Ryde’s Holy Cross College has become the first school in Australia to produce Australian representatives of four different football codes in one season.
Students have made the national team in soccer, rugby league, touch football and rugby union making their mark on the sporting world in 2018.
And if that wasn’t enough, another student has worn the green and gold in BMX taking out the Australian 2018 National Series for the 15-16 Cruiser Boys division.
Holy Cross principal Phillip Stewart said the College was immensely proud of the achievements of all of their young men in their particular pursuits.
“Our football achievements are incredible, I am not aware of this happening anywhere else before and certainly this is a first for our College, not to mention our BMX rider who is outstanding,” he said.
“To have four young men represent their country across four different codes of football is a remarkable achievement of which our school community is extremely proud.
“This is the first time for quite a while that we have had a National representative for football, and our football program is developing at a rapid rate. It is a very exciting time for our young men.”
Christian Cirino will represent the Australian Schoolboys soccer team on a tour of England, Ireland and Wales during January 2019.
Jordan Hill scored 28 tries for the U18 Australian Touch Football team, helping them to win the championship in Malaysia against New Zealand.
Beni Teaupa was selected for the Australian Schoolboys Rugby League team which is touring England and France this month. His selection comes after a strong performance for the NSW Catholic College’s team at the National Schoolboys Championships.
Joshua Rizk has been selected into the Australian Sevens Rugby squad after a string of stellar performances throughout the year. He represented Balmain in the NSWRL U18 S.G. Ball Cup and was also named in the Australian Barbarians Rugby Schoolboys squad.
BMX rider Sam Thompson won the 2018 National Series for the 15-16 Cruiser Boys after dominating four separate events in his age class in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. He did this from four events out of seven to clinch the title.
Soccer star Christian Cirino said playing for his country has been the absolute highlight of his sporting career and a huge thill for both himself and his family.
He said competing at such an elite level is something he could have only ever dreamed of and now hopes to make a career out of the sport and play professionally.
“To represent my country is an unreal feeling that I will cherish forever,” he said.
“Not many people can say they have represented their country in sport so it’s a big achievement for me and for my family.
’’I started playing soccer when I was just six so have been playing soccer pretty much my whole life, I love everything about it including meeting new people along the way. I always strive to do my absolute best and have enjoyed every minute of it so far.”
Sports Coordinator Timothy White said there was no secret to the school’s sporting success, it simply comes down to “discipline, a supportive and hard-working culture along with celebration of our successes”.
Although interestingly, he said despite their achievements, sport is one of the more limited avenues for success at the school.
“Our Co-Curricular program is the most successful in the district as well as the diocese because of the focus to make every boy successful at whatever they do,” he said.
“However, our focus is the classroom first and foremost. At Holy Cross the students get access to all different avenues to succeed not just sport, in fact sport is the most limited.”
Some of the school’s alumni of sporting greats include Olympic runner Darren Clarke, Olympic rower Jim Stride, Western Sydney Wanderers Coach Arthur Diles, Dally M Halfback of the Year 2018 Luke Brooks and NSW State of Origin and Australian Test Rugby League Player Aaron Woods.
