One hundred and sixty games of rugby, 59 teams and countless memories -statistics say much about The Armidale School's Rugby Carnival, but it was team spirit rather than match points which awarded the Port Macquarie Manta Ray girls' under 14s the most coveted trophy at the largest rugby carnival of it's kind in Australia.
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Held in glorious autumnal conditions on April 13 and 14, the two-day festival of rugby enjoyed a record number of teams playing in under 12s 15-a-side and a girls 14s and 16s Sevens tournament.
"The TAS carnival is great to come to because you get to meet new players from a lot of different regions and develop your skills as a player and a team," Manta Rays team member Clancy Jade Townsend said.
"Everyone gets to play a lot of games - rugby can be a bit rough, but it's so much fun," she said.
The teams came from Dalby and the Sunshine Coast in the north to Canberra in the south, and Moree and Gunnedah across to the coast.
On the whistle were 33 young referees from Country NSW, Country Queensland and ACT rugby zones who also developed their skills under the eye of 20 coaching and support staff including referee developers from NSW Rugby.
"It's been an absolutely fantastic carnival and an overwhelming success for the way it represents what is best about grassroots rugby at this level," Huon Barrett, in his last year as carnival convener, said.
"TAS is immensely proud to host it, and it's a wonderful event for Armidale generally.
"But it wouldn't be possible with our extraordinary community and the parents, coaches, managers, and referees, without whom it wouldn't happen."
Division winners, determined by matches won across the weekend, were a mix of club and school teams:
Under 14s girls: 1 Merewether Carlton JRU 2 Sunshine Coast Grammar School Under 16s girls: 1 Merewether Carlton JRU 1 The Armidale School
Under 12s:
Div 6 1 Highland Goats Armidale 2 Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School ,Tweed Heads Div 5 1 Lismore JRU 2 Central Coast Grammar School, Gosford Div 4 1 Cranbrook School, Sydney 2 Peregian Saints, Qld
Div 3 1 St Patrick's College, Strathfield 2 Marist Brothers Canberra
Div 2 1 St Ignatius College, Sydney 2 Waverley College, Sydney
Div 1 St Joseph's College, Nudgee Brisbane 2 The Scots College, Sydney
