![The Albies first grade team will face the Blues. The Albies first grade team will face the Blues.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/T7RGn6Wqupu9DPpBgesVjF/80a5ef5e-4929-46aa-8cc3-c29209e4b30a.JPG/r30_231_4151_2513_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
One club featuring in four grades' worth of grand finals is no easy feat, especially while vying for back-to-back titles after a clean sweep in the previous season.
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But that's what St Albert's College is faced with when they take the field in the women's 10s, men's first, second and third grades in the New England Rugby Union grand finals this Saturday.
Club president and women's coach Hugh McCormack said there is a nervous energy in the air among the walls of the college this week.
"There is a bit of a pressure, it is only natural in a sense," he said.
"If you are not feeling a bit of pressure and nerves when it comes to the pointy end of the season then there is something wrong with where your head is at really.
"The atmosphere around college is tense, you can cut the air with a knife.
"Everyone is nervous, everyone is pretty quiet."
McCormack's women's side will face the team they beat in last year's grand final, the Barbets.
The Albies women clinched a 32-29 win over them two weeks ago in the major semi-final.
"The girls just managed to pull something out of nothing," McCormack said.
![The Albies women are set for a huge game against the Barbets. The Albies women are set for a huge game against the Barbets.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/T7RGn6Wqupu9DPpBgesVjF/7b0f2b89-e7eb-4541-9c07-aefec7ef429e.JPG/r0_0_6000_3387_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It was just an unreal game, it was physical, it was quick, it had all the components of a high standard of gameplay."
McCormack believes it will be similar again this Saturday.
"The Barbets are really going to put it to us," he said.
"Skye Gordon-Briggs is outstanding with the mind game, getting in the heads of the young Albies girls and scaring the living daylights out of them.
"It will be unreal to watch that game."
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The first grade game will see Albies take on the Armidale Blues who came from third to qualify for the decider.
"They dominated around the outside," McCormack said of the Blues' win over the Barbarians in the preliminary final.
"It is going to be a really good match up.
"And that Blues underdog story coming from third into [the grand final], I know it is a bit of a cliché but it does give you a bit of pep in your step.
"They have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
In 2022 the Albies second grade team went through undefeated.
This year has been a little different with losses to both their coming opponents Glen Innes as well as Tamworth.
McCormack predicted the match up between the students and the Elks could be the game of the day.
"With second grade, a couple of losses coming off last year's undefeated season has been a a reality check for the players," he said.
"They were a bit complacent coming into the season, thinking they would have an easy walk in the park but it was great to see they got put back into their place and brought back down to earth."
The standard of the third grade competition has lifted in 2023 and Albies will play Tamworth in the opening match of the day.
McCormack is again expecting an entertaining clash.
"It is good fun to have some highly competitive games, sometimes tensions run a bit high but, at the end of the day, it is good to get a few of these younger fellas into opens rugby," he said.
No matter the outcome on the scoreboard, the sport itself is set to be the winner with four huge games.
"Realistically I think all of them are going to be outstanding games of finals rugby and hopefully keep people on the edge of their seats," McCormack said.
"I think it is great having a good distribution of clubs playing against Albies.
"Each team is going to bring their own supporters and if everyone sticks around for first grade it will be Albies against the world, almost."
Schedule of events:
10.40am: Third grade - Albies v Tamworth
12.10pm: Second grade - Albies v Glen Innes
1.45 pm: Women's 10s - Albies v Barbarians
3.00pm Welcome to country and national anthem
3.05pm: First grade - Albies v Armidale Blues
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