Mackay Confraternity and QISSN carnival preview

Thousands of Queensland school kids, teachers and spectators will flock to Mackay this week when the region plays host to what will be the largest school-based sports carnival in Australia. Here is all you need to know.

Mackay will be the epicentre of Australia’s largest school based sports carnival when the Confraternity Shield and Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball arrives on Monday.

About 50 schools and more than 1000 players will soon converge for the long-awaited Confraternity Shield rugby league tournament’s return,set to begin on Monday.

It is the first time Mackay has hosted the event since 1996, an all-important carnival following the disappointment of the Covid cancellations of 2020 and 2021.

The 2021 carnival at Iona College reached the quarter-final stages before the beginning of lockdown in southeast Queensland.

Sophie Novosel, Rebecca Symons, Janelle Agius, Henry Thorpe and Paige Zeller ahead of the Confraternity Shield and QISSN launch night in Mackay, October 27, 2021. Picture: Matthew Forrest

Ignatius Park College were the most recent winners of the boys carnival in 2019.

They have had a mixed start to schoolboys footy in 2022 in the Aaron Payne Cup.

The Townsville school has won an impressive five of the last nine Confraternity Shields with the other schools no doubt hoping the extended break will bring an end to their reign of dominance.

St Patrick’s College, Mackay enter their home tournament with what could be their strongest side in many years.

St Patrick’s and Mercy College principal Janelle Agius said the schools were proud of being granted the hosting privilege in 2022.

“The carnival brings together people and builds teamwork, resilience, integrity and community spirit,” she said.

“These experiences will give (players) the strong foundations and skills required to tackle many more adventures that await them on their journey of life.”

Holy Spirit College from Mount Pleasant will compete in Division Two.

The action will kick off from 8.40am on Monday at Mackay Rugby League Fields and conclude with the Confraternity Shield final at 12.30pm on Friday.

The girls’ grand final will be held at 1pm on Thursday.

The CQ University Qld Independent Secondary Schools Netball will gather 64 schools and more than 700 netballers.

2019 winners of the carnival were Chanel College from Gladstone.

This year’s St Patrick’s College netball side has recently won three premierships in the Mackay District Senior Schools Sport Netball Open A competition.

They will also unveil their first ever boy’s side for the carnival.

Holy Spirit College from Mount Pleasant will also put forward a team in Division Two.

Here is the list of schools in Division One for boys and girls:

Division One Boys:

The Cathedral College, Rockhampton

St Patrick’s College, Brisbane

St Mary’s College, Toowoomba

Emmaus College, Rockhampton

Ignatius Park College, Townsville

St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights

Marist College, Brisbane

Aquinas College, Gold Coast

St Patrick’s College, Mackay

Iona College, Brisbane

Rockhampton Grammar

St Peter Claver College, Ipswich

Marymount College, Gold Coast

St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon

Padua College, Brisbane

Shalom College, Bundaberg

Division One Girls:

Marymount College, Gold Coast

Emmaus College, Rockhampton

Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville

St Patrick’s College, Mackay

St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba

St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville

The Cathedral College, Rockhampton

Shalom College, Bundaberg

St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba

St Patrick's College Mackay Gold Netball team. Back row: Isabelle Sinn, Letitia Talbot, Jazmyn Gervinas, Phoebe Francis, Lilli Pryor, Rebecca Symons, Ysobel Maher. Front row: Lillian Newland, Paige Zeller, Ashlee Amos. Picture: Supplied.

Here are the schools competing in division one for girls and boys:

Division One Girls – Netball:

Marymount College, Gold Coast

Coomera Anglican College, Gold Coast

Rockhampton Grammar

St Patrick’s College, Mackay

St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville

Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Sunshine Coast

St Columban’s College, Moreton Bay

Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Noosa

Clairvaux MacKillop College, Brisbane

Shalom College, Bundaberg

The Cathedral College, Rockhampton

Somerset College, Gold Coast

Siena Catholic College, Sunshine Coast

St Peter Claver College, Ipswich

Division One Boys – Netball:

St Luke’s Anglican College, Bundaberg

St Patrick’s College, Mackay

St Catherine’s Catholic College, Whitsundays

St James College, Brisbane

Shalom College, Bundaberg