Rosalie Tribute Game – Event Recap
Good afternoon,
Good afternoon, and welcome to the Rosalie Tribute Game event recap. We were pleased to see familiar faces and some new ones gathered last Saturday on the 28th. March in The Cyprian Pavilion to commemorate the 14th occasion of the Rosalie Tribute Game with the Ashgrove 1st XV wearing the White Knight Jerseys in this rugby game.
Michael Harvey, President, Jim Griffith, Vice President, and the Committee members of the Marist Rosalie Old Boys’ Association Inc (MROBA), would like to extend our sincere thanks to all Rosalie Old Boys and their families who attended the Rosalie Tribute game yesterday. It was particularly gratifying to see this turnout from Old Boys who responded to our call for support, especially when attendance numbers initially appeared low.
Marist College Ashgrove
A sincere thank you also to Mr. Michael Newman, Head of College, Ashgrove who spent much of the afternoon with us. Michael gave us a very good talk on the history of both Rosalie and Ashgrove not only to our Old Boys but also the 1st XV team as well. His knowledge of the history was excellent, especially the talk on the history of the Cerise and Blue Colours, not only at Rosalie, but in other schools around Australia.
A special thanks must go to Michael O’Connor, President of The Ashgrove Marist College Old Boys, Bethany Halpin, Jen McNamara from The Events team and of course Richard Graham and the 1st. XV Team who played brilliantly.
We owe much to Ashgrove who helped us back in 2017 when we were in the early days of rejuvenating the MROBA. The Ashgrove community and Old Boys helped us find missing Old Boys because we had only scant record after our school had closed down. At that time many of our past students had either children or grandchildren attending Ashgrove.
Michael and his team have also given us great technical support with our website and in many other ways, whether it be through events or other forms of management.
While Rosalie and Ashgrove were fierce opponents in the past, mainly on the sporting field, we have to acknowledge their superior skills in Rugby. However, we can hold our heads high, and when it came to cricket, we had the edge.
Engagement of Younger Alumni
We have been making ongoing efforts to encourage younger alumni to participate in our events. We were delighted to welcome those from the 1980s and several from the 1990s alumni, who answered our invitation and contributed to the day’s success.
Inclusion of Family Members
It was also wonderful to see a couple of young ladies, partners and one daughter-in-law of a past alumni, among the attendees. In the past, wives and partners were not always included in Old Boys’ events. However, the MROBA recognises that family members are an essential part of the broader Rosalie Marist community, just as they are in any family.
Prior to the match, the Rosalie White Knight Jerseys were presented to the Ashgrove team in The Cyprian Pavilion. We will be sharing photos from the presentation and other moments from the day on The Rosalie Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/rosalieoldboys. These photos will also be available on our website at www.rosalieoldboys.com.au in the coming weeks.
Main Event – Rugby Match Recap
The highlight of the day was the rugby match between Marist Ashgrove 1st XV and St. Peter’s Lutheran College. Marist Ashgrove emerged as convincing victors, but St. Peter’s Boys played admirably and can be proud of their efforts. It is worth noting that St. Peter’s only joined the AIC competition in 2024 and are currently focused on building their team.
Looking back, in the 1960s when Marist Rosalie was still an active school, Ashgrove, St. Peter’s, and “Rosa” all competed in the TAS competition. St. Peter’s had a formidable side, with outstanding players such as Mark Harris. Mark went on to enjoy a stellar Rugby League career, securing a premiership with the Sydney Roosters in 1974 and representing Australia in World Cup and Test Matches from 1970 to 1977, as well as playing 11 matches for NSW between 1970 and 1978.
