EXCLUSIVE
Students at one of Australia’s most prestigious private schools have been disqualified from a national sporting competition for “anti-social behaviour”.
Riders from Barker College on Sydney’s north shore were forced to withdraw from the recent Australian Interschool Mountain Bike Championships at the Thredbo ski resort in the Snowy Mountains.
Several students were caught using closed bike paths at night, and one child was taken to hospital with serious injuries after falling.
The competition took place from March 4 to 8 and attracted more than 1,200 boys and girls from 300 schools across the country to compete in mountain biking events.
Students at Barker College, one of Australia’s most prestigious private schools, have been disqualified from a national sports competition for “anti-social behaviour”
Participants from Years 7 to 12 take part in the annual championships which organizers describe as five days of “action-packed riding, racing and good times”.
A spokeswoman for EVT, the company that operates Thredbo, did not identify any schools whose students breached conduct guidelines, but Daily Mail Australia confirmed Barker’s involvement.
“At the recent Australian inter-school mountain bike competition, some competitors were disqualified due to anti-social behaviour,” the spokeswoman said.
“We have no further comments.”
Barker College is an independent Anglican coeducational day and boarding school in Hornsby that charges up to $40,625 a year for tuition.
Barker principal Phillip Heath told Daily Mail Australia that several students from his school had been removed from the mountain biking competition.
Barker College riders had their points docked during the recent Australian interschool mountain biking event (above) at Thredbo ski resort.
“The school is aware that a small group of Barker students competing in the Australian inter-school mountain bike competition in early March accessed one of the mountain bike trails after the trail was closed for the competition. day,” he said.
‘One of Barker’s students suffered an injury and was taken to hospital.
‘Barker staff addressed members of the Barker team and parents accompanying their children in this competition following the incident.
“As a result of race protocols and school behavior expectations not being met, several students were immediately removed from the competition.”
A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics were called to the Cannonball cycle path in Thredbo about 7.50pm on March 5 and treated a boy aged about ten for injuries to his hip, wrist and the pelvis.
According to the competition schedule, the only event held in the Cannonball race that day ended at 4 p.m.
The injured teenager was taken to Cooma and then to Canberra Hospital.
The police did not attend the scene of the accident or any other major incident during the competition.
Several students were caught using closed bike trails at night during Australia’s inter-school mountain biking competition (above) and one child suffered serious injuries.
Barker’s motto, Honor non Honores, means “to seek honor above rewards.”
Famous alumni include Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett, comedian Chris Lilley, film director Phillip Noyce and rugby league player Mitchell Pearce.
Two other Sydney private schools denied their students had accessed cycle paths at night or engaged in any anti-social behavior at the mountain biking competition.
Promotional material for the contest outlines the consequences for participants if they misbehave.
“Thredbo maintains a zero-tolerance policy for anti-social behavior,” warns a statement on the resort’s website.
‘Riders must always act in a sporting manner whilst showing respect towards other competitors, staff, guests and the natural environment of Thredbo.
“Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification from the event and removal of elevator access privileges.”
Snowy Mountains Grammar School continued its dominance of the Australian inter-school mountain biking competition, taking the overall schools trophy for the third year in a row.