Welcome to this quick review of 2009, a year in which School Rugby took some significant leaps forward. Some brief highlights of these were:

• A new 1st XV Head Coach from within the School (Kerry Eynon), with terrific rugby pedigree, great passion and quickly developed Mana, whom with his mgmt team, shaped a very young senior side to outstrip their original goals and come in 3rd in the 2nd Div.

• Our U15s tasted success in their Grading rounds and for the first time for a few years stepped up to Division 1. Again tribute to the coaching and mgt team and a dedicate core of players when, with numbers lacking, they competed admirably.

• The U14’s likewise blew their competition away in Grading to find themselves in Division 1. A series of close games saw them finish near the centre of this high quality draw.

• For the first time for many, many years the School sent a rugby team off shore, with a senior boy’s squad of 24 players attending the Southern Skies International tournament in Brisbane in July. This tremendous achievement can be attributable to concerted planning and coordination from the Club, with parents, team mgmt and the School’s strong support.

• More of our school leaver’s continue to participate and excel with most going on to play with our aligned club – Hamilton Marist. Talk to most people in the know in that Club and there response is extremely positive about the talent and dedication of the boys that come from Hillcrest – and we have plenty more of that coming through.

On the challenging side is the slip in player numbers this year, particularly evident in the senior ranks where we could not field a 2nd XV, but ran with an expanded 1sts squad. However we know this is due largely to small numbers in the current Yr 13 bracket and we trust with initiatives like the trip, a developing coaching strength and Strong Club coordination with the School this drain will be reversed.
 
Our Club prize giving held on the 10th September is again a focal point to celebrate the successes of the year and to thank the many involved including our TIC Craig Taylor, all the team Coaches and Mgmt and the Club committee.
 
Best wishes and roll on 2010!
 
Regards
Danny Farr