The Independent Girls’ Schools Association (formerly known as IGSSA) was established in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1922 with five founding members, all of them independent girls' schools.
Today, the thirty-two members' schools of AHIGS are eligible to participate and compete against each other in a number of sporting carnivals and interschool sports through IGSA (formerly known as IGSSA). Secondary school girls compete in team and individual sports at school level and can be selected to represent IGSA Sport as part of the NSWCIS and All Schools sporting pathways.
History The Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association was established in 1922 as the Girls Secondary Schools Sports Union. Commencing with just five members, all of them independent, Protestant schools for girls, IGSSA grew rapidly in the 1980s and 90s following the introduction of graded competition for many sports, improving competitions and adding new sports.
Today IGSA (or the AHIGS Sporting Committee, formerly known as IGSSA) is a sub–committee of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).
Schools
Current member schools SchoolLocationEnrolmentFoundedDenominationDay/BoardingSchool ColoursAbbotsleigh School for GirlsWahroonga~1,3701885AnglicanDay & BoardingBlack and goldAscham SchoolEdgecliff~1,0001886Non-denominationalDay & BoardingNavy, red and khakiBrigidine CollegeSt Ives~9001954Roman CatholicDayMaroon, navy and light blueCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolDeakin~1,4501926AnglicanDay & BoardingGreen, red & navyDanebank Anglican School for GirlsHurstville~9101933AnglicanDayPink, green and tealFrensham SchoolMittagong~3001913Non-denominationalDay & BoardingPurple, green and whiteKambalaRose Bay~9501887AnglicanDay & BoardingRoyal blue, gold and dark grayKincoppal-Rose BayRose Bay~9301882Roman CatholicDay & BoardingTeal and redLoreto KirribilliKirribilli~1,0301901Roman CatholicDayRoyal blue, gold and whiteLoreto NormanhurstNormanhurst~9001897Roman CatholicDay & BoardingNavy and goldMeridenStrathfield~17001897AnglicanDayNavy, sky blue and whiteMLC SchoolBurwood~1,2601886Uniting ChurchDayNavy, sky blue and gold-brownMonte Sant' Angelo Mercy CollegeNorth Sydney~1,0801875Roman CatholicDayNavy, sky blue and whiteMount St Benedict CollegePennant Hills ~10281966Roman CatholicDayRed, navy and whiteNew England Girls' SchoolArmidale~3801895AnglicanDay & BoardingNavy, scarlet and sky blueOur Lady of Mercy CollegeParramatta~1,0301889Roman CatholicDayNavy and sky bluePresbyterian Ladies' College, ArmidaleArmidale~4001887PresbyterianDay & BoardingDark green, sky blue and redPresbyterian Ladies' College, SydneyCroydon~1,3501888PresbyterianDay & BoardingRed, white and blackPymble Ladies' CollegePymble~2,1351916Uniting ChurchDay & BoardingNavy, red and whiteQueenwood School for GirlsMosman~8001925Non-denominationalDayRed, dark grey and whiteRavenswood School for GirlsGordon~1,1401901Uniting ChurchDay & BoardingNavy, gold and whiteRoseville CollegeRoseville~7901908AnglicanDayMaroon, sky blue and goldSCEGGS DarlinghurstDarlinghurst~8901895AnglicanDayWhite and navySt Catherine's SchoolWaverley~9101856AnglicanDay & BoardingGold, red and navySt Patrick's CollegeCampbelltown~8501840Roman CatholicDayNavy, red and whiteSt Scholastica's CollegeGlebe~1,0431878Roman CatholicDay & BoardingNavy, sky blue and whiteSt Vincent's CollegePotts Point~6801858Roman CatholicDay & BoardingNavy, old gold and whiteSanta Sabina CollegeStrathfield~1,5001894Roman CatholicDayRed, white and blackStella Maris CollegeManly~1,0001931Roman CatholicDayRed, bottle green and whiteTangara School for GirlsCherrybrookNavy, red and whiteTara Anglican School for GirlsNorth Parramatta~1,0001897AnglicanDay & BoardingNavy, light blue and whiteWenona SchoolNorth Sydney~8151886Non-denominationalDay & BoardingNavy, red and white
Former member schools SchoolLocationDenominationFoundedClosed/MergedYearsCompetedBrighton CollegeManly1889Closed 19601922–1960Claremont CollegeRandwickAnglican1882Secondary school closed 19661922–1966Normanhurst SchoolAshfieldNon-denominational1882Closed 19411922–1941Presbyterian Ladies' CollegeGoulburnPresbyterian1921Closed 19701956–1966Presbyterian Ladies' CollegeOrangePresbyterian1928Merged 1975 with Wolaroi College to form Kinross Wolaroi School1928–1975Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School, RedlandsCremorneAnglican1884Became SCECGS Redlands in 19761922–1975SCEGGS WollongongWollongongAnglican1955Merged 1976 with The Illawarra Grammar School1955–1976SCEGGS Moss ValeMoss ValeAnglican1906Closed 19741922–1974St Luke's Anglican School for Girls'Dee WhyAnglican1961Amalgamated 1992 with Peninsula Anglican Boys School and Roseby Preparatory School to form St Lukes Grammar School1961–?
Sports The IGSA Sport Committee (formerly IGSSA) organises competitions among 32 independent girls' schools in New South Wales. Secondary school girls compete in team and individual sports at school level and may be selected through IGSA Sport for higher representative pathways. IGSA Sport works with each member school's physical education and sport programme by providing interschool competition from beginners to elite level.
IGSA Sport graded competitions are held on Saturday mornings and involve between 5000 and 6300 participants each term. Students may choose each term:
Term One Badminton Tennis Water Polo Touch
Term Two Basketball Football Hockey Netball
Term Three Netball Hockey Basketball Football
Term Four Water polo Tennis Touch Badminton
Carnivals In addition to IGSA Saturday graded competitions, the association holds six annual carnivals in seven sports: Rowing Swimming and Diving Tildesley Tennis Cross Country Running Athletics Gymnastics
Rowing The IGSA Sport Rowing Regatta is typically held in March at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. The ten schools that offer a rowing programme, and therefore regularly compete in the regatta are: Ascham, Canberra Girls' Grammar School, Loreto Kirribilli, Loreto Normanhurst, MLC School, the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, Pymble Ladies' College, Queenwood School for Girls, Roseville College, and Tara Anglican School for Girls. These schools also make up the bulk of entries at the Schoolgirls Head of the River regatta.
Year Overall Champion 1st VIII 1st IV Year 10 Quad 2001Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College Roseville 2002Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College Canberra Girls' Grammar School Loreto Normanhurst 2003Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegeRoseville 2004Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College Canberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra 2005Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegeCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra 2006Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College PLC Sydney 2007Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegeMLCPymble Ladies' College 2008Pymble Ladies' CollegePLC SydneyQueenwoodPLC Sydney 2009Canberra Girls Grammar Pymble Ladies' CollegeTaraAscham2010Not held2011Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodAschamAscham2012Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' CollegeRosevilleLoreto Normanhurst2013Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodQueenwoodPymble Ladies' College2014Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodPymble Ladies' CollegeLoreto Normanhurst2015Pymble Ladies' CollegeLoreto NormanhurstSt Catherine's SchoolPymble Ladies' College2016Canberra Girls' Grammar SchoolQueenwoodCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolPymble Ladies' College2017Canberra Girls' Grammar SchoolQueenwoodLoreto NormanhurstCanberra Girls' Grammar School2018Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodPLC SydneyCanberra Girls' Grammar School2019Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodSt Catherine's SchoolPymble Ladies' College2020Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodMLC SchoolSt Catherine's School2021Pymble Ladies' CollegeQueenwoodMLC SchoolPymble Ladies' College2022Loreto KirribilliQueenwoodMLC SchoolQueenwood2023Loreto KirribilliSt Catherine's SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar School2024Loreto KirribilliSt Catherine's SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar School
Swimming and diving The IGSA Sport Swimming and Diving carnival has been held annually since 1925. Today it is typically held in March at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
In both sports, schools compete in divisions (three for swimming and two for diving) based on their results from the previous year. Both divisions have the same point score and the highest total point score within each division is deemed the Division Champion and presented with a shield. The winning school from each of the first divisions is awarded the carnival champion.
Year Diving Champion Swimming Champion 1999 PLC Sydney 2000 PLC Sydney 2001 PLC Sydney 2002 PLC SydneyAbbotsleigh 2003 PLC SydneyAbbotsleigh 2004 PLC SydneyAbbotsleigh 2005 PLC SydneyAbbotsleigh 2006 PLC SydneyAbbotsleigh 2007 PLC SydneyPLC Sydney 2008 AbbotsleighPLC Sydney 2009 AbbotsleighPLC Sydney 2010AbbotsleighAbbotsleigh2011Abbotsleigh and MLC SchoolPLC Sydney2012Pymble Ladies' CollegePLC Sydney2013Pymble Ladies' CollegePLC Sydney2014Pymble Ladies' CollegePLC Sydney2015Pymble Ladies' CollegeAbbotsleigh2016Pymble Ladies' CollegePLC Sydney2017Pymble Ladies' CollegeAbbotsleigh2018Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College2019Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College2020Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College2021Pymble Ladies' CollegePymble Ladies' College2022PLC SydneyPymble Ladies' College2023PLC SydneyPLC Sydney2024PLC SydneyPLC Sydney
Athletics The IGSA Sport Track and Field carnival has been held annually since 1923. Today it is typically held in June at Sydney Olympic Park. Competing schools are divided into three divisions based on their results from the previous year. The Division Champions are presented with a shield, with the winning school of the first divisions awarded the carnival champion.
Year ChampionYearChampion 1990 Pymble2010Pymble 1991 Abbotsleigh2011Pymble 1992 Pymble2012Pymble 1993 Pymble2013Pymble 1994 Pymble2014Abbotsleigh 1995 Abbotsleigh2015Pymble 1996 Pymble2016Pymble 1997 Pymble2017Pymble 1998 Pymble2018Pymble 1999 Pymble2019Pymble 2000 Pymble2020Not held due to COVID 2001 Abbotsleigh2021Not held due to COVID 2002 AbbotsleighPymble2022Pymble 2003 Pymble2023Pymble 2004 Abbotsleigh 2005 Abbotsleigh 2006 Abbotsleigh 2007 Abbotsleigh 2008 Abbotsleigh 2009 PLC Sydney
Gymnastics The IGSA Sport annual Gymnastics Carnival was first held in 1969. Today the carnival is typically held in October, at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in Sydney Olympic Park. Students may compete in either Rhythmic (RG) or Artistic (WAG) gymnastics, and schools are placed in divisions (two for rhythmic and three for artistic) based on their results from the previous year. Through combined WAG and RG results, a Champion school is declared.