After the inaugural Australian Women’s Rugby 7’s Team won the first Olympic Gold Medal offered for this sport in 2016, I was approached by a group of Year 9 girls who wanted me to coach them in Rugby 7’s. This group went on to play Rugby 7’s for the College until their graduation in 2020. The following year in 2017, I was involved with introducing Year 6 students to the game during several after school coaching clinics. The same group of girls began their journey in Rugby 7’s playing in the South-West Series, Downs Rugby Competition at Gold Park in Term 4, 2018. I recall this very first game where our team comprised of Year 7/8 girls vs Downlands College. A big storm swept through just as the game began and we all were thoroughly drenched. This did not dampen their spirits and we went on for the rest of this season with a really good show in the competition.

I never would have imagined that this young team of Year 7 girls would go on to be one of the longest coaching appointments that I have ever experienced. This year, these girls will graduate Year 12, and we will play our final games in the Darling Downs Independent Schools Girls Rugby Competition. This gives me time to reflect on the 7 years of coaching this young team, not just for the players, but also for myself. I have joked with the team this year that other than my teaching job at OLSCC over the past 10 years, this coaching gig has been the second longest job I have held.

It has been loads of fun, very rewarding and amongst this, we have experienced some excellent success at the Southwest Sevens, QIS, and Scots College Carnivals. I would like to thank all the parents and grandparents who have attended these tournaments over the last 6 years. It has been encouraging to have your support, but mostly, I would like to thank the players for being highly motivated, great sports and a very coach-able group of young people. As we will play our last two games in Week 7 at Downlands against Scots College and Downlands College, it will most likely be in front of very few spectators and very little fanfare. I would like all the girls to recall all their great successes and the example they have set for all the younger girls who now play because of their excellent standards of grace, humility, encouragement and success as a Rugby 7’s team.

Dean Garside

2013 - Under 13's first game - Gold Park

2022 - Open team's last game - Toowoomba Anglican School

2023 - Open team's second last game - Downlands