However, they had a fair excuse.

The talented multi-sport stars were in Adelaide competing at the Pacific School Games.

An event which attracts 4000 school-aged students from up to 15 countries to compete in 11 different sports, Raidaveta and Murray went to take part in basketball and golf respectively.

Raidaveta was part of the Australian Indigenous basketball side while Murray was a member of the NSW girls’ golf squad which finished the Games in fourth spot.

“It was fun and a really good experience,” Raidaveta said.

“It was a more elite level than around here. It was a high level and really intense.”

It was as equally tough for Murray on the golf courses of Adelaide, with her NSW side taking on teams from every other state and territory, except the Northern Territory.

“It was a lot more competitive because others ones (tournaments) have just been in NSW,” she said.

“It was good because you could see how you’re going against the other states.”

The pair also got to be part of the lavish opening ceremony before the Games however Raidaveta and his teammates almost missed out and had to quickly rush out in between athletes from Tasmania and Victoria.

With all the students parading through and plenty of dancing and other attractions, the opening ceremony was something to remember but Murray admitted it did drag on for quite a while.

Murray, who enjoyed a stellar year on the fairways and has got her handicap down from 19 to seven, stated the competition itself was the biggest event she had been a part of.

She confessed she didn’t produce her best efforts at the Games but it wasn’t easy as one course in particular was extremely wet after recent rain and there was plenty of wind around.

It was, however, another chance to be tested at the highest level and Murray remains extremely motivated.

She stated her goal for next year is to improve her chipping and putting more and get down to playing off scratch.

For Raidaveta, his side also found the going tough and won just two of its 10 matches.

Both of those wins came against India but the Dubbo youngster and his side did push a strong NSW team while it also just went down against Western Australia.

“I had to play centre, the big guy, because the rest of the side was small,” he said.

“I set a lot of screens.”

Raidaveta and Murray have achieved a huge amount this year and it was no surprise to see them collect most of the major sporting awards at their school’s end of year function.

Raidaveta scored plenty of representative call-ups for rugby union while Murray led the Dubbo South hockey side on its best run in recent memory.

“It’s getting very tiring,” Raidaveta laughed when asked about his sporting commitments.