The Associated Independent Colleges, or AIC, is a group of independent secondary schools in south-east Queensland, Australia. With the exception of St Peters Lutheran College, AIC schools are all-boys schools (St Peter's secondary girls compete in the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association). The AIC was founded in 1998 as an athletic association for male secondary students. All eight colleges were formerly members of The Associated Schools (TAS), founded in 1956. Some colleges were originally members of the Metropolitan Catholic Schools Association (MCSA), founded in 1934. The most prominent sports contested include rugby union, cricket and football, as well as swimming and track and field.

History

The Associated Independent Colleges was formed in 1998 with the first year of competition being 1999. All AIC members were previously in The Associated Schools (TAS). The TAS had expanded to include fifteen schools by the mid 1990s and the standard of competition was falling. The colleges with the strongest athletic programs in the TAS competition's top division moved to form the AIC. After the AIC was founded, only one all-boys school remained in TAS, the now defunct Marist Brothers College Rosalie. In protest of the departure of the eight AIC schools from TAS competition, all TAS schools with a primary school attached withdrew from the Combined Independent Colleges (CIC) association for private primary schools in 1998. Six of the Associated Independent Colleges were foundation members of the CIC. The Combined Independent Colleges association was dissolved in 2013. Primary schools attached to AIC schools had previously competed against their Great Public Schools (GPS) counterparts within the CIC, but the headmasters of the GPS and AIC associations expanded their respective competitions in 2014 to include primary students from grades 5–7.

Schools

Starting in 2022, Ambrose Treacy College, Indooroopilly was invited to become a guest member for a two-year time span.

Sports

There are currently ten sports officially contested within the AIC: Four other sports are also offered: Water polo is played as a social competition in Term 4. An invitational golf day is also held in Term 4, with the annual Gordon Balharry Shield awarded to the AIC school with the best team score on an adjusted handicap basis. Rugby league and Australian rules football competitions were introduced on a two-year opt-in trial basis for 2019. Ashgrove, Iona and St Laurence's have traditionally been prominent in the rugby competitions, although Padua has enjoyed recent success. St Peters, Villanova and Padua have tended to field strong soccer teams. St Patrick's has had success in cross country and Ashgrove and Iona have won the most titles in athletics and swimming. The sporting calendar for the AIC is split into terms: The championships for swimming, cross country, track and field athletics and golf are held on a single day. The other sports are played in a round-robin format (no finals) with each school playing all others once. Premierships in each grade, for age divisions from under 13 to open, are won by the teams with most points over the season. The premierships for the schools' first teams in each sport, particularly the First XV rugby, tend to attract the most interest.

Championships

Athletics (track and field)

Winning teams on aggregate points for all age groups: Championships – Ashgrove (14), Iona (9), St Edmund's (3).

Cross Country

Winning teams on aggregate points for all age groups: Championships – Ashgrove (13), Iona (9), St Patrick's (5), St Laurence's (2).

Swimming

Winning teams on aggregate points for all age groups: Championships – Ashgrove (13), St Peters (12), Iona (2).

Premierships

First XV Rugby

List of First XV premiers and runners-up: Premierships – Ashgrove (14), St Laurence's (6), Iona (4), Padua (4), St Peters (2), St Edmund's (2), St Patrick's (1), Villanova (1). Notes:

First XI Cricket

List of First XI premiers and runners-up: Premierships – Ashgrove (10), Iona (9), Villanova (6), St Laurence's (2), St Patrick's (2), Padua (1).

First XI Football

List of First XI premiers and runners-up: Premierships – Ashgrove (11), Villanova (5), Iona (4), St Patrick's (3), St Laurence's (3), Padua (2), St Edmund's (1), St Peters (1).

First VI Volleyball

List of First VI premiers and runners-up: Premierships – Ashgrove (6), St Edmund's (5), St Peters (3), Villanova (4), Padua (3), St Laurence's (3), Iona (3), St Patrick's (1).

First V Basketball

List of First V premiers: Premierships – Ashgrove (10), Villanova (10), Iona (4), St Edmund's (4), Padua (3), St Laurence's (1), St Patrick's (1), St Peters (1).

First IV Tennis

List of First IV premiers: Premierships - St Peters (11), Ashgrove (6), Villanova (5), Iona (2), Padua (1), St Edmund's (1), St Patrick's (1), St Laurence's (1)

First IV Chess

The AIC chess competition began in 2004. List of First IV premiers: Premierships – St Laurence's (6), Padua (5), Ashgrove (4), Villanova (3), St Peters (3), St Edmund's (2), Iona (1).

First XVIII Australian football

The AIC competition was introduced in 2019. List of First XVIII premiers: Premierships - St Laurence's (5), Ashgrove (2), Padua (1), Villanova (1), St Patrick's (1) Notes:

First XIII Rugby league

The AIC competition was introduced in 2019. List of First XIII premiers: Premierships – Padua (2), Ashgrove (1), Villanova (1), St Patrick's (1), Iona (1).

Other sports

Golf

Teams of up to five compete for the Gordon Balharry Shield. List of Open team winners since 2011:

Water polo

Water polo is played as a social competition on an opt-in basis by AIC schools.

Touch Football

Touch Football is played as a social competition once a year between AIC schools, with teams competing in senior (10-12), middle (7-9) and primary (5-6) teams.

Other events

Aside from athletic competitions, the AIC has formed a community with many other interactions. Member schools participate in the QDU debating competition, various mission and social justice events, the Queensland Catholic Colleges Music Festival (QCMF) and other social functions. As all AIC schools are of Christian denomination, an Ecumenical service is hosted each year by one of the schools on a rotational basis. It is attended by staff and student leaders representing each school.

Colleges