The NRL Schoolboy Cup is the premier secondary schools rugby league competition in Australia , held annually since 1975. Formerly known under such names as the Amco Shield , Commonwealth Bank Cup , Arrive Alive Cup and GIO Schoolboy Cup nearly 450 schools from throughout Australia compete in the knock-out competition.[ 1]
The player of the tournament is awarded the Peter Sterling Medal , renamed in 1996 after Peter Sterling , who won the medal in 1978. The competition is televised on Fox Sports .
The most successful school is St Gregory's College, Campbelltown , with nine titles, followed by Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield with six. The most recent champions are Westfields Sports High School , who won their second title in 2023.
History
The competition was founded in 1975 as the Amco Shield. The inaugural winners were Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield who defeated Blacktown High School in the final, 16–8. The match was played at Leichhardt Oval as a curtain raiser to the 1975 Amco Cup final between Eastern Suburbs and Parramatta .[ 2]
Originally, the televised matches of the competition were played and recorded as the curtain raisers to mid week Amco Cup games. After the midweek competitions died out, the televised matches were played prior to Friday Night Football and were shown on Channel 9 in the weeks leading up to the NRL Grand Final . The games are currently played and recorded midweek and shown on Fox Sports , with commentary by Andrew Voss .
In 1978, Padua College, Brisbane were the first Queensland school and first school from outside of New South Wales to make the final. They lost 19–3 to Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield .
In 1980, St Gregory's College, Campbelltown became the first school to win back-to-back titles. They later became the first school to win three titles in a row from 1989 to 1991.
In 1982 Holy Cross College, Ryde became the first school to play in four consecutive finals from 1979. They lost three of their four finals, with their only victory coming against Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield in 1981.
In 1996, Erindale College, Canberra became the first school from the Australian Capital Territory to reach the final. A year later they became the first school from outside of New South Wales to win the competition. They won the competition again in 1998, beating Parramatta Marist High School in both years.
In 2001, Palm Beach Currumbin State High School became the first Queensland school to win the competition. Brisbane's Wavell State High School became the second a year later in 2002.
Endeavour Sports High School won the competition three years in a row from 2004 to 2006, becoming the first school to do so since 1991.
In 2015, Townsville's Kirwan State High School became the first school from North Queensland to win the competition, defeating Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown , who were in their fourth straight final, losing the last three in a row.
In 2016, Westfields Sports High School won the competition for the first time.
In 2017, Keebra Park State High School became first Queensland school to win the competition three times, becoming the most successful school in the state. A year later, Palm Beach Currumbin won their third title, drawing level with Keebra Park. In 2019, Kirwan State High School won the competition for the second time, making it three straight years a Queensland school has won.
In 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , no national finals were held for the first time in the competition's history.[ 3]
In 2022, after a three year absence, the national final returned, with Ipswich State High School defeating Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield to win their first title.[ 4]
Naming rights
Due to sponsorship, the Schoolboy Cup has gone under many different names since first being held in 1975. Originally known as the Amco Shield , it has been known as the NRL Schoolboy Cup since 2018.
The competition is divided into two conferences. The Northern Conference, comprising schools from Queensland , is further divided into smaller competitions: the Aaron Payne Cup, the Allan Langer Trophy, and the Dolphin Cup. The winners of these cups compete against each other, with the victor being crowned the Queensland Schoolboy Cup Champion. The Southern Conference, known as the Peter Mulholland Cup, includes schools from New South Wales , the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria . The winners of the Queensland Schoolboy Trophy and the Peter Mulholland Cup then face off in the National Schoolboy Final, with the winner being crowned the National Schoolboy Champion.
Champions by each Season
Season
Champions
Score
Runners-up
1975
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
16–8
Blacktown Boys High School
1976
Blacktown Boys High School
16–7
Ashcroft High School
1977
Ashcroft High School
16–3
Parramatta Marist High School
1978
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
19–3
Padua College, Brisbane
1979
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
16–14
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1980
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
11–9
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1981
Holy Cross College, Ryde
15–11
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1982
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
18–15
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1983
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
14–2
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1984
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
16–10
Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham
1985
Ashcroft High School
13–6
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1986
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
26–0
Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham
1987
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
21–0
Keebra Park State High School
1988
Parramatta Marist High School
14–6
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1989
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
12–10
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1990
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
18–4
St John's College, Woodlawn
1991
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
28–12
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1992
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
17–16
Harristown State High School
1993
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
27–6
Wavell State High School
1994
John Paul II Senior High School, Marayong
34–4
Eagle Vale High School
1995
Parramatta Marist High School
24–0
McCarthy Catholic Senior High School
1996
John Paul II Senior High School, Marayong
12–6
Erindale College, Canberra
1997
Erindale College, Canberra
26–12
Parramatta Marist High School
1998
Erindale College, Canberra
27–14
Parramatta Marist High School
1999
Terra Sancta College
16–14
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
2000
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
16–0
St Francis Xavier's College, Hamilton
2001
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
16–4
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
2002
Wavell State High School
22–20
Terra Sancta College
2003
St Dominic's College, Penrith
28–0
Endeavour Sports High School
2004
Endeavour Sports High School
16–7
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2005
Endeavour Sports High School
20–10
Keebra Park State High School
2006
Endeavour Sports High School
16–7
Keebra Park State High School
2007
Matraville Sports High School
32–10
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2008
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
24–22
Matraville Sports High School
2009
Keebra Park State High School
18–12
Matraville Sports High School
2010
The Hills Sports High School
18–14
Keebra Park State High School
2011
The Hills Sports High School
22–20
Matraville Sports High School
2012
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
32–6
Endeavour Sports High School
2013
Keebra Park State High School
28–4
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2014
Endeavour Sports High School
22–12
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2015
Kirwan State High School
28–10
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2016
Westfields Sports High School
26–24
Keebra Park State High School
2017
Keebra Park State High School
25–12
Westfields Sports High School
2018
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
20–12
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2019
Kirwan State High School
16–10
Westfields Sports High School
2022
Ipswich State High School
32–6
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
2023
Westfields Sports High School
38–4
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
Titles
No.
School
Location
Titles
Runners-up
1
St Gregory's College
Gregory Hills , New South Wales
1979, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000 , 2026 (10)
1983, 2001 (2)
2
Patrician Brothers' College (Fairfield)
Fairfield, New South Wales
1975, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1992 (6)
1981, 1985, 1991, 2022 (4)
3
Endeavour Sports High School
Caringbah , New South Wales
2004, 2005, 2006, 2014 (4)
2003, 2012 (2)
4
Keebra Park State High School
Southport, Queensland
2009, 2013, 2017 (3)
1987, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2016 (5)
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
Currumbin , Queensland
2001, 2008, 2018 (3)
1999, 2023 (2)
5
Parramatta Marist High School
Westmead, New South Wales
1988, 1995 (2)
1977, 1997, 1998 (3)
Ashcroft High School
Ashcroft, New South Wales
1977, 1985 (2)
1976 (1)
Erindale College
Wanniassa , Australian Capital Territory
1997, 1998 (2)
1996 (1)
Kirwan State High School
Kirwan, Queensland
2015, 2019 (2)
—
St Andrews College
Marayong , New South Wales
1994, 1996 (2)
—
The Hills Sports High School
Seven Hills, New South Wales
2010, 2011 (2)
—
Westfields Sports High School
Fairfield West , New South Wales
2016, 2023 (2)
2017, 2019 (2)
12
Patrician Brothers' College (Blacktown)
Blacktown , New South Wales
2012 (1)
2004, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 (6)
Holy Cross College
Ryde, New South Wales
1981 (1)
1979, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1989 (5)
Matraville Sports High School
Chifley, New South Wales
2007 (1)
2008, 2009, 2011 (3)
St John Paul II Catholic College
Nirimba Fields , New South Wales
1999 (1)
2002 (1)
Blacktown Boys High School
Blacktown , New South Wales
1976 (1)
1975 (1)
Wavell State High School
Wavell Heights , Queensland
2002 (1)
1993 (1)
Ipswich State High School
Brassall , Queensland
2022 (1)
—
St Dominic's College
Penrith, New South Wales
2003 (1)
—
Peter Sterling Medal
The Peter Sterling Medal is awarded to the most outstanding player in the competition. Sterling, one of rugby league's most decorated players, won the award in 1978 while attending Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield . In 1996, the medal was renamed in his honour.
Season
Player
School
1976
Steve White
Blacktown Boys High School
1977
Alan Emery
Ashcroft High School
1978
Peter Sterling
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1979
Ivan Henjak
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1980
Ben Elias
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1981
Ben Elias
Holy Cross College, Ryde
1982
Paul Langmack
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1983
Greg Alexander
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1984
Paul Osborne
Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham
1985
David Rowles
Ashcroft High School
1986
Damien Kenniff
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1987
David Danes
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
1988
David Bayssari
Parramatta Marist High School
1989
Jason Taylor
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1990
Troy Dicinoski
St John's College, Woodlawn
1991
Damien Chapman
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1992
Andrew Dunemann
Harristown State High School
1993
Kris Flint
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
1994
Michael Withers
John Paul II Senior High School, Marayong
1995
Nathan Cayless
Parramatta Marist High School
1996
Chris Smith
John Paul II Senior High School, Marayong
1997
Greg Keary
Parramatta Marist High School
1998
Peter Rose
Erindale College
1999
Christian Orsini
Terra Sancta College
2000
Riley Mullins
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
2001
Mat Brown
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
2002
Aaron Lewis
Wavell State High School
2003
Michael Carl
St Dominic's College, Penrith
2004
Beau Champion
Endeavour Sports High School
2005
Ben Te'o
Keebra Park State High School
2006
Matthew Mundine
Endeavour Sports High School
2007
Adam Reynolds
Matraville Sports High School
2008
Ryan James
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
2009
Jordan Kahu
Keebra Park State High School
2010
Gerard McCallum
The Hills Sports High School
2011
Kem Seru
Matraville Sports High School
2012
Jaden Clarke
Endeavour Sports High School
2013
Marion Seve
Keebra Park State High School
2014
Joey Tramontana
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
2015
Julian Christian
Kirwan State High School
2016
Payne Haas
Keebra Park State High School
2017
David Fifita
Keebra Park State High School
2018
Tom Dearden
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
2019
Adrian Trevilyan
Kirwan State High School
2022
Gabriel Satrick
Ipswich State High School
2023
Lachlan Galvin
Westfields Sports High School
See also
References
External links
National Federation National teams State Federations Other Federations Events Competitions Honours Media Lists