The Aaron Payne Cup is a rugby league competition for high school students in New South Wales, Australia. The competition was established in 1975 and is named after former Australian and New South Wales rugby league player, Aaron Payne. The 2021 draw for the Aaron Payne Cup has recently been released, and it promises to be an exciting season for all involved.
Format of the Competition
The Aaron Payne Cup features 16 teams from across New South Wales. The teams are split into four pools of four, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once. The top two teams from each pool progress to the quarterfinals, which is a knockout stage. The winners of the quarterfinals progress to the semifinals, and then the two winning teams play in the grand final.
Pool A
Pool A features Patrician Brothers' College, Liverpool Boys High School, St. Gregory's College, and Westfields Sports High School. Patrician Brothers' College and Westfields Sports High School are the two favourites to progress to the quarterfinals, but both Liverpool Boys High School and St. Gregory's College will be looking to cause an upset.
Pool B
Pool B features Bass High School, Endeavour Sports High School, Hills Sports High School, and St. Dominic's College. Endeavour Sports High School are the reigning champions of the Aaron Payne Cup and will be looking to defend their title. However, Bass High School and Hills Sports High School are both strong teams and could challenge for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Pool C
Pool C features Holy Cross College, Illawarra Sports High School, Matraville Sports High School, and The Hills Grammar School. Matraville Sports High School are the favourites to progress to the quarterfinals, but Holy Cross College and Illawarra Sports High School will be looking to cause an upset. The Hills Grammar School will be competing in their first Aaron Payne Cup and will be looking to make an impact.
Pool D
Pool D features Endeavour Energy High School, McCarthy Catholic College, St. John's College, and Trinity Catholic College. Endeavour Energy High School are the favourites to progress to the quarterfinals, but all four teams will be looking to cause an upset. St. John's College have a strong rugby league history and could be a surprise package in this year's Aaron Payne Cup.
Quarterfinals
The quarterfinals of the Aaron Payne Cup are a knockout stage, with the winners progressing to the semifinals. The quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, and the matchups are as follows:
- Patrician Brothers' College vs. Hills Sports High School
- Matraville Sports High School vs. St. Gregory's College
- Endeavour Energy High School vs. Westfields Sports High School
- Endeavour Sports High School vs. Holy Cross College
Semifinals
The winners of the quarterfinals will progress to the semifinals, which will be held on Wednesday, August 11, 2021. The matchups for the semifinals are yet to be determined, as they will depend on the results of the quarterfinals.
Grand Final
The grand final of the Aaron Payne Cup will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. The venue for the grand final is yet to be determined. The two winning teams from the semifinals will compete for the title of Aaron Payne Cup champions.
Conclusion
The Aaron Payne Cup is a highly anticipated rugby league competition for high school students in New South Wales. The 2021 draw promises to be an exciting season, with some of the best high school rugby league teams in the state competing for the title. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and grand final will be held over the course of three Wednesdays in August, and rugby league fans across the state will be eagerly watching to see who will be crowned the 2021 Aaron Payne Cup champions.
