The Mackay State High School Rugby League Academy is a unique program and the very first of its kind in the Mackay District, with a full school focus in Queensland. One of the aims of the Academy is to provide training and playing opportunities for talented junior rugby league players. The opportunities provided for the students of this program over the last decade have been second to none and are continuing to expand. This program provides increased exposure for players, which in the past had been restricted. This exposure for our players has manifested itself at district, regional, state and even national representative level for many of our students.
This is a prestigious Academy and aims to bring together the very best players in our school region and attract talented young men from further afield as well. From the start of their Primary to Secondary transition ‘Academy boys’ are immersed in a program that strongly promotes school, team and individual work ethics, identity, and success aided by a nurturing and attentive support network.
The Academy is supported by Souths Mackay Rugby League Club, one of the most professional Rugby League Clubs in Regional Queensland. Souths Mackay views this program as an important component in the region’s overall rugby league structure. The Academy is linked directly to the NRL Club development programs, as well as the Australian Rugby League Foundation and the Queensland Rugby League. In this project, many at-risk and disengaged students are encouraged to develop across all curriculum areas through their common passion for Rugby League.
In Mackay, secondary schools have the opportunity to field their own teams in a local competition across several age groups from years 7 to 12 and for successful open teams to play on against schools from other regions in a national competition; the Arrive Alive Cup. Mackay SHS fields teams in the U/15 and open Super 8 competitions against other elite school teams from Central and North Queensland. Individually, students have the opportunity to represent Mackay, Capricornia, Queensland and Australian schoolboys in the Under 15 and Under 18 age groups.
In addition to the in-class rugby league program, students within the Academy will be eligible to participate in a variety of games, competitions, carnivals and tours including the following:
Division 1 Competition: This competition sees the strongest 15 Years and 18 Years teams in and around Mackay play off for the right to be known as the best team in the District.
Division 2 Competition: Regular fixture games are played against other schools in and around Mackay. The competition has 3 age divisions (Year 8, 15 Years and Under, and 18 Years and Under) with Mackay SHS nominating multiple teams in each division to give all students interested in rugby league the opportunity to participate.
North Queensland Cowboys Super 8’s Competition: An Under 15 and Under 18 competition played between the very best rugby league schools from Rockhampton to Cairns. In the Under 18 Division, the winners of this competition move onto the Arrive Alive Competition which is a nation-wide knockout competition
Brisbane / Gold Coast Tour: It provides an opportunity for our best Year 8 Academy players to compete against the very best schools in South-East Queensland including the likes of Palm Beach Currumbin SHS and Marsden SHS.
England Tour: The highlight of the Mackay SHS Academy program is the opportunity for our students to travel to England to experience what it is like to play rugby league in a totally foreign environment. Students are billeted with host families for a number of weeks enabling the boys to be totally immersed in a different culture. The tour first started in 2007 and now occurs every second year providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for our boys.
Within the academy structure, there is a very strong focus on developing young men of strong convictions who are valued members of society. Students participate in various extra-curricular activities that provide a foundation for improved social development. The Academy aims to develop confidence, discipline and improve on/off field performance in all members. Player conduct is strictly monitored throughout the year, as is other areas of school life such as attendance, performance and commitment to other subject areas, as well as participation in extra-curricular activities.
A detailed theoretical program has been developed to enhance student’s involvement in rugby league beyond that of a player only. Many of these topics have been linked to the current Health and Physical Education (H.P.E.) syllabus document which focusses on enhancing positive attitudes towards healthy lifestyles, nutrition and exercise, and also assists in the development of student skills and fitness needed for continued involvement in physical activity. The areas covered include:
Exercise Physiology
Sports Psychology
Coaching
Refereeing
Training Programs – Strength and Conditioning
Nutrition / Nutrition for Sports People
Injury Prevention / First Aid / Sports Trainer
Game analysis
Career development
Sports administration
To enhance the relevance of the above topics, Senior Academy students are involved in community activities to promote rugby league in and around the Mackay region. The boys will host a Rugby League Gala Day for all primary schools in the area and take the responsibility for all aspects from the initial organisation of all aspects of the carnival through to officiating and coaching on the day. They are also responsible for refereeing the local primary schools’ competition on a Wednesday afternoons and the 9 A-Side carnival, as well as assisting with the running of skill sessions in our “Come and Try” afternoon run in conjunction with the Australian Rugby League Development program for students of all playing abilities.
The Rugby League Academy, although relatively young, has a very strong tradition of success. We have had a number of players graduate to NRL, State of Origin and Test player status and are always striving to ensure we are providing the very best opportunities available to the current and future generations of rugby league players in the Mackay region so that they too can fulfil their potential and reach their goals.
Acceptance into the Mackay SHS Rugby League Academy will be based on 2 areas: 1) Playing ability and commitment to the ethos of the academy; and more importantly 2) school report comments on effort and behaviour with regards to all curriculum and extra-curricular activities.
Sport Academy Brochure (PDF, 2.64MB)
Sporting Academy Application (PDF, 1007KB)