For principal Ken Barwick the event is not just a sporting competition but a long-standing community event that teaches kids important life lessons.

"I think first and foremost Astley Cup signifies the history and culture of Bathurst High ... it makes up the fabric of what we want to do and that's achieve success," Mr Barwick said.

"The kids spend a long time planning and getting the mindset to compete at a high level and that transfers into their later life. So if they care about something enough and work hard enough for something then they'll get a result and I think that's very important."

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In conjunction with the Astley Cup is the Mulvey Cup where, instead of battling it out on the sporting field, students fight to prove their point in a debating competition.

Bathurst High has also won the last three Mulvey Cups with the school now looking to secure both cups for the fourth time in a row.

"Most of our students who engage in the Mulvey Cup go on to incredible public lives. It's a fantastic cup as well and we currently hold both of them," Mr Barwick said.

With 2023 to mark the Astley Cup's 100-year anniversary, Mr Barwick is already planning for a huge community event celebrating the longest running sporting competition in the Southern Hemisphere.

The school hopes to encourage anyone associated with the Astley Cup family to attend with an Astley Cup ball being considered.

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