US Old Boys retain The Nick Farr-Jones Australian Independent Schools USA Foundation Touch Rugby Trophy!

A small but committed group of Old Boys and Parents (both current and future) gathered in Central Park NY recently before the biennial event that same evening. Ian Thomas (ON ’63), Chairman of the Foundation, proudly holds the ball used by our mighty First XV this year. The Foundation is a Newington initiative which now has 28 schools affiliated and provides donors with a tax deductible mechanism for donor support back to the school of their choice. Newington receives approximately $100,000 per year from US and Canadian donors. While not as serious a competition as the AAGPS, they were just as proud to secure the trophy for the second time since its inauguration in 2010.

Class of 1962—50 Year Reunion

The Class of 1962 (incorporating 1961 and 1963) enjoyed a wonderful day on Saturday 3 November for their 50 Year Reunion. The day kicked off with morning tea and a tour of the Chaplain Peter Swain Archives Exhibition Room and a tour of the College and the old Wyvern House, followed by lunch. The Reunion was well-attended by Old Boys and their partners; Mr Ian Thomas (ON ’63) flew in from Vancouver just for the occasion (see more on Ian in the AISUSA Touch Football article), as did Mr Raymond Lu (ON ’62) who flew in from Hong Kong.

There were many stories and a lot of reminiscing especially with Past Master, Mr Phil Davis in attendance. A special thank you goes to Dr Peter Cox (ON ’62) for coordinating this memorable event.

From the Archives: Our First Rugby Representatives

The recent selection of Ben Volavola (ON ’10) for the Waratahs squad of 2013, and of Mark Bannon (ON ’10) and Nathan Roye (ON ’11) for the Randwick Sevens squad in this year’s Singapore Sevens tournament, are the latest chapter in the long history of former Newington students in international and representative rugby; a history that also includes another Old Boy and our current Head of Sport, James Godfrey (ON ’93) who played for the Waratahs from 1996-97.

Nathan Roye had this to say upon his return. “Singapore was outstanding! Never have I played among such a diverse collection of teams from over 27 nations, each demonstrating a level of competition beyond any I have ever come across. Coming in third place and finishing as the top Australian team was merely icing on the cake and I can’t wait to hopefully go again next year!”

Newington’s first Waratah, however, is believed to have been John Cleeve, who was a student here in 1881 and 1882. The Australian Rugby Union’s records show him playing just one Test match for New South Wales, in 1884. The Jubilee Newingtonian of 1913 reports him winning representative caps for the colony against New Zealand in 1884 and Queensland in 1885. Playing as a halfback, he was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘…a decided acquisition [for the 1884 match against New Zealand], as he is a resolute and hard-working player.’ Closely following Cleeve into the Waratahs were Tom Carr and Percy Colquhoun, both first capped in 1886. Colquhoun played 33 Test matches over the following decade.

James Egan Moulton, Jr., the son of Newington’s founding headmaster, Rev Dr J E Moulton, has the double distinction of being the first Newingtonian to be selected for representative rugby while still at school and the first to play against England. He was selected to play for NSW during the first British rugby tour of ‘the southern colonies’ in 1888. The tour was a private venture, and the 53 matches are not regarded as official Tests, but it is regarded as the first British Lions overseas tour. Moulton was described in The Newingtonian of December 1888 as ‘the crack man’ of the College’s First Fifteen and ‘…[a] splendid drop kick; wonderfully fast and slippery runner; played half-back on the wing.’ He is credited with four representative caps between 1888 and 1892. He later served as Principal of Tupou College, in Tonga, which had been founded by his father in 1866.

We have no photographs of these early players. Our illustration shows the College’s First Fifteen in 1886, after Cleeve, Carr and Colquhoun, but before Moulton.

David Roberts
College Archivist