With Round 4 completed, the AIC Chess, Football and Rugby seasons are getting exciting with every college in contention for at least 1 of the ‘major’ season trophies and teams throughout the competitions vying for premierships and those in non-premiership divisions challenging for ‘undefeated seasons’. It appears that all of the Aggregate Championships and each of the First Team premierships will go down to the final games of the season!

Chess 
St Peters are on top in their efforts to retain the AIC Chess Aggregate School. They hold a slender lead in the overall champion school competition over the chasing pack which includes St Laurence’s, Marist College Ashgrove and Padua. In the First IV Chess competition, the table is incredibly tight. St Peters and St Laurence’s are in equal first place (7 points) after sharing the points in a Round 2 tense affair that finished 8-8. Padua (6 points) and Marist College Ashgrove (5 points) still have an opportunity to claim the premiership. Padua are still to play both St Laurence’s and St Peters, with Marist also eyeing a Round 6 clash against St Laurence’s as an opportunity to challenge further to be crowned AIC First IV Chess Champions in 2024. In other divisions, the following teams remain undefeated after four rounds- Marist College Ashgrove (Senior A), St Peters (Senior B), Padua and St Peters (Intermediate A), Villanova (Intermediate B), and St Laurence’s (Junior A & Junior B).

Football
The Football Aggregate Shield is always hotly contested with the 2024 championship likely to be decided between Marist College Ashgrove and St Laurence’s. The two Colleges are on a collision course in Round 6 AIC Football Action (June 1). Padua is still in the hunt for the overall aggregate championship with a number of teams in strong positions in a number of premierships. The First XI Premiership looks like it will come down to the final day of the season in Round 7 (June 8) with both Marist College Ashgrove and St Edmund’s building impressive seasons with 4 wins from 4 games. St Patrick’s is only 3 points behind and can push forward their premiership claims with clashes against both Marist College Ashgrove (Round 5) and St Edmund’s (Round 6) in the coming weeks. The season will finish with a contest between Marist College Ashgrove and St Edmund’s in Round 7. With so many contests between the current top 3 teams, Padua currently in fourth position (6 points) is not out of contention. Over the first 4 rounds, the following teams in premiership divisions (outside the First XI) remain undefeated:
Marist College Ashgrove: 2nd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 10A, 9A, 9B, 8B, 7A, 7C
St Laurence’s: 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 10A, 10B, 10C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 8A, 8B, 7A, 7B, 7C
Padua: 3rd XI, 10B, 9C, 8A, 8C, 7A
St Patrick’s: 10A

Rugby
In 2023, the Aggregate Shield for Champion Rugby school was decided by the narrowest of margins. The 2024 competition looks like it will be a similarly close competition with Iona College (2023 Champions) and Marist College Ashgrove neck and neck in the competition. Every result will be important for both schools over the final three weeks in their efforts to claim this prestigious championship. Villanova and St Laurence’s both have an opportunity to push the top two with strong ends to their seasons. The First XV competition looks like it is headed for a repeat of the 2023 final day showdown between St Laurence’s and Padua College. Both teams are undefeated through the first four rounds of the season and will play each other in Round 7. It will be important that both teams do not look too far ahead to Round 7, as results have previously shown that a number of teams can win on any given day. Round 5 games will include a number of First XV games being played ‘mid-week’ to accommodate the Queensland Schools Championships on that weekend. The following teams (outside the First XV) remain undefeated in premiership divisions after the first four rounds of competition:
Iona- 3rd XV, 10B, 8A, 8B
Marist College Ashgrove- 4th XV, 10C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 8C, 7B, 7C
Villanova – 10A
St Laurence’s- 9A, 9B, 8C, 7A

Final Three Rounds