Marymount College are entering the rarified air of a rugby league dynasty after winning their third consecutive title in the Year 11/12 grand final of the Titans Cup.
After 10 weeks of high-quality Gold Coast schoolboy rugby league, the grand finals at Mudgeeraba’s Firth Park decided the champions in each of the six divisions, with Marymount taking titles in the Year 11/12 Cup and the Year 9/10 Shield.
Marymount First XIII coach Jason Hamilton said the dual titles were a fantastic result for the school’s rugby league program, but – like the Titans with the RAPT values of being Resilient, Accountable, Proud and Trustworthy – the focus was on creating quality people as much as quality teams.
“It was a really good result for us. We are a school that concentrates really hard on academic performance,” he said.
“I know it is a bit of a cliché and something that you see in the movies and things like that, but it is something that we take very seriously.
“For our guys, performing well in class and around the school is the most important thing. If they don’t do those things, then they don’t get to train. If you don’t train, you don’t play.
“Our goal as a school is to turn out quality men, husbands, fathers and co-workers. If we are able to win a few games of footy along the way, then that is a win-win.
“So for us to walk away with trophies in the Year 11/12 competition and the Year 9/10 Shield as well was a tremendous result for our school.”
The Titans Schools Boys Competition and the schoolgirls’ Karyn Murphy Cup competitions enjoyed their biggest year to date, with more than 50 teams from around the region competing, making it the second-largest schools rugby league competition in the country.
Hamilton said the Titans Cup was a great way of getting more local juniors involved in formal competition.
“The Titans Cup competition is a good one for us, because it allows us to play some good quality football in our own backyard,” he said. “That means we don’t have to worry about late nights and travel times impacting on their academic performance or making them late for school the next day.
“The Titans Cup is great at getting more schools and more players involved in rugby league.”
In the other Schoolboys finals, St Francis defeated Coombabah B 38-14 in the Year 7/8 Bowl; Stretton defeated Coombabah 22-18 in the Year 7/8 Challenge; Robina defeated St Michael’s 26-6 in the Year 9/10 Plate; while Chisholm defeated Keebra 26-12 in the Year 11/12 Trophy.