Grand Finals--Rugby Champs!

 Moving is always so tough emotionally.  It's hard to avoid that feeling of..."it's the laaasttt time we will..." You know that feeling?  Last day of school, last choir concert, last party with friends, last time on our favorite beech etc. etc.  It makes the sadness go on and on.  Well, this was Park's laaaasssstt day of Yeronga State School Rugby.  But boy-- if you gotta go, talk about going out with a bang!

Oaks and I love packing a lunch and heading out to watch Gala Day.  That is the day about once every 2 months where the sports teams are bused out of school and taken to their respective fields, pitches, etc. to play 3 or more games of their sport against other primary schools.  Well, since it was the final gala day for Rugby, it was also the Rugby tournament.  And....yes!  Yeronga State School won their tournament!  It was a great way to finish off the rugby experience here in Australia!  It was such an exciting day of sport!

I took heaps of fun pix of Park playing and of course, they all look about the same:  a bunch of boys NOT WEARING PADS OR HELMETS chasing and tackling each other!  I swear this game gives me a sick stomach every time I watch it!  But oh how Park loved it!  Here he is with his mouth guard looking all tough, and pretty cute I might add (although that does take away from the "tough" description a bit, doesn't it?)

Mouth guards...well, at least they protect some part of their bodies in this crazy game!

 Oaklee is once again-- his biggest fan and cheerleader!  Here she is her favorite fedora.  She is such a fashionista.  If it's not one great accessory it's another.  When she bought this hat at the market, we thought she would choose a pink or purple one but she said this one looked more "like an adventurer spy girl" -- can't argue with that!  Either way it's very cute!

Here is the team right before the grand finals!  They were getting all pumped up and ready to go!

This is Park with one of his coaches, Mr. Harton.  He is also Park's year 5 history and math teacher.  I think it's amazing that teachers volunteer to coach these teams; running practices at recess and spending the day coaching at gala day.  Mr. Harton has been awesome!

Cutest Adventurer/Spy Girl Ever!

 
 Here's some shots in the grand finals game.  Park is going for a big tackle here.  Parker's team wears yellow and blue jerzees, but it's tricky because the opposing team has blue jerzees this game.

In Rugby, rather than "hiking" the ball between your legs like in gridiron football, they stand and do this little toe kick back thing where they roll the footy backward to their team with their toes.  Here is Park having a go at it.

Time out with the coach!

I love watching Parker make his big runs.  I swear one day he will bite his tongue off in sports.  Notice in every pic it is out!  Parker may not be the fastest kid on the team but he is definitely one of the hardest to take down.

 Yeronga got awarded a penalty in the second half, which meant they got to have a chance on about the 20 yard line to score.  Funny story about scoring in rugby.  When Park first started, he came home after school and told me he had rugby practice during break.  He said it was so fun and then I asked how he did and he said, "Well I had two tries."  I patted his back and said, "Well, hey-- that's great; don't give up just keep trying!"  Then he laughed and said, "Mom, a "try" means a score like a goal in rugby.  I had two tries...that means I didn't just "try" to score, I actually succeeded in scoring!"

Ok, so I had a lot to learn to be a good rugby mom!

 Anyway, back to the penalty attempt.  Parker's coach told the team, "Get the ball to Parker and no one else touches it!"  I felt nervous for him.  That's so much pressure.  I know there are faster kids with heaps more experience than Parker on his team, but a dad next to me on the sidelines explained you have to give it to your player that can just mow people over on a penalty run because it's like trying to push through a wall since the other team knows you are simply trying to break through and touch the ball down across the line (thus scoring a try).  So he told me, "Parker is our best choice, he's the hardest to take down and he can keep pushing even with defense hanging off him."

Well, the run started; they got Park the ball and yah...he had to deal with a lot of "hanging defense".  I was screaming my head off and snapping pix at the same time.  He looked so awesome, seriously "plowing" through kids.  And he just wouldn't stop, it was like he was just determined to cross that line no matter what or who or how many were trying to pull him to the ground.  Here are some cool shots of Park's big run!

There's the line and look at the defense hanging, hanging, hanging on Park to try and stop this try...but they don't!!!!

Yahoo!!!  He scores a try!  He slammed that ball down across the line and the ref yelled "Try!" and I was an obnoxious mom.  It was such a cool moment.  He had scored several tries before and even some this game and this tournament, but this one was just especially awesome.  I do not know how he got that ball across the line!!  His team was all cheering around him and hugging him and patting his back, it was so great!

 The coach was thrilled with the run.  It was such an awesome way for Park to end his "laaaasst rugby day with his Yeronga team"!

And I was a proud mama!  What a great experience for Parker to be a part of a true Aussie sports team, he got to play AFL and Rugby at Yeronga, that's pretty awesome.  We are going to miss this school so much!

Here's the grand final champs!  Go Yeronga!!!