Tonight heralds the opening weekend of the winter sports season. As one of the oldest GPS schools, Newington fields a 1st and 2nd team across six winter sporting disciplines –Football, Rugby, Volleyball, Rifle shooting, Cross Country and AFL, which is part of the CIS competition. As students of all ages and sporting grades take to the fields, our Sports Captains contemplate the season ahead.  

Football Captain Dominic T 

Dominic T has no doubt of this season’s goal for the Newington 1st X1.  

‘To go back-to-back in the GPS with 1st and 2nds whilst competing and enjoying at a high level across all our age groups below,’ he says. 

Dominic started playing football at age four and for Newington when he started in Year 8.  

Known for his deft skills and leadership style, Dominic loves playing football at Newington because ‘it gives you an opportunity to travel interstate and overseas with your mates while doing what you love’. 

Acknowledging the importance of sporting participation, performance and pathways at Newington, Dominic says participation resonates strongly with him.   

‘Participation forms the foundation for the football program at Newington with everyone contributing to our overall success.’ 

AFL Captain Jack W 

Like his Football counterpart, Jack W is aiming high as AFL Captain.  

‘My goal for the 1sts this year is to win the ISC premiership, and for all the teams to buy into the mateship that each team provides and put their all into each training session and game.’

Jack began playing AFL for his local club at 10 and for Newington in Year 9. It’s a game after his own heart.  

‘What I love about AFL is the free-flowing nature of the game. With every play something new and different can happen, meaning you always must be completely focused on the game. It’s a great sport that is growing rapidly in popularity in NSW and it’s a great way to challenge yourself.’  

When it comes to helping inspire other AFL players, Jack says it is all about giving it your best.  

‘When you participate and try to perform at the best possible standard you can, that’s when you get the most out of yourself and have the most fun playing AFL.’ 

Rifle Shooting Captain Nolan P 

If there’s one thing Nolan P wants others to understand about the sport of rifle shooting, it’s the precision and practice required. 

‘I love the amount of care and discipline within the sport and I want others to know that it is really hard to get good at, along with the theory that goes into it.’  

Nolan started in Year 8 in small-bore precision. He moved to the large bore discipline the following year, and appreciates the discipline, dedication and perseverance this exacting sport requires.  

‘I’ve found that a lot of things we are taught are transferable to real life applications and competing introduces you to a whole new GPS connected community.’  

Looking ahead, Nolan says he wants to help others succeed and potentially bring some silverware home to Stanmore this season. 

‘My goal is to help assist other team members to win the GPS cups and secure as many spots as we can in the combined school team.’ 

Volleyball Captain Ethan L 

Ethan L has watched the volleyball program grow exponentially since he began playing in Year 9. While not as large as some of the other winter sports programs at the College, the supportive community the sport has built is something he relishes.  

‘By prioritising participation and building upon the really supportive and encouraging community it is, the sport has thrived and allowed me to thrive personally.’  

Ethan loves that volleyball is suited to his physical abilities of agility and jumping.  

‘My hope for Newington Volleyball 1sts and 2nds is for everyone to play to the best of their ability and in turn represent Newington volleyball as best we can.  

For the rest of our teams, our goal this season is to get everyone, regardless of age and experience, excited and ready to compete while having fun with some healthy competition against other schools,’ says Ethan. 

Cross Country Captain Kiran A 

Kiran A wants to set the record straight for those who don’t know much about Cross Country competition. 

‘The thing many people overlook is the team aspect of our sport,’ he says.  

‘Whilst running is individual, we train as a team and our placings in races go towards a team point score, creating a team environment.’ 

Kiran began running as a member of the cross country team in Year 11. As the 2026 captain, he is hoping to inspire greater overall performance.  

‘I would love for our Junior, Senior and Intermediate teams to be competitive against the top teams in the competition. 

‘To this end, participation is the most important part of sport at Newington because as a team, we support each other and really look forward to running and competing together.’  

Fencing Captain Dylan H 

Dylan H started fencing in Year 7, two years after he started at Newington, and it quickly became an important part of his College life.  

‘I love fencing because of how dynamic it is,’ he says. 

‘You need to react to your opponent within seconds or even milliseconds, sometimes to counter the moves they decide to make. You need to plan your attacks rapidly and execute them likewise.’ 

Because fencers compete in individual bouts, showing up for others has helped create a strong culture within the College sport. 

‘Participation is the key tenant in fencing, everyone showing up to the Fencing centre on a Saturday for sometimes five-plus hours to both complete their own bouts, and to stay behind to watch semifinals and finals,’ Dylan says. 

‘This year we are working to get our junior and intermediate fencers to build more confidence at competitions, and to host more inter-school Saturday competitions, similar to the Friendly competition we hosted last year.’ 

Newington AFL teams compete tonight against Cranbrook under lights at Bat and Ball Oval in Centennial Park. On Saturday we host Sydney Boys High and St Ignatius’ College Riverview for football and volleyball trial fixtures, while our rugby teams travel to Cranbrook for trial matches, and our cross country runners compete at Centennial Park in the Sydney Boys High Invitational.  

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