STUDENTS at Denison College Bathurst campus are already preparing for the Astley Cup, hoping to this year secure the rare three-peat.
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The inter-school competition will be held over the last three weeks of the school term, with Bathurst High set to go up against Dubbo College in the first tie.
Year 12 student Scott Osborne said the competition, given how long of a tradition it is, holds a lot of significance for students.
"It means a lot to me. My father went to this school and was in Astley Cup teams," he said.
Scott will represent his school in soccer and tennis, two sports that has been playing since he was a child.
When it comes to preparing for the Cup, he said that some teams train during and after school, while individual students also like to practice on their own.
He feels confident that their hard work will produce a good result.
"I think we have a good chance to win it," he said, adding that Bathurst High has a really strong tennis team.
School principal Ken Barwick also feels quietly confident that the school could win its third Astley Cup in a row.
He said that Orange High School was likely to be their strongest competition and, as they will play each other in Bathurst, he expects the home-ground advantage could secure the cup.
The two schools make up the second tie of the competition, to be carried out on June 27 and 28.
The final tie will be Orange versus Dubbo in Orange the following week.
"We would rather not be the team playing the third tie. We'd rather be the team that has secured the first two ties," Mr Barwick said.
"If you've won one tie and lost the second one, it is really nerve-wracking sitting back watching."
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When asked which sports were Bathurst High's strongest, Mr Barwick said the tennis, girls soccer and the rugby league.
However, he acknowledged that there were several sports that were close across the board and two in particular that could win the Cup for any school.
"It comes down to girls hockey and boys soccer," he said. "It's which schools that can dominate those points that will determine the cup."
