Nudgee College and St Rita’s College netball matches cancelled over ‘disgusting and degrading’ online video

An event between two elite Brisbane private schools has been sensationally scrapped after a “degrading and disgusting” video surfaced.

Two elite Brisbane private schools are embroiled in a degrading online video scandal.

Netball matches between girls and boys from two elite Brisbane private schools have been sensationally scrapped at the last minute, with a “disgusting and degrading” video the reason.

Students from St Rita’s College and St Joseph’s Nudgee College were due to face off in the friendly games this afternoon at the girls’ Clayfield campus.

But the popular event was axed this morning.

St Rita’s principal Maree Trims told The Courier-Mail: “We are aware of a matter currently being investigated by St Joseph’s Nudgee College regarding the creation of a video by some of their students.

“The netball games have been postponed. As always, our priority is the wellbeing of our students.”

In a subsequent letter to parents on Friday afternoon, Ms Trims said the college leadership team had met with the students involved “to ensure their wellbeing is supported and to assure them appropriate steps are being taken to address the situation”.

Parents say a “disgusting” video created by Nudgee College students is behind the cancellation of a netball match with St Rita’s College students.

St Joseph’s Nudgee College principal Scott Thomson said the school had been made aware on Thursday afternoon of a claim that an inappropriate video had been made by some students. “Nudgee College immediately began to investigate this matter,” Mr Thomson said.
“The college learned that a video had been posted in a closed social media group involving college students.

“The behaviour did not meet the standards expected at this college.

“The college will continue to look into this matter.”

Earlier on Friday one parent told The Courier-Mail the video had been seen by members of the girls’ netball teams.

“Nudgee and St Rita’s hold the games throughout the year, in both volleyball and netball, as part of building bridges between the students at the two single-sex schools,” the parent said.

“However, the event today has been cancelled as a result of an online video put together by students at Nudgee that is disgusting and degrading towards the girls at St Rita’s.

“Some may pass this off as isolated and boys being boys, but it is part of a string of incidents over time involving students at Nudgee as well as other private schools.

“For the resources that are put into the education of these boys (not men as the staff at Nudgee like to refer to them) we would expect much better treatment towards girls.”

St Rita’s College was embroiled in an online scandal with Nudgee College last year after a “smash or pass” rating system was exposed.

This is not the first time St Rita’s and Nudgee, in Boondall, have been embroiled in an online scandal.

In July last year, The Courier-Mail revealed a “smash or pass” rating system after photos of an entire St Rita’s cohort were leaked.

The photos – individual shots of students when they were in Year 7 – were shared by a Year 8 girl with a Nudgee boy who was a family friend.

St Rita’s deputy principal Catherine Allen issued a letter at the time, telling parents their daughters’ images had been “shared with another school” and that she appreciated “how upsetting” this must be.

Nudgee principal Mr Thomson refuted allegations its boys “used social media to ‘rate’ the attractiveness of students from St Rita’s” but confirmed the photos had been shared.

“We are not aware that they were shared publicly on social media or used in any way (other than being shared),” he said at the time.

Originally published as Nudgee College and St Rita’s College netball matches cancelled over ‘disgusting and degrading’ online video