THE hosts retained the Guy Levy Challenge Shield after The Armidale School defeated Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School 21-7 in a spirited headline First XV match at TAS on Friday (23 July), but the Tamworth visitors won nine of 16 fixtures contested in six sports, hanging on to the Dick Hodgson Shield for another year.
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With snow forecast forcing the fixture to be postponed last term, both schools were keen for the competition to take place particularly when tightening coronavirus restrictions have put a cloud over inter-school sport. COVID-19 wasn't the only cloud though, with rain washing out the two tennis fixtures and providing soft and challenging conditions for football and rugby.
Farrer took the first fixture of the day with a strong win in the Year 9/10 basketball, before action moved to the Meadowfield small bore rifle range, where the hosts had the upper hand against the Farrer shooters, more used to clay targets. TAS won five of eight chess boards but the debating was split, the Farrer senior team taking the honours whilst TAS won a Year 9 clash.
In the football the TAS Opens netted four goals to Farrer's two, but the visitors took the wins in the 14s (5-1) and 16s (2-0) matches.
On the rugby park, Farrer triumphed in the 13A (12-10), 14A (7-3), 16C (28-7), 16B (17-7) and 16A (46-0) fixtures. However the hosts turned the tables in the Second XV game winning 8-0 in a tightly-contested encounter that was nil-all at the break, and put up a solid show to rack up 21 points to Farrer's seven, in the First XV head to head.
"The Dick Hodgson Shield fixtures are highly anticipated by both schools each year, and it's wonderful that when so much else is being restricted, the friendly long-term rivalry between TAS and Farrer were able to be played out," Director of Co-curricular Huon Barrett said.
"We thank them for travelling to us this year and look forward to our visit to Farrer in 2022."