Prince Alfred and St Peter’s students angry, circulate petition after shortening of traditional intercol sports carnival
Students from two of Adelaide’s most elite colleges are upset after a decision to shorten their traditional intercol sports carnival. More than 1200 people have signed a petition, saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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Students and old scholars from two of Adelaide’s most elite colleges are fuming after a decision to shorten the schools’ intercollegiate sports carnival.
St Peter’s and Prince Alfred have this week opted to streamline their A-grade winter intercol — a 148-year tradition that in August will feature the colleges facing off in eight sports — from nine days to four in a bid to reduce disruption to the school week and boost atmosphere at the contests.
One school will now host all events each intercol, rather than them be split between the two — it will be at PAC this year — and two sports will be showcased each day, instead of one.
The colleges’ decision led to 1250 people signing an online petition in 20 hours this week, calling for the status quo to remain and bemoaning “a break with tradition”.
Saints proposed the change to PAC in December and St Peter’s headmaster Tim Browning confirmed on Wednesday it would go ahead in an email to staff, parents and students.
One St Peter’s student, who did not want to be named, said squeezing the program into four days could hurt attendances because people might have to choose between sports.
He said Browning, who arrived at St Peter’s from Sydney’s Cranbrook School at the start of last year, should have consulted the Hackney college’s community before making the decision.
“An email was sent out by the headmaster and it just said it’d be a four-day carnival, no questions asked,” the student said.
“It’s gone against years of tradition, so we’re all pretty angry about it.”
An old scholar said Saints Year 12 students had long been looking forward to playing their last intercols at St Peter’s.
“They’ve given one school everything … and the footy boys have lost their home intercol,” he said.
“They’ve played with something that wasn’t broken.”
The Saints-Princes intercol tradition began in the colleges’ formative years when they were the only schools in a men’s club competition.
Browning said his college was very proud of the event’s history and had worked closely with Princes to finalise the new format.
He said competing over fewer days and at one college would increase atmosphere and lessen disruption to both the school week and pre-intercol training.
“We believe the fixtures will be enhanced by this new format, as students will be able to compete and spectate at different locations within one site on the same day,” Browning said.
“There was some concern from students and parents that scheduling clashes may occur.
“We have reassured our community that no first fixtures will clash and the petition has subsequently been taken down.”
Prince Alfred director of co-curricular activities Troy McKinnon said his college was happy with the status quo but was thrilled to host all intercol sports in August in its 150th year.
“PAC is very proud of what we and Saints have built together and that we felt there was a justified limelight put on each sport across the course of eight days that may be minimised a little with multiple events on the same day,” McKinnon said.
“We’ve collaborated and compromised with Saints for what they feel is an important review of the event.
“Obviously there are people that are really, really pleased with the condensing of the format and equally there are dissenters to the arrangements that have been made in both communities, but that’s something we hope will be remedied by running the new fixture really well.
“Our endeavour is to build a carnival-type feel … and we are confident we will do that.”
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