School Holiday Sporting Highlights

While the July holidays were a welcome break for many, some of our student-athletes continued working hard in their sporting commitments to achieve incredible success. 

RUGBY: SYDNEY TOUR
23 - 29 June

Over the 1st week of the holidays, our U15 boys, who were runners-up at the QLD Ballymore Cup championship earlier this year, travelled down to Sydney. This was the first time in five years that we made the journey down south, and the boys were excited for their adventures in Sydney. Departing in the early morning, the team excitedly completed the 10-hour bus ride down to Sydney Central where they would stay for the week. The off-field adventures included a scavenger hunt around the city, an arcade challenge, a harbour boat tour, swimming at the Marrinawi Cove overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a Coogee to Bondi walk and the regular evening walks to get ice cream and bubble tea. On the field, the boys loved running in the cold air of Sydney in preparation for their big game against one of Sydney’s top GPS schools, Newington College. We were supposed to play another game prior to this, but due to a timetable clash, we had to find an alternate option, getting a training run against Trinity Grammar School. They were very accommodating, giving insight to our boys about Sydney rugby, and our team was able to learn from their coaches. Onto the Newington game, our boys started slowly, conceding an early try before levelling the scores, once finding a bit of a rhythm. It was a seesaw game, with Newington applying scoreboard pressure, however, the King’s boys came home strong, leveling the scores with little time left and with all the momentum, it was a nailbiter of a finish.

NETBALL: NEW ZEALAND TOUR
25 - 30 June

Our netball team's recent tour to New Zealand in the school holidays was an unforgettable adventure filled with competitive netball games, elite training, and memorable off-court activities. The first games were held in Auckland against Saint Kentigern, Avondale College, Howick College, and EPSOM Girls College. These schools are all within the top 6 schools in New Zealand for netball, with Avondale being the reigning NZ champions. The New Zealand style of netball certainly presented a challenge, but our teams triumphed in all matches except for our hard-fought battles against Avondale. The camaraderie extended beyond the court, with each school graciously hosting our group for Kai. Our girls engaged in friendly dance battles and shared a Waiata, fostering connections and cultural exchange. One of the tour’s highlights was training with Elite Silver Fern, Tayla Earle. Tayla put our girls through an elite training experience that parallelled her training with the Northern Mystics and Silver Ferns. This session, combined with a fantastic day with Netfit, provided valuable insights into elite game analysis and the mindset of professional netballers.

The fun continued off the court with constant dance battles, team challenges, Pak 'N' Save splurges, and an Escape Room battle. A day trip to Rotorua was a standout, featuring the exhilarating rapids of Kaituna Cascades with white water rafting, followed by an exciting evening at the Skyline Luge. Not to mention our visit to Mt Smart where they watched the Warriors triumph over the Broncos. The support from family and friends, both in NZ and those watching the livestream on the King's Instagram, added to the joy and success of the trip. Our netballers returned home victorious, not just in games but in the experiences and friendships forged. Thank you to everyone who supported and cheered them on – this constant encouragement made their journey truly unforgettable.

GCI BASKETBALL
11 - 14 July

Back out on the court for the Gold Coast Invitational, in the lead-up to the State CBSQ tournament just around the corner. Congratulations to our Open Girls on claiming the Silver Medal and the Sophomore Boys taking home the bronze.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS NETBALL GALA
17 July

Our Primary School Netballers took on the Netball Queensland Gala Day at Mallawa Sports Complex. Our championship team finished in the top 4, while our development team just missed the top 4 playoffs after a draw in the pool rounds.