The Armidale School (TAS) reclaimed the Jim Levy First XV Shield with a 22-17 win over Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School at TAS on Thursday (5 June), but the visitors won the majority of 17 fixtures in six sports to retain the coveted Dick Hodgson Shield for overall competition.
Since first being contested in 2011, the multi-sports competition has grown to this year incorporate clashes in chess, debating, football, hockey, rugby and shooting.
The hosts had a solid win over Farrer in the rifle shooting at the TAS small-bore range, with competitors having five sighters, then 10 shots to score in a deliberate format. However, Farrer had a clean sweep of chess, debating, football and an Opens hockey match.
The largest sport contested was rugby, with each school winning four apiece, TAS taking out both the Second and First XV clashes, the latter affording them the Jim Levy Shield last won by TAS in 2022.
The fixtures were given extra significance as the TAS Indigenous Round, with members of the first’s teams in netball, rugby, hockey and football wearing special jerseys and bibs specially designed by Anaiwan man Nick Levy. Prior to the Firsts match, TAS Indigenous Leader Emily Simpson delivered an Acknowledgement of Country, and a smoking ceremony was conducted by representatives of the local Newara Aboriginal Corporation.
“The two schools have a long history of friendly rivalry on the paddock, and it was wonderful to again welcome Farrer in competition in such a wide variety of sports,” TAS Director of Co curricular Lachlan Fear said.
The Dick Hodgson Shield is named after a former long-standing TAS sportmaster who was on hand to present the trophy to Farrer. The Jim Levy Shield, named after a former Deputy Principal of Farrer.
Alongside the Hodgson Shield fixtures, in a new initiative, girls from TAS, NEGS and PLC competed against each in hockey, netball and rugby Sevens in 11 games. Wins were shared around the schools, with the TAS 16s hockey players winning both their matches, the 15s netballers also taking two from two and TAS U16 and U18 girls’ rugby teams both defeating combined NEGS/PLC Barbarians teams.
“We thank all three schools for making the competitions possible and look forward to it continuing into the future,” Mr Fear said.
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