SMUS Australia Tour
The SMUS Senior Girls Soccer and Senior Boys Rugby teams spent a good portion of their spring break in the Land Down Under, embarking on a joint tour of Australia.
Below are recaps from each of the teams about their trips:
Rugby
The Senior Boys Rugby team, along with three intrepid Grade 10 players, enjoyed a very successful tour. Starting in Brisbane, they played a formidable Brisbane Grammar School side at the iconic Ballymore field in withering sunshine and high humidity. The host team was superior in many respects and set the bar high for the remainder of the tour, posting a 32-0 victory over the visiting Blue Jags.
From there, it was on to Surfers Paradise, where the SMUS team was hosted by Somerset College for two nights of billeting and a very entertaining match. The score seesawed throughout the game, but the Blue Jags earned a well-deserved first victory on Australian soil, beating the Spartans 37-19.
Next up for the team was Sydney – with some waterslides, koalas, kangaroos, and plenty of Tim Tams along the way – to face Arndell Anglican College, which was hosting a touring side for the first time in the school’s history.
A very narrow field played into the hands of the hosts, who prefer a rugby league style of play in contrast to the more expansive, fast-paced style of SMUS. Unfortunately, the game was called early following a serious injury to starting SMUS fly-half Liam Whiteside during a try-saving tackle. The Blue Jags had the score tied at 12-12 when the final whistle blew.
The final tour game came against William Clarke College – a team that SMUS visited in 2018 during a similar tour – and it proved the old adage: Always save the best for last. Now acclimatized to the heat and humidity, the Blue Jags played an electric game of rugby that saw both sides exchanging tries in a fast-paced, physical contest.
The Blue Jags’ physicality and size began to pay off late in the match as they surged ahead, only for William Clarke to claw its way back with a try in the final moments. Thankfully for SMUS, the whistle blew and a second tour victory – this time by a 52-47 margin – was the just reward for an afternoon of hard work in front of a large William Clarke crowd. Another two nights of billeting provided a wonderful conclusion to the trip.
“With two wins from four games, the boys can be very pleased with their results,” said SMUS Coach Clayton Daum. “The coaches are excited by the significant gains made in confidence, skill, and tactical understanding. There is no doubt that, now bloodied and bruised, the Senior Boys team is ready for anything the Canadian teams can throw at them.”
The SMUS Senior Boys will travel to Brentwood College this Thursday for what Daum described to as a “must-win match with significant implications for the AAA standings.” Thursday’s Senior game begins at Brentwood at 4:45 pm and will be preceded by a Junior game between the two schools at 3:30 pm.
Senior Girls Soccer
SMUS Senior Girls Soccer Coach Jackie Cunningham said her team was “absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to represent SMUS on our first-ever Girls Soccer tour to Australia.”
Australia is now a hotbed for female soccer after the Australian Women’s National team hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2023. A rejuvenated women’s professional A-League is throwing open the doors for many talented youth players and driving a record-breaking surge in female registration in that country.
After just 24 hours on the ground, the Blue Jags faced a huge challenge in their first match against Kelvin Grove State College, a powerhouse program featuring multiple Junior Matildas and a six-year championship streak.
The game was played in hot, humid conditions. An early mistake gave the hosts a 1–0 lead, but the Jags responded with composure. Ellie McQueen, returning from injury, equalized moments after stepping on the field, finishing a cross from Clara Pressello. Fiona Davison then volleyed home a superb strike to give SMUS a deserved 2–1 halftime lead.
The second half proved more challenging, as Kelvin Grove’s depth and the mounting heat shifted momentum. Despite strong goalkeeping from Indigo Edgington, four unanswered goals saw the match finish 5–2 in the host team’s favour.
The Blue Jags rebounded strongly in their next match against Somerset College, controlling play early and opening the scoring through Davison off a Crystal Cai assist. Sustained pressure led to a second goal from Davison, giving SMUS a 2–1 halftime lead. However, a resilient Spartan side fought back, eventually securing a late winner despite the Jags’ continued push. Despite the 3-2 loss, it was a marked improvement for the Blue Jags, highlighted by strong performances from Manon Denux, Davison, and a steadily solidifying back line.
In difficult, marshy conditions against Arndell in Western Sydney, the Jags again showed resilience. Trailing 1–0 at halftime, they adjusted well, with Cai setting up Denux for a composed finish. A precise through ball from Davison later found Pressello to give SMUS the lead, but a late defensive lapse allowed Arndell to equalize and the game finished in a 2-2 draw.
Facing William Clarke, a team stacked with NPL-level talent (the pathway to the Australian national team), the Jags met the challenge head-on. After conceding early, they responded through Davison, who continued her outstanding form with another goal before halftime. Pressello and Davison combined again in the second half to keep the game close, but the heat and quality of the opposition proved decisive. William Clarke pulled away for a 5-2 win, though the Jags competed relentlessly to the final whistle. Denux and Davison earned Player of the Game honours, with strong support from Molly Pollock, Saanvi Katireddy, and Edgington in goal.
“Beyond the results, the tour was about far more than soccer,” Cunningham said. “It has challenged the girls to step outside their comfort zones, deepen their bonds as teammates, and grow through shared adversity – an experience as rewarding as it is unforgettable.”
The Senior Girls return to Lower Island Division 1 league action this week with a pair of road games – Tuesday at Royal Bay and Thursday vs. Spectrum at Layritz Turf.
Track and Field
Despite a torrential downpour and students still being on Spring Break, the SMUS Track and Field team had a great showing in the first meet of the Lower Island league season last Wednesday at UVic.
Highlights included Will Hamilton placing first in the Junior Boys 300-metre hurdles; Declan Ross, second in Junior Boys long jump; Kevin Yin, third in Senior Boys long jump; and Caitlyn Chen, third in Senior Girls long jump.
Other SMUS finishes included Piper Geddes and Yingshan Bai, who placed fourth and ninth, respectively, in Junior Girls shot put; Natalie DiFelice-Oinonen, sixth in the Junior Girls 800 metres; and Adam Zilber, sixth in the Senior Boys 200 metres.
The next Lower Island meet goes this Wednesday at UVic, starting at 4 pm.
