Sport

2025 GPS sports and activities selections – closing this weekend

A friendly reminder to all families: the 2025 GPS sports and activities selection portal link will be closing on Sunday 18 August at 6 pm.

Please note:

• Only parents have access to the portal link, and students’ GPS sports and activities selections must be submitted by parents.
• You can amend selections at any time prior to the closing date by logging back into the system.
• The Service and Cadets preference process is administered via the subject selection process.
• Music and the Creative and Performing Arts selection process is the same as the GPS sports and activities selections process.
• If parents haven’t already submitted, please discuss with your son/s over the weekend and finalise selections via the link below prior to Sunday 18 August at 6 pm.
• Please click on the relevant links below for access: myChurchie – 2025 GPS sport and activities selections

The livestream presentation video has been made available on myChurchie – 2025 Cocurricular Selections for those families who could not attend.

Please find below a summary timeline for the 2025 cocurricular selection process:

• Monday 29 July (Term 3, Week 4) – Cocurricular selection information evening (6 to 7 pm) with the selection portal live and available from 7:30 pm.
• Sunday 18 August (Term 3, Week 6) – Selection portal closed to all families at 6 pm.

After another exciting GPS round five weekend, we invite everyone to view the weekend’s results summary via myChurchie – GPS Sports and Activities.

Trent Goodrick
Head of Cocurricular

Basketball

The fifth round of the GPS competition was the chance for 37 of the 40 Churchie GPS teams to stay in contention for age group first-place finishes. The mission to mix positive results with the maintenance of high standards of gameplay was the challenge. The response by the Churchie basketballers was 34 wins and 0 losses in GPS like-for-like games. This is a first for the Churchie programme post-COVID and a great sign that the hard work by all coaches and players, as well as the support of their parents, is transferring to the court.

The results show a dominant day. However, the First V game was a challenging battle. The two teams were undefeated heading into the contest and the pre-season favourites for the GPS premiership. The game did not disappoint. For a great wrap-up by the coaching staff, visit the open team match reports for details. The First’s 90 to 87 win was the best home game finish in my time at Churchie Basketball. Thanks to everyone involved, including the Acting Head of Senior School for his half-time shooting prowess and the support of the boys last weekend.

This week we have the new system for nominating to play the Terms 4 and 1 season for Vikings Club Basketball. Please complete this by the deadline; more information is available on the Vikings page.

Good luck to all teams this weekend thank you in advance to all the volunteers from Years 7 and 8 mainly, who will jump on the BBQ and canteen before their games.

Aaron Harding
Director of Basketball

Chess

Round five saw Churchie hold its first ‘Prep Week,’ which gave 17 young men their GPS Chess debut for the year, 15 of whom were Prep School students. These students performed admirably against a strenuous Brisbane Boys’ College opposition, forming much of our Open F to K teams. Overall, we won seven teams, drew four lost three—our most significant participation round for the season. Special congratulations must go to players in our Premier, Senior, Junior and Open B teams, who all won their games.

Concurrently with our GPS games, we successfully hosted the ‘Second Chance’ tournament, which saw a thrilling competition among GPS students who sacrificed their team position for the Prep students. The tournament, which offered cash prizes, was a resounding success, with Aadit Arora, Alex Ko and Azaan Bansal emerging as the top three winners. We are thrilled to announce that this exciting tournament will return in our final home round against IGS next week, promising more intense battles and rewarding experiences.

This weekend marked a significant milestone as we witnessed the inaugural student-run FIDE Blitz Chess competition, expertly organised by Sravan Renjith IM, as part of his International Baccalaureate CAS(creativity, activity and service), one of the three core elements every student must complete as part of the Diploma Programme. CAS encourages students to engage in diverse activities throughout their studies, fostering personal and academic growth.

Sravan’s initiative is a prime example of what CAS aims to achieve. He meticulously designed and managed a nine-round FIDE-rated Chess tournament held in The Centenary Library on Saturday afternoon. The event was not only one of the most well-executed independent FIDE-rated tournaments in Queensland this year, but also attracted 33 participants from five different FIDE Federations, many of whom will now receive their first FIDE rating. The tournament drew participants from across the Brisbane area, competing for various prizes.

Sravan has donated the profits from the tournament’s entry fees to the mental health charity Beyond Blue, adding a layer of social impact to his already impressive endeavour. This event is a testament to Sravan’s leadership, organisational skills commitment to both the chess community and a greater cause.

We are gearing up for a crucial round this week as we travel to BSHS. This match is of significant importance to our Premier Team’s GPS title aspirations. We urge all our students to bring their A-game and perform their best. BSHS will not provide food, so we recommend that students bring some snacks with them to eat before their games. The bus will leave from the flagpole at 3:10 pm, and Prep students will be brought up from the Prep office at 3 pm. We look forward to your support and encourage all students to be picked up from BSHS upon the conclusion of their games.

Max Condon
Director of Chess

Rugby

Round five of the GPS Rugby competition saw Churchie take on Brisbane Boys’ College in our third home game of the season. The stage was set for some entertaining rugby, and both schools did not disappoint. Churchie, clearly the smaller team in most grades, toiled hard and was able to score some fantastic team tries right across the grades.

Overall, there were 19 games between the two schools, with Churchie winning 12 and losing 7. The day started well with the U11, U14 and Opens age groups all putting on some fantastic rugby, but just as BBC looked in trouble, they rallied towards the end of the day, winning both the 2nd and 1st XV fixtures.

First XV report

The Firsts game kicked off with Churchie showing early dominance, swiftly scoring three tries within the first 20 minutes. Caleb Godfrey was first on the scoreboard, followed by Max Blanch and Will Bloxham, giving Churchie a commanding 17-point lead. Their fast-paced, attacking play and precise execution set the tone early.

BBC, however, began to regroup and adapt. They capitalised on a few missed tackles and handling errors from Churchie, slowly clawing their way back into contention. BBC’s forwards took control, using their physicality to gain ground and apply consistent pressure on Churchie’s defence. This shift in momentum allowed BBC to score multiple tries, steadily narrowing the gap.

Churchie, despite their earlier lead, found it challenging to break through BBC’s increasingly solid defensive line. Fletcher Austin spearheaded several slick attacking moves, creating promising opportunities for Churchie, but BBC’s defence held firm and thwarted these attempts.

As the game progressed, BBC’s forward play started to pay off. Their ability to dominate the breakdowns and maintain possession was crucial in their comeback. By the final whistle, BBC had turned the tide, securing a 36–17 victory.

Special recognition goes to George Ward from Churchie, who delivered an outstanding performance despite the loss. His efforts in both defence and attack were noteworthy and exemplified his commitment and skill.

End of Season Presentation: Saturday 7 September in Morris Hall. More details to follow.

Andrew Moloney
Director of Rugby

Sporting achievements

Congratulations to the following students who have been successful in the following sporting pursuits.

Hockey

Riley Wondergem (Year 11) was selected for the Hockey Queensland (HQ) Academy team to attend the 2024 Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia from 3 to 9 November.

Trent Goodrick
Head of Cocurricular