups and the three tracks. 

Lindisfarne sent a team of 14 students to compete and the trails provided some great fun for all. The Cross Country track proved to be the toughest with a good section of uphill riding. The Fox Flow and the Lazer downhill tracks were the pick of the tracks for the students with some very competitive times posted.  

Well done to all involved.

Gold Coast Junior AFL Grand Finals

Congratulations to all the boys and girls who participated in the Gold Coast AFL Grand Finals on the weekend. Lindisfarne was well-represented across all divisions. Congratulations to Coolangatta who took home premierships in the Under 13, 15 and 17’s boys. 

In a huge boost for AFL on the southern end of the Gold Coast the Under 15 Grand Final was contested between Coolangatta and Tweed Coast.

The Coolangatta Under 17 girls missed out by 3 points in their grand final. In a very close game, the girls were defeated 26 - 29.

Spotlight on Jack Sofer

Jack Sofer competed in the Australian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship held at Melbourne Sports Centre on the 27th August.  He won both his matches to secure the gold medal and is the national champion in his division.

Volleyball

We have our Volleyball squads training each and every Friday morning at 7.00am We have a lot of students in Years 10 - 12 already, but are really interested in getting a core group of younger students prepared for looming tournaments. If you are interested in joining Volleyball squads, with the possibility of joining the school, please sign up through Parent Lounge/Student cafe under Events and Payments “SP 2023 T3 Volleyball Open Training squad”- we will see you at training.

Damien Clucas
Head of Sport

NSW Rugby Far North Coast U14 7s

We had two boys’ U14 squads travel down to Southern Cross University for the NSW Far North Coast U14 7s on Thursday 24th August. 

Boys U14 Blue

The Blue team with Dillon McPhee, Rhys Jones, Tom Mison, Benson Nicol, Eden Humphries, Fletcher Bruhn, Kade Edmunds and Jack Cross played against Woodlawn 1, St Mary’s and Byron Bay. The first game was against Byron Bay, with the boys winning 24 - 17. We then took on a Woodlawn team going down 14-15 and finally, we played St Mary’s, cruising to victory 29-0. Stand-out players were Eden Humphries scoring 5 tries on the day and kicking a handful of conversions, Dillon McPhee who continues to give 100% for every minute he is on the field and Rhys Jones who led from the front.

Boys U14 Gold

The Gold team consisted of Adam Price, Tucker Groves, Harry Thompson-Mills, Tom O’Brien, Lachie Piper, George Dorsey, Oli Watson. They played in a separate division from the Blue team, against Trinity and Woodlawn 2. In our first game we played against Trinity, going down 15-19 with both teams scoring 3 tries, however, we were unable to convert any of them. Our next game was against Woodlawn 2, once again going down in a closely contested game 10-15. It was a tough day out with only 7 players in the Gold squad and a few boys unavailable due to injuries. Both our Blue and Gold teams played a very exciting brand of 7’s rugby, with the boys receiving praise for their style of play from Mr Wilson.

QLD Rugby Scots PGC 7s

Our boys U13, U15 and U18  and girls U18 and U15 7s squads travelled to Scots PGC College in Warwick last Friday for this QLD Rugby 7s tournament. This was a milestone tournament for our program, with our U18 boys winning their division and Taj Krasna being named boys player of the tournament. Unfortunately, our other squads were hit by a number of late and or unexplained absences which affected their performance in the tournament. 

Boys U13

With many of our usual players playing for Casuarina u13 in the FNC final against Lennox Heads (and well done to them for winning that), a makeshift u13 turned up to Warwick to represent Lindisfarne. With a few players pulling out at the last minute too, only 7 players remained to take the trip up. This meant all players had to play every minute of every game, a tough task in the heat but the players continued to play an expansive brand of rugby. We were still able to make the U13 final, eventually going down to Toowoomba Anglican School. A tremendous effort from the boys who played their hearts out and once again, received compliments on their style of play.

Boys U15

A small team headed to Warwick for the Scots PGC 7s. With over 10 players unavailable due to club finals a group of 9 boys made the journey. Losing Jack in our first game to an injured collarbone spurred the boys on to take a 22-14 victory over the host school in our first game. Playing with only 8, the second game against a strong highfields team which had very few stoppages wore our team down and a last play try to Highfields meant they took the win 33-14. This left what was effectively a “semi-final” for our last pool game with a win earning us a spot in the final. A dominant performance despite being down to 7 players who all played the whole game earned us a 26-0 win and a chance to take the trophy. The final was a rugged affair which saw us lose Eddie Esgate to an injury early on. Oska Martin returned and a second-half lead was stolen with a last-play try to Highfields and a heartbreaking 19-24 loss. 

Across the day all 9 boys played incredibly well and with heart and tenacity to continue to fight through uncomfortable situations. Eddie Esgate playing 14 minutes in the final pool game was incredible and allowed our team to get across the line.  

Boys 1st 7 (U18)

Our boys’ 1st 7 played four games against Scots PGC and Toowoomba Anglican School (two games each). Our boys were unbeaten in all their games and ran out handy winners in their final against Scots PGC 33-0 to win their division. This was a great result considering we had a number of U16 players stepping up to play in this tournament. Standout players were Taj Krasna, who as mentioned earlier won the boy's player of the tournament, Taj Billet, who was arguably our best-on-field in the final with strong running, and Charlie Gately, who had a number of barn-storming runs that sent defenders flying. 

Girls U18 and U15

Last Friday both the Under 15’s and Under 18’s girls headed three hours northwest to Warwick to compete in the Scotts Collge Rugby Sevens tournament. It was a massive effort from both teams. 

Rugby 7’s is a hugely exhausting game, even when you have the full squad of 12. Our girls went andcompeted with just 6 in the U18s and 7 in the U 15’s. So no subs all day long. After the first game, the U15s were down to 5, so it just got tougher. Not one complaint, no lack of effort to be seen all day long. Tournaments like this are renowned for developing character and culture and we were not short in either. So many learnings came from Friday for both the girls and the coaches. Coaches Mike and Jess Elliston were very proud of what these girls did after knowing their numbers were down yet still competing their hearts out.

It’s a special squad with just 2 players having played the game of 7’s before this year. Following the comp, it was heartening to see so many at training on Tuesday, including 3 players who couldn’t train due to injuries, still getting down there at 7.00 a.m. to be part of it. That’s the culture that’s developing which bodes well moving forward.

A special mention to Millie Driver who had her first game of the year and did really well. Another to Jamie Misfud in the 15’s for topping the scoring and Sofia Keane in the U18’s scoring a cracking try, which was celebrated by all.

Well done girls.

KEY DATES

Please see the upcoming key dates for our boys’ and girls’ program below. You can find the full list of key dates HERE.

Boys 

Girls

UPCOMING FIXTURES

NSW Rugby State Final 7s

Our U18s will be travelling to the NSW Rugby State Finals 7s at Granville Park, Merrylands in Sydney on Tuesday 12th September and playing on Wednesday 13th September.  Selections for these squads have been released and if there are any conflicts with other commitments, please make sure to let us coaches know ASAP.  

OTHER ITEMS

Rugby Captain’s Dinner

The 2023 Lindisfarne Rugby Captain's Dinner and Presentation Night will be held on Thursday, 21 September from 6.30pm at Peppers Salt, Kingscliff.  This dinner will be for our year 5 - 12 students and parents who have been involved in the rugby program.  There will be a number of awards presented on the night including:

• Boys U12 Player of the Year
• Boys U13 Player of the Year
• Boys U15 Player of the Year
• Boys 1st XV Player of the Year
• Girls U15 Player of the Year
• Girls 1st 7 Player of the Year
• Most Promising 
• Most Improved 
• Representative Player of the Year
• Spirit of Rugby Award

Tickets are $37.50 and bookings can be made HERE or by clicking the link in the invitation below.  All students are required to be in formal school uniform on the night.  This will be a great evening and a wonderful way to cap off the 2023 schoolboy rugby season for both XV-aside and 7-aside programs. If you have any questions, please let Dr Coyne or your respective coach know and we hope to see you all there.

Term Four Training Schedule

Please note rugby union will not be offered for integrated (Thursday) school sport in term 4. However, in preparation for the All Saints and QLD All Schools 7s tournaments, we will however have three training sessions for our U18, U15 and U13 boys squads and U18 and U15 girls squads on the following dates I would like you to mark in your calendars:

• Tuesday 10th October 0700
• Thursday 12th October 0700 (Girls only)
• Tuesday 17th October 0700
• Thursday 19th October 0700

International Rugby Academy Australia (IRAA) Player Camps

The IRAA Player Courses dates for the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 have been released. IRAA Player Courses are designed to provide an independent, high-performance pathway for any ambitious rugby player who wants to maximise their potential. We highly encourage our players to attend these camps if possible and we have had a number of students go through the courses last year. You can find more information HERE.

Gear Allocation

We have had our rugby backpacks arrive. These are available for collection from the PDHPE office under Ngahriyah for all players from our boys 1st XV, U15 and U13 XV-a side squads and girls U18 and U15 7s squads.

Training Notes

As we continue towards the end of term 3, it is worthwhile mentioning that all players and families should assume our Tuesday morning training will ALWAYS BE ON and we will let you know the evening prior if training is cancelled. As rugby is played in the elements, we will train through any adverse weather as much as possible.  All students selected in our 7s squads are expected at training, regardless of injury and if you cannot attend, please email your respective coach the night before.

Students should also be in proper training attire (NOT school sports uniform) with mouthguard, boots and any other equipment they play with for every session. This requirement also includes integrated school sport on Thursday.  Alongside this, students should have a towel and spare school uniform to change into in case there is wet weather.

Stack Team APP

The Stack Team app is our Rugby Union program’s main form of communication and resource house for all our squads, with exception of U12 boys. As a reminder, both parents and Boy’s U13, U15, 1st XVs and 7’s and Girl’s 7s students who have parental permission for smartphones should download the app and join the relevant squad in the app (e.g., 1st XV, U15 XV, U13 XV, Girls 7s). To download the Stack team app, use the following links:

● iOS: https://www.teamapp.com/ios-ap...

● Android: https://www.teamapp.com/androi...

Once downloaded, please search for 'Lindisfarne Rugby Program' and request to join. 

More Information

If you have any questions about the above, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Coyne (jcoyne@lindiisfarne.nsw.edu.au).

The Lindisfarne Lions Netball Presentation evening will be held for the Net, Set Go, Amara Lions, Zuri Lions, Duchess Lions and Amani Lions on Wednesday, 13 September from 4.30pm to 5.45pm at Osteria Casuarina.

We are affectionately calling this our Cubs Presentation event.

Tickets will be $15 per player. Players will receive a light meal (finger food) and some entertainment after the formalities have concluded, whilst parents can socialise and a cash bar will be operating.

Full formal uniform is required and bookings can be made by clicking https://www.trybooking.com/CLEPQ

The Lindisfarne Lions Netball Presentation evening will be held for all 11 Year, Junior, Intermediate and Opens Lions Teams on Wednesday, 13 September from 6.45pm to 8.45pm at Osteria Casuarina.

This will be a fully catered event, with a cash bar for adults. Tickets for players and guests will be $32.50.

Full formal uniform is required and bookings can be made by clicking https://www.trybooking.com/CLEQD

Lindisfarne is taking Expressions of Interest for Casual Canteen Assistants. To find out more about this opportunity please visit the Employment page of our website.