Sporting History


1964 Swimming Certificate John Cox
1965 Backstroke Swimming Certificate John Cox
1965 Swimming Certificate – John Cox

Amco Cup and Shield 1977

Amco Cup & Shield 1977 Program Page 1 –
Thanks to Mark Attwood (School Captain 1977) for dropping in this program from the 1977 AMCO cup final against Ashcroft High. Some familiar names on the draw on page 2 of the program.
Amco Cup & Shield 1977 Program Page 2

Commonwealth Bank Cup

1988 Commonwealth Bank Cup Win –
Thanks to Mathew Tucker who came across these articles in an an old Big League Mag from 1988 while cleaning out his garage.
1988 Commonwealth Bank Cup Team. When Schoolboy Rugby League meant something!
1988 Commonwealth Bank Cup Win Article –
Thanks to Mathew Tucker who came across these articles in an an old Big League Mag from 1988 while cleaning out his garage.

The Centenary of Schoolboy Rugby League

Crest – Celebrating the Centenary of School Boy Rugby League –
A schools Rugby League competition began in Sydney on 20 May, 1914, with matches being played at the Domain and Metters Sportsground, Erskineville. Nine schools took part including Parramatta Marist and Saint Mary’s Cathedral. 100 years later to the day this event was commemorated with a game being held between Parramatta Marist and St Mary’s Cathedral at Erskineville Oval which is adjacent to where the old Metters Sportsground once existed.

The result was Parramatta Marist winning against Cathedral, 18-4. Also two of the boys donated their commemorative jerseys for framing as part of the School’s history. 

Parramatta Advertiser commemorative cover – 100 Years of School Boy Rugby League

A schools competition began in Sydney on 20 May, 1914, with matches being played at the Domain and Metters Sportsground, Erskineville. Nine schools took part, eight of which were Catholic and one Anglican – St John’s Darlinghurst. These schools were:

St Benedict’s Broadway      St Joseph’s Newtown

St Patrick’s Church Hill        St John’s Darlinghurst

St Patrick’s Parramatta         St Mary’s Cathedral

Marist Parramatta         St James Forest Lodge

St Peter’s Surry Hills

It was originally a primary school competition but only St. Mary’s Cathedral, Parramatta Marist and St. James, Forest Lodge (which remains a primary school) still remain from the 9 teams that participated that day 100 years ago.

Article from the Parramatta Advertiser 28 May 2014 regarding the centenary game of school boys rugby league played by Parramatta Marist.

The event was recorded in The Daily Telegraph of 20 May, 1914:

“League football will enter upon an important stage of its career to-day. For the first time the 13-aside game will be played by a number of school teams. The competition has been launched after considerable beating down of prejudices, and even now, only denominational schools have taken up the code”

t was certainly a significant event for the schools in 1914. They were not the large well known colleges of the city but were small schools that predominantly served working class Catholics. Their participation in schoolboy rugby league, in the early years, became an important part of their struggle for acceptance within a sometimes hostile society.

Source: www.foxsportspulse.com – New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges

Rugby League Centenary – Parramatta Marist Team –
with Brother Pat on the left and on the right is Jeff Phillips (coach and old boy from 2003) and Tim Woodbine (sportsmaster)
Rugby League Centenary – Brother Pat being interviewed –
Beside Brother Pat while being interviewed is John Williams (ex-NRL, Old Boy Class of 2002 and current teacher); beside him is Justin Hollis (Class of 1995 and member of the Commonwealth Bank winning squad)

Rugby League Centenary – The teams being lead onto the field –
The teams being lead onto the field by Mr Charlie McGee (ex teacher, author and founder of the NSWCCC)

Rugby League Centenary – Old Boy spectators –
The Old Boy spectators are Colin Walsh and John Donnellan from the Class of 1955
Rugby League Centenary – completion of the game
Rugby League Centenary – Presentation
Rugby League Centenary – Grandstand

Ray Warren -& Rugby League at Parra Marist – Father of Chis Warren. Ray in known as the voice of rugby League.

As quoted in his biography The Voice: My Story by Ray Warren (with Andrew Webster), he writes:

Parramatta Marist Brothers had long been overlooked as a school for young talented kids from the country who were good at rugby league. Both the Parramatta and Canterbury clubs had been putting these kids into Fairfield Patrician Brothers. I made it clear to Denis Fitzgerald, the boss at Parra, that my sons’ school, Parramatta Marist, would love to be considered, too.

Fitzgerald made it happen, and suddenly we were hosting a kid from Nelson Bay.

By this time, I had met my second wife, Cher. We married in 1994 and have been together 29 years now. Cher and I took the boarder from the country in to stay for a week while the school found a permanent home for him. He ended up staying with us for about four months, while he helped the school try to win the premier schoolboys’ cup.”


Lavalla Bowling Club

For more information on the Bowling Club please go to the specific page on the Club by CLICKING HERE

The site of the former Club today


Parramatta Marist Rugby League 1966/7

The Old Boys Union had some old film reels digitised recently. Enjoy

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