A new point-scoring system for the Astley Cup is to be introduced for the 2024 series which started this week, with new sports also under consideration for the century-old competition.

Former Dubbo High student and local historian Patrick Burke believes that the new point-scoring system could result in far closer results in the tri-school series that involves sports including athletics, tennis, soccer, netball, hockey, rugby league, and basketball.

“I have been in contact with Craig May, Dubbo College Sports Coordinator, and Craig informs me that the points-scoring scheme for the Astley Cup will no longer be a ratio out of 100 points for the sports,” Patrick said.

“For the 2024 Astley Cup there will be two points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for the loss, for each sports in the cup,” he added.

He recalled that the scoring system for this unique sporting rivalry between Dubbo, Orange, and Bathurst high schools — one of the oldest and most prestigious school sporting competitions in Australia — has evolved since its establishment in the early 1920s.

“The allocation of the points in the Astley Cup has changed over the years, the current scoring system has each sports scored out of 100 points.

“Before I left Dubbo High in 1970, though, tennis was out of 90 points, athletics was 100, hockey (girls) was 100, netball was 60, and rugby league was 100; also, in recent years, girls and boys soccer, and boys basketball, have been added to the Astley Cup,” Patrick remembered.

He said that the new scoring system is designed to remove anomalies whereby a school can win the majority of sports, but still lose overall in the points tally.

“I can understand the reasoning for this type of change, as a school could win five of the eight sports in a round of the Astley Cup under the current sports points allocation, yet lose the Astley Cup round, by having less total points.

“In sports such as soccer and hockey, with low sporting points, there can be huge swings in the points in the rounds.”

He believes that the new points system could lead to a fairer, though more congested, allocation of points, whereby drawn final scores could result.

“In the new points-scoring system, all schools could finish with winning one round each of the Astley Cup, with a higher possibility that two or three of the schools could finish with the same total points.

“I understand that the holder of the cup, in this case, would retain the cup if the cup-holder is involved in the tie, not sure what will happen, if the other two schools, -- that is, the non-holders of the cup -- are involved in a tie... a toss of a coin?” Patrick wonders.

The new sports for consideration are to be discussed after this year’s competition and are likely to be introduced for the 2025 Cup, if all the schools agree to its expansion.

“In November 2024, the three schools will meet and discuss the introduction of three new sports for the Astley Cup, and the way in which this will be achieved,” Patrick said.