Congratulations on a hugely successful spring break to Newington College athletes Luca C, Captain of Rugby and Athletics 2024, and Year 11 student, Heamasi M.

Luca C and Heamasi M were named part of Rugby Australia’s Under 18 Development Squad in July and were later selected to play in the Australian School Boys team which toured New Zealand over the recent school holidays.

Australia U18, which consisted of players from NSW, Queensland and the ACT, travelled to New Zealand for the two-match tour where it first clashed horns with the NZ Barbarians U18s, defeating the side 57-47 in Hamilton. Four days later, the team pulled off a historic win against New Zealand Schoolboys 38-31 at Waikato Stadium, winning the Trans-Tasman Trophy against their Kiwi counterparts for the first time since 2019, under Australian coach Shannon Fraser.

Both Luca and Heamasi have played rugby for Newington College since beginning their school days here, developing their skills alongside their commitments to other co-curricular sporting sides such as the Athletics team. Recently, Luca was rewarded for his dedication to athletics, receiving a gold medal as Open Champion in the Shot Put at the 128th AAGPS Athletics Championships in September. Heamasi has also been a longtime member of Newington’s Athletics Team, and competed at the recent AAGPS Athletics meet too.

Mr Sam Irwin, Acting Head of Sport, says encouraging students to take part in the wide range of sports on offer at the College in their foundational years such as Luca and Heamasi have done, is core to Newington’s philosophy.

‘The wide range of co-curricular sports on offer at Newington – including everything from rugby to fencing to water polo to football – is fundamental to our belief that for many of our students to find their favourite sport, it is often necessary to try many,’ Mr Irwin says.

‘Ensuring our younger students are not siloed in one sport as soon as they begin at Newington but rather are exposed to all the sporting and coaching options we have on offer, not only ensures they get to see where their passions might develop as they move into their senior college years, but also ensures they are exposed to more diverse and wider friendship and peer groups than they might be otherwise.’

Mr Ben Herring, Director of Rugby, says all congratulations go to Luca C and Heamasi Mfor their recent selection and performance in the Australia U18 Schoolboy’s side.

‘It’s quite a feat to have two players representing Newington College in an Australian representative national side,’ says Mr Herring.

‘Our congratulations to Luca as he progresses with Australian Rugby, and to Heamasi for his recent signing with his long-time rugby league club, West Tigers.’