History of AAGPS Sports
Athletics
The official Athletics competition commenced in 1892, although it has been quite common practice for some schools to host carnivals and invite other schools to compete from the 1870s.
The Premiership was originally won by the school who won the most events, but in 1895 this changed to the school which gained the most points in champion events and team races, and the Senior Championship Shield for Athletics was first awarded. In 1908 a new Senior Shield replaced the previous one which was full.
In 1912 the competition was divided into two levels – Senior and Junior, with the addition of the Junior Athletic Trophy which is named The Ladies Challenge Plate, even though it is a rather fine cup.
In 2012 a third level of competition was added, that being Intermediate, which incorporated the Under 15 and 16 age divisions; the Seniors now comprised the Open and Under 17 age groups; and the Juniors, the Under 14 and Under 13s.
The Intermediate trophy was named The J M McCann Trophy after Jim McCann who attended St Joseph’s College, leaving in 1957. His record in the Open Long Jump (7.42m in 1957) stands as the oldest record in the program.
More recently, there has also been involvement by the ninth GPS school, TAS, competing at the AAGPS Athletics Championships.
The first Athletics Convenor was GP Barbour, SGS (1895).
Basketball
Official competition commenced in 1975 after a number of years of non-competition matches between schools which had grown quickly when gymnasiums began being introduced into schools from the1960s offering an indoor game which was not weather dependent.
The First Grade teams compete for The Denys Hake Shield which was first awarded in 1975, and was presented by The King’s School Council in honour of the wife of a former Headmaster of King’s.
The Second Grade teams compete for The TE Bawden Shield which was first awarded in 1975. It was also presented by The King’s School and named after the first GPS Convenor of Basketball, and later GPS Treasurer, Tom Bawden.
The AAGPS First Teams also compete annually for a two-day round-robin competition, The Raschke Cup, and AAGPS Second Teams, The PJ Yeend Shield.
The Representative matches of AAGPS v CAS compete annually for the PJ Yeend Trophy, and AAGPS v ISA for the McKay Cup, named for Mr Bruce McKay, Convenor of Basketball for 1990 - 2021.
Cricket
Official competition commenced in 1893 although there had already been a strong practice of Cricket matches played between schools during the 1860s and 1870s, and a GPS Combined Team v NSW Cricket Association in 1892.
Immensely popular, by 1897 the competition encompassed both First and Second Grade.
The First XI Shield was first awarded in 1893. It is named The AAGPS Challenge Shield for Cricket. It was decided by the Committee in 2014 that the words The AT Lantry Challenge Shield be added to the shield in memory of the long serving AAGPS Convenor of Cricket and subsequent Chairman, Mr Tony Lantry from St Joseph’s College.
The 2nd XI Shield was first awarded in 1915. The Shield is titled simply The A.A.G.P.S Cricket Second Grade Shield.
The first Convenor of Cricket was G P Barbour SGS (1893).
Cross Country
Official competition commenced in 1988 and coincided with the introduction of Football (Soccer).
Open Teams compete for The NA Emery Trophy which was first awarded in 1988 and named after the long serving Sportsmaster of Shore, Mr Neville Emery. Mr Emery also served as Secretary and later as Chairman of the AAGPS.
U16s Division compete for the 16 Years Cross Country Cup, and u14s, the 14 Years Cross Country Trophy.
The Cross Country Competition is divided into three Divisions similar to that of Swimming and Athletics with Opens (Seniors), U16s (Intermediates) and U14s (Juniors).
Although the boys run as individuals, the sport is very much a team/school effort, with the point systems ensuring that participants strive to secure a place high up the field.
The mid-1990s saw the inaugural Combined GPS Cross Country team who trial for CIS and the pathways to the NSW and Australian All Schools competitions.
As well as running Premiership Divisions, the sport also offers prestigious, hard-fought awards for the Cross Country Opens Champion (medal); and the 1st Place GPS Opens Champion (badge).
The first Convenor of Cross Country was TP Devin Shore (1988).
Football
By the 1980s Football had already been played in six of the GPS schools, and was later supported to move to an official sport by the GPS Headmasters Standing Committee in 1985, with official competition commencing in 1988.
The name was officially changed from “Soccer” to “Football” in 2006.
The First teams compete for The Wanderers’ Cup for AAGPS Soccer. Presented by The King’s School in 1988, the trophy marks the first game of Soccer in Australia between The King’s School and The Gentlemen Wanderers played in Parramatta on 14 August 1880.
Second Teams compete for the GPS 2nd Soccer Premiership Shield. This shield was first awarded in 1988.
First and Second teams also compete in a 3-Rounds and Finals Competition named the ‘GPS 1st Grade Football Plate’, and the ‘GPS 2nd Grade Football Plate’, at the beginning of the winter season’, an initiative introduced by the Football Sub-Committee in 2016 and headed by long-time Convenor, Dr CK Kitching.
The first Football/Soccer Convenor was GT Williams SCEGS (1988).
Rifle Shooting
Official competition commenced in 1905, but results of the National Rifle Association competition held at Moore Park, are recorded from 1893. The AAGPS decided in 1903 to admit Rifle Shooting as one of its sports with formal/official competitions for the First teams in 1905 and extension to the Seconds in 1914.
School First teams compete for three Trophies which are differentiated by distance between the target as well as the time duration between shots. The Premiership is decided on the results of three individual matches, namely –
1. The National Rifle Association Shield (NRA Shield) purchased by the AAGPS in 1905. The NRA competition had been held annually for many years prior to 1905.
2. The Rawson Cup, presented in 1905 by Sir Harry Rawson, Governor of New South Wales and a patron of the AAGPS. In 1910 it became a perpetual trophy.
3. The Buchanan Shield which, from 1905 to 1912, was known as the GPS Challenge Shield but in 1913 was renamed to honour CA Buchanan, the first Convenor of Rifle Shooting.
The First Team Premiership is decided from the placings in each of these three matches and the Premier school is awarded the Premiership Shield.
The Second Team trophy, first awarded in 1917, is known as The GPSAAA Rifle Shooting Second Grade Premiership Shield.
The first Convenor for Rifle Shooting was CA Buchanan NC (1904).
Rowing
Official competition commenced in 1893 – 1910 with just one four-oared crew from those competing schools able to house boatsheds racing in the ‘GPS Regatta’ (to be later known as the Head of the River, but by then were raced by the 1st VIIIs), and then the Eights from 1910, extending to encompass all eight schools by 1925 across different sized crews with the 2nd IV in 1918; the 3rd IVs in 1928 and the 4th IV, although competing in 1927/8, were not a regular event until 1934.
The lengths of the races have changed over the years with the original course ‘not less than 1.5 miles and not more than 1.75 miles’ to 1.5 miles (2400m) and eventually the Olympic standard of 2000m, and the move to the newly purposed Sydney Olympics 2000 rowing course at Sydney International Regatta Centre.
Trophies are awarded at each annual Head of the River Regatta across the Senior six races, however there is inclusion of other events (non prize-winning) at the event.
More recently, there has been involvement by the ninth GPS school, TAS, rowing in fours at the Head of the River.
1st VIII – 1910 onwards – *The Major Rennie Trophy presented by Major Z.C. Rennie in 1894. Major Rennie was a rowing enthusiast who had migrated to Australia from the USA.
2nd VIII – 1968 onwards – The LC Robson Trophy. L C Robson was Shore’s Headmaster from 1923 until 1958.
1st IV – 1893 onwards – *The Yaralla Cup presented by Miss Edith Walker in 1906. (*1906 – 1911 inclusive, the Yaralla Cup was awarded for the Second Four race. In 1912 the Yaralla Cup became the First Four trophy).
2nd IV- 1918 onwards – The Alan Callaway Trophy, first awarded 1979. Alan Callaway was a prominent SBHS Rowing Coach.
3rd IV – 1920 onwards – The Father Gartlan Trophy first awarded 1983. Father Gartlan was the founder of the SIC Rowing Club in 1882.
4th IV – 1927 onwards – The Penrith City Council Trophy, first awarded 1986 to mark 50 years of AAGPS rowing on the Nepean.
*(Note: Until 1910, the Major Rennie Trophy, donated in 1894, was awarded for the First Four race, there being no First Eight race until 1910. Similarly, from 1906 to 1911 inclusive, the Yaralla Cup was awarded for the Second Four race. In 1912 the Yaralla Cup became the First Four trophy).
The first Convenor of Rowing was R H Bode SGS (1893).
Rugby
Official competition commenced in 1892 and at the time the game was known as Football, a title it held until 2006 to avoid confusion with Association Football (“Soccer”) whereby the title of Rugby has since been used.
The First Grade Trophy, first presented in 1896 by the President of the NSW Rugby Football Union, is engraved with the words “School Challenge Trophy”. This Shield replaced another won by The King’s School for 4 consecutive years (1892-5) and included the ninth GPS school, TAS, from 1964 - 1967.
There was also a Combined GPS team who annually played against a visiting English team from 1899.
The Second Grade trophy, The W.S. Corr Cup, was first presented in 1913. It was named after the first Convenor, W.S. Corr, who took over the task in 1896.
The new Third Grade Trophy, the ‘Col Windon Shield’, was presented in 2018 by the SGS Fathers’ Association to commemorate the resurrection of the 3rd XV competition which ran from 1909 – 1961; and then re-commenced in 2012. Col Windon is an Old Sydneian who went on to play and captain the Wallabies.
In 2013, Sydney Grammar School and Sydney Boys High School exited the 1st Grade Competition to field their top team (their 1st XV) to compete in the 3rd Grade Competition that also included The Armidale School.
The First Convenor for Rugby Football was WS Corr (1896).
Swimming
Unofficial competition commenced in 1987 amongst all eight schools but there were various invitation races held over different distances between the schools at individual swimming carnivals from 1903 – 1921, leading to the introduction of the GPS Relay at each of the schools’ Swimming Carnivals from 1922.
Official competition commenced in 2002 with a cumulative point score system being used over a number of combined Meets and across three age divisions.
Trophies are presented at the final Meet of the season to each of the winners in the Seniors/Opens - GPS Senior Competition Trophy, Intermediate Division - GPS Intermediate Division Trophy, and Junior Division – The John Gorton Cup, as well as the result of accumulated points in the GPS Open Relay with the Open AAGPS Relay Trophy.
The first Swimming Convenor was B J Roydhouse SJC (2000).
Tennis
Official competition then commenced in 1972 offering team doubles and singles matches with all schools except TAS, although many of the schools offered tennis internally and some even their own championships throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and eventually moved to informal matches between the schools.
First Grade teams compete over summer for The NSW LTA First Grade AAGPS Shield, first awarded in 1972.
Second Teams compete for The NSW LTA Second Grade AAGPS Shield, also first awarded in 1972.
The Representative sides of the AAGPS and CAS Combined First Teams compete annually for The John Brown Trophy, named after the long serving AAGPS Tennis Convenor.
The first Tennis Convenor was P Riley, SGS (1972).
Volleyball
Official competition commenced in 2015 (1st Grade) after many years of informal matches played between schools (from 2003) in the Association. The official trophy for 1st Grade Premiership winner is the Michael Kay Shield, named after long term Convenor and senior staffer at Sydney Boys High School.
Like Water Polo, Volleyball was unique within the sporting environment of AAGPS with the competitions including CAS in the Combined Competitions but moved to a GPS-only 'home and away competition' from 2023.
The official competition for 2nd Grade, with its official trophy - the Trinh Loi Shield (named after the current Convenor, Ms Trinh Loi (SGS), commenced in 2019.
The Representative sides of the AAGPS and CAS Combined First Teams compete annually.
The First Volleyball Convenor was M Kay SBHS (2005).
Water Polo
Official competition commenced in 2015 after many years of informal matches between schools (from 1988) in the Association.
The Premiership trophies include the 1st Grade Thomas Whalan Shield, named after former The Scots College student and four-time Olympic Champion, and the 2nd Grade Ray Smee Trophy.
Like Volleyball, Water Polo was unique within the sporting environment of AAGPS with the competitions also including CAS. The competitions had dual Premierships for 1st and 2nd Grade, a Combined Schools Premiership (can be won by either GPS or CAS) and since 2015 a AAGPS Premiership. Game points from each fixture was attributed to both competition tables.
Since 2023, the competitions have both split with GPS-only held in Term 4, and Combined Competition with CAS and ISA in term 1.
Also added to the season is a round-robin GPS-only competition known as the Thomas Whalan Cup, generally held at the beginning of the summer season (Term 4).
The first Water Polo Convenor was G Dedrick TSC (2005).
References and gratitude to:
“Games to Play Out …”, The Formation and Development of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools 1892-2017, by Robert AI Grant AM 2017.
“Unity in Diversity” A Historical Commentary on The Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales by J Carington Pope 1961.
“Unity and Diversity” A Historical of The Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales since the Second World War by Geoffrey Sherington 1996.
