Shore School defeat Team NT at second Deadly Rugby Carnival
The Shore boys have gone back-to-back at the Deadly Rugby carnival, taking out the title for the second year running. Check out our photo gallery from the final here.
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The boys from Shore have claimed victory for the second straight year at the Deadly Rugby carnival.
A week long event that pits the best junior Territory talent against GPS rugby school(s) south of the border, the Sydney side defeated Team NT 31-5 in the final.
Shore has some pedigree in the world of rugby at present, having won the Sydney GPS rugby First XV competition in 2024, while its grade competitions also performed at a high level.
As for the boys from the Territory, the majority spent the Saturday morning across the park at league, leaving the group fatigued in the humid conditions.
Nevertheless, the Shore school was a class above despite being a year younger; structured play and discipline their best attributes.
The two then combined for a Barbarian style clash after the final, both sides mixing among the other, forming two completely new outfits.
The match started seriously but quickly devolved into a not so serious one with about 40 players on the field by the end.
Following the serious match, coach of the NT Junior Po Ching addressed his players, telling them he was proud of the efforts but acknowledged there were many areas of improvement moving forward.
“You all put in a big effort,” he said.
“It’s only a trial match, so hold your heads high, shoulders back and make the most of this opportunity.
“Your second half was way better than the first but there is a long list of things that we all need to work on and improve, and that goes for us as coaches too.
“This week was about you putting your hands up, coming together and challenging yourselves against opponents you’ve never faced before.
“You were thrown in the deep end and had to adapt and dig deep.
“This is the starting point ahead of nationals and now we all need to work hard and keep going.”
ACTION SHOTS
Deadly Rugby carnival an opportunity for local talent to shine
Deadly Rugby is back in the Top End for its second ever running.
A rugby tournament that pits GPS and private schools from down south against the top junior talent in the Northern Territory kicks off at Skyring Park this week, April 23-26.
“Deadly Rugby is an initiative to provide opportunities for kids through sport,” Ellis said.
“The ambition is to create a local carnival in the NT where local kids get to play against schools/clubs from interstate each year.
“We started last year with Barker and Shore, and this year, we have our first carnival where the NT Rep 16s will take on two (The Sydney Church of England Grammar School) Shore 15s.”
Ellis’ ambition is to turn the competition into a week-long carnival that would pit numerous sides from across the country against each other, and believes the Territory is the right place for the action.
“We want this to be an annual carnival that benefits lots of different groups,” he said.
“We think the NT should be the location of choice for school sports because of its rich First Nations culture and breathtaking country
“Local kids get an annual carnival where teams from down south visit to compete – they get to play more footy, and play at home.
“The local kids, particularly as an NT rep team, don’t get enough opportunities to play.
Ellis also believes the venture has the opportunity to provide NT students with a chance to play down south, as well as boost the economy as a by-product.
“Local Indigenous kids get the opportunity to train and play with the touring sides and potentially come back down to Sydney to spend more time with the touring schools,” he said.
“Potential scholarship pathways for local players to some of the best rugby schools in the country.
“Local communities also benefit from the direct economic impact of the groups visiting the NT.
“The Aussie rules trip last week spent time in Kakadu and Jabiru, so it is not just Darwin communities that benefit.”
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