Dubbo College Senior Campus is all set and ready to host the first leg of the hotly-anticipated Astley Cup this year.
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The annual competition between Dubbo College, Bathurst's Denison College and Orange High School is set to return to Dubbo on Thursday June 20 and Friday June 21.
On those days, Dubbo College will play host to the defending champions from Bathurst as they try to stake their claim on a title that has eluded them since 2011.
Across Thursday, the Bathurst teams will be welcomed and then thrown into the beginnings of the multi-sport competition with Tennis, Basketball, Netball and Rugby League pitting the two schools against each other.
On Friday, the teams will compete across general athletics, soccer and hockey.
Dubbo Sports Captain Brock Larance is expecting to compete across a number of the first day's sports, and is keenly aware of the pressure associated with the title.
"It's been a very long nine years," Larance said.
"I think it's probably the best chance we've ever had this year, I know that gets said every year, but we've got a red hot crack at it this year."
"We've got a good League team as always, and our soccer team, we lost to Orange the other week, but we should have beat them 5 - 0."
"If our Soccer team steps up and our League team steps up, they could really do something."
Larance was also optimistic about the prospects of Dubbo's newly revamped basketball team, who he expects to make a strong showing with their new roster and new depth of talent.
Sports Captain Jaimee Nixon says the annual competition, one of the most proud school sporting traditions across the country, makes a lot of difference in the atmosphere of the school.
"It means a lot for school spirit," Nixon said.
"There's some great new athletes coming through, we've had a few coming from Saint Johns and joining the team."
"This year's going to be different," Nixon and Larance agreed.
"We've got the troops rallied up, pumped up after this assembly today, when we knock the house down, I think we'll all be ready to go," Larance said.
