A dominant display by The Armidale School’s top rugby side ensured it retained the Jim Levy First XV Challenge Shield against Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School on Friday, although the Tamworth hosts again claimed the overall honours to retain the Dick Hodgson Shield.
In a highlight of both schools’ co-curricular calendars, TAS and Farrer competed in chess, debating, shooting, tennis, basketball, hockey, football and rugby, with victories shared across the fixtures.
Chess opened the competition, with TAS winning four senior boards while Farrer claimed the junior boards. The results were reversed in debating, while Farrer also won both the senior and junior basketball contests.
At the Calibre Country indoor shooting range, Farrer edged out TAS 193 points to 188 in a closely fought encounter. Farrer also won the hockey match despite a tighter contest than the 5-0 scoreline suggested, along with all three football games and the First IV tennis fixture. The Second IV tennis match ended in a draw.
TAS enjoyed greater success on the rugby field, winning five of the eight matches played. The TAS Second XV recorded a solid 24-15 win before the First XV delivered a commanding 38-0 victory.
It marked TAS’s third successive pre-season win following victories against Central Coast Grammar School and Port Macquarie’s Hastings Valley Vikings.
The result provides strong momentum ahead of Saturday’s opening round of the AAGPS Third Grade rugby competition, when TAS hosts Sydney Boys’ High School.
Established in 2012, the competition features the First XVs from TAS, Sydney Boys’ High and Sydney Grammar competing against the Third XVs of The King’s School, Shore School, St Ignatius’ College Riverview, St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill and The Scots College.
“TAS and Farrer have a great tradition of friendly rivalry, and it was great to see that continue today with such good sportsmanship across so many fields of endeavours,” TAS Director of Co-Curricular Lachlan Fear said.
“We are grateful to Farrer for hosting us this year and it would be great for the inter-school fixtures to expand further in future years as Farrer becomes co-ed,” he said.
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