Sport
At Christ Church, sport is an integral part of our holistic educational program. Boys participate in regular training and weekly competition in a summer and winter sport of their choice. Christ Church boys train with highly regarded coaches including Olympians, national and international players. The School’s outstanding sporting facilities include a gymnasium complex, naturally heated 50m pool, FINA standard Water Polo pool and extensive playing fields. International and national tours are also offered for many sports.
Christ Church is one of the seven independent boys’ schools forming the Public Schools’ Association (PSA) of Western Australia, who compete throughout the year.
The range of sports on offer include:
| Badminton Basketball Cricket Cross Country Football Hockey Rowing |
Rugby Sailing Soccer Surfing Swimming Tennis Water Polo |
Boys are required to participate in regular training and organised weekly fixtures in the summer and winter sport of their choice. Generally, Years 7, 8 and 9 boys train after school on a Wednesday and play against other schools each Friday afternoon (during school time), while Years 10, 11 and 12 boys train after school on Tuesday and Thursday and play against other schools every Saturday morning.
View Christ Church Grammar School’s PSA Premiership records here.
Visit the School’s Sport page for more information.
Badminton
Badminton was first played by PSA schools in 1998 and became an official PSA sport in 2002. It is offered to boys in all year groups, although there is only official competition for senior teams. Fixtures for Year 7 to 9, teams are still organised with other PSA schools who have teams. Christ Church has won the competition for the past two years.
Badminton is played during Terms 2 and 3 and boys play in teams of six. Training is in the School’s Gymnasium Precinct and competition is at Christ Church and other school venues for the Brother Kelly Cup.
The boys are coached by Nick Kidd, who has represented both the UK and Australia in the Commonwealth Games and in 2010, was Australia’s number one-ranked player.
Badminton is taught as part of the Year 12 Physical Education curriculum with some boys opting to play competitively in the PSA competition.
Basketball
Christ Church has been part of the PSA basketball competition since 1967.
Basketball is played during Terms 1 and 4. Boys train at the Christ Church Gymnasium Precinct, the Bendat Centre and compete home and away at school venues as well as the Bendat Centre.
In basketball, boys move from learning the basic skills of the game in the younger years through to executing them in game situations in the middle years. Senior teams train and play competitively in the Blackwood Cup.
Our coaches include current and former State Basketball League players including Brad Armstrong, who also runs a successfully coaching academy based at the school.
Cricket
Christ Church has a proud tradition of playing cricket, regularly finishing among the top three schools in the Darlot Cup, winning the competition most recently in 2017.
Boys train at Christ Church and play matches at the School’s Mt Claremont playing fields.
Christ Church’s Director of Cricket is Graeme Wood, the acclaimed former Australian cricketer and the former coach of the Australian and South African national cricket teams. Graeme also runs a cricket academy, which is based at Christ Church.
Old boy Ashton Turner (Class of 2010), who made his first-class debut for Australia in 2013 and plays for the Perth Scorchers and Western Warriors, also is on hand to assist players.
Tours to eastern state capitals and overseas to England and Sri Lanka are regular features of the program.
Cross Country
While Cross Country is an individual sport, the PSA competition requires a team effort with the 1st XV team’s score being the total sum of the individual finish positions of the first 15 of each team. The lower score wins and students who run ahead of the opposition’s top 15 runners can essentially increase the opposition’s score contributing to the victory.
Christ Church has enjoyed recent success in the sport, winning the competition back to back in 2017 and 2018 and again in 2022 and 2023.
Students compete during Terms 2 and 3 at various school venues and central locations around Perth including Kings Park and the South Perth foreshore. Boys train on campus as well as reserves in Nedlands and Mt Claremont.
Weekly fixtures are run over two to 5km distances for junior events on Friday (Years 7 to 9) and 3 to 8km for senior events on Saturday (Years 10 to 12). Any junior boy (Years 7 to 9) are more than welcome to run with the Senior 1st XV, regardless of the junior sport they play. i.e. a Year 7 boy can play Football or Soccer on a Friday afternoon and then attend on Saturday to help the Cross Country squad win the race. The season also includes three and five-man relays, which are hosted by each PSA School.
Students compete for the Moyes Trophy, named after former Christ Church Headmaster Peter Moyes (1951 to 1981), who had a special interest in long-distance running and trained the students for many years.
If you have any questions about Cross Country, please contact Teacher in Charge of Cross Country Mr Jacob Marai at jmarai@ccgs.wa.edu.au.
Football
In football, there is a great emphasis on skill development across the year groups as boys. Learning to play for the team, competing with effort and supporting each other at all times is crucial as we strive collectively to be successful.
Football is played during Terms 2 and 3. Boys train and play at Mt Claremont Playing Fields with away fixtures at other school venues. The First XVIII competes in the Alcock Cup competition.
Christ Church has a highly experienced and passionate team of coaches including Dec Cormack, Mark Stone, Will Michell, Ben Caputi, Alex Witherden and Brad Gardner.
Preseason for the 1st XVIII runs every year in the April school holidays. Football is also played in the annual House Winter Sports Carnival where boys from Years 7 to 12 have a chance to compete for their house
Hockey
Since joining the PSA in 1957, Christ Church has built a strong presence in the PSA hockey competition and since 2000, has finished among the top three schools regularly, including winning on five occasion, most recently in 2022.
The Firsts competition is known as the Ray House Cup, named after the former Deputy Headmaster of Christ Church. During the season, the First XI competes in two rounds against Hale School in the historic and fiercely fought Tregonning Cup. All senior home matches are played on turf at the UWA facility next to our St John’s Wood playing fields, with the majority of home and away matches now on turf.
The Head Coach of the First XI is Brendan Noble, who has represented Wales. Over the years, the School has developed ties with interstate and international schools and offers a biennial pre-season tour.
Senior boys are encouraged to umpire junior boys during the season and the School offers an umpiring course for boys in Year 11 as well as a biennial pre-season tour to Melbourne.
Rugby
Rugby at Christ Church has a long and proud history. Former staff member Courtney Stoate introduced the sport to the School in the 1950s.
Rugby is played in Terms 2 and 3 with training and fixtures held at the School’s St John’s Wood playing fields. The First XV competes for the Brother Redmond Cup in the PSA competition.
Boys are led by experienced, committed and passionate coaches with opportunities in the past including one-on-one training sessions with national league coaches, playing in Super League curtain-raisers and international tours.
Rugby is also played in the annual House Winter Sports Carnival where boys from Years 7 to 12 have a chance to compete for their House.
Sailing
Christ Church is WA’s most successful sailing school having won the WA Schools Teams Racing Championships 20 times since 1992 and the national championships three times.
The program runs out of Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, all year round, with boys of all ages and abilities taking part in competitive and recreational sailing. Boys develop their skills through teamwork, initiative and leadership opportunities in solo and two-person dinghy sailing as well as group yachting.
Christ Church sailors follow in a proud tradition of highly successful old boys – some among the world’s best sailors representing teams in a variety of competitions including the America’s Cup.
Sam Gilmour (Class of 2010), was a member of the last Christ Church team to win the national championships in 2010 and is going from strength to strength in the international match racing circuit.
Soccer
In 2011, the First XI became the first team to win a PSA Soccer Premiership for Christ Church since the sport was introduced to the competition in 1986. Since then, Christ Church has retained its momentum in the sport, winning a further 3 premierships.
Soccer is played during Terms 2 and 3 with training and fixtures at our St John’s Wood playing fields and away games at other school venues. Firsts compete for the Lawe Davies Cup.
Former Perth Glory player Mark Lee, who coached the boys to the School’s historic first premiership, is Head Coach of the Firsts side. Mark made his professional debut at 16 in the UK for Scarborough before moving to Scottish club Hibernian. In 2005, he was named the WA State League’s Player of the Year.
Soccer is also played in the annual House Winter Sports Carnival where boys from Years 7 to 12 have a chance to compete for their House.
Surfing
Surfing at Christ Church is a competition-based sport with no training. Boys take part in intra-school and external competitions in surfing, body boarding and longboarding during Terms 2 and 3.
Surfing was introduced as a PSA sport in 1998. Since then, Christ Church has become one of the dominant forces in the event winning the Sirocco Shield six times, including a hat trick from 2010 to 2012. Boys also compete in the WA Schools’ Surfing Titles and have enjoyed success in metropolitan division and finals.
Years 7 to 12 boys compete in an intra-school competition to determine teams for the external events. Competitions are held at various beaches across Perth including Trigg, Scarborough and Cottesloe.
Tennis
Christ Church has been part of the PSA tennis competition since 1963 and has won the 1st VIII competition 13 times with the most recent win in 2020.
In tennis, played during Terms 1 and 4, the First VIII competes for the Corr Cup. Boys train at Cottesloe Tennis Club with Matches also played there, or Dalkeith Tennis Club and away fixtures at other school venues. With a large number of boys choosing this sport, the school can cater for all ability levels and offers coaching for beginners to the most experienced.
The First VIII squad is currently coached by former world number 8 ranked player Alicia Molik.
Volleyball
Volleyball was first played by PSA schools in 1990s and became an official PSA sport in 2000. It is offered to boys in all year levels.
Volleyball is played during Terms 1 and 4. Training is in the School’s Gymnasium precinct and the Bendat Centre. The competition runs at Christ Church and other school venues for the Brother Carrigg Shield.
The boys are coached by staff and outside coaches with extensive experience in community volleyball. This is an emerging sport at Christ Church and boys are encouraged and developed according to their standard.