The Dubbo College students were loud, proud and full of school spirit as they closed the Astley Cup Assembly, with a keen eagerness the end the eight-year drought since they have won either the Astley or Mulvey cup.
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During the assembly Senior Campus School Captain Daniel Ramirez reminded students the Astley Cup is the oldest inter-school competition in NSW.
This year marks the 96th year Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst public schools have competed across a range of sports for the winning title.
Dubbo College Sports Organiser Craig May said the competition has endured as a revered and important tradition for many generations of students and their families in the Dubbo community.
Mr May said even the years where Dubbo College had not won a sporting event in the tournament, were “some of the best years” because of the school spirit students demonstrated.
The competition “has withstood World War II… and gone from strength to strength” he said.
The sister competition, the Mulvey Cup will be held at the same time and the Dubbo College debating team hope to help bring home a double win.
Mr May recalled the great success Dubbo College had in 2002 when they won the cup for the first time in the last 16 years.
“Since 2011 there’s been a missing part in the trophy cabinet – we’re hoping to rectify it this year.”
Over 100 Dubbo College athletes will continue that fighting spirit under the leadership of Senior Campus sports captains Milla Ross and Hamish Grant.
Mr May said the students should be proud of their involvement, because for alumni it has been “the highlight of their school career, they loved to be a part of it, they still talk about it 20 or 30 however more years later”.
“This year is about playing hard and playing fair, because w’ere not only representing Dubbo College – we’re representing Senior, South and Delroy Campus,” Senior Campus Principal Andrew Jones said.
Rugby League captain Tim Boney said “Bathurst and Orange underestimate our team” which would be their secret weapon to guarantee their success.
Debating team captain Swastika Sharma said “absolutely – we’re going to end the drought”, when asked whether the debating team could win the Mulvey Cup after eight years.
She said they have a “really strong team” and “chocolate” would be helping them get “into the zone” to face their Bathurst and Orange counterparts.
