By Jamie Parsons
The Proten Cup has released its draw for the 2024 season, with premiers Narrandera hosting the first round on May 18th as the Cup enters the last year of its first six-year cycle.
The competition plays a full weekend’s games at one location each week, with clubs Goolgowi, Hillston, Rankins Springs, Narrandera, Barellan & Ivanhoe hosting one round each over the 6-week comp.
The season starts with a pre-season knockout on May the 4th with Rankins Springs as the host. The Dragons are the last team to host the knockout, first hosted by Barellan on the day all six clubs returned from oblivion in 2018. The knockout has been plagued by low numbers recently, with the day usually falling in the middle of the busy sowing season, decimating the rural sides.
To kick the year off Barellan will play Hillston, Ivanhoe will play Rankins Springs and Narrandera will host Goolgowi at the Lizards’ home ground. The first round will be followed by rounds at Rankins Springs and Ivanhoe, before the long weekend break on June 8th, and the last three rounds follow at Goolgowi (June 15), Hillston (June 22) and Barellan (June 29). Both women’s and men’s competitions will follow the same draw, with the three women’s games starting in the morning before the men’s games.
Narrandera and Ivanhoe will face off in Round 2 at Rankins Springs, sure to be another worthy meeting in their storied recent history including the past two Grand Finals. Other home-game matchups include Rankins Springs v Hillston in Round 2, Goolgowi v Rankins Springs in another Grand Final rematch in Round 4, Hillston v Narrandera in Round 5 and Ivanhoe and Barellan hosting each other in Rounds 3 & 6.
Each team plays all teams once and one other team twice. This year Barellan and Ivanhoe, Rankins Springs and Hillston, and Goolgowi and Narrandera will all play each other twice.
Narrandera become the final team to host the Grand Final, and will be looking to become only the second club to play at their home grand final after Rankins Springs in 2021. With grand final day getting bigger and bigger in recent years, it’s sure to be another massive day with the big one finally moving to the biggest town in the comp.
The competition format has been a major winner in bringing back the sport to local towns, with other competitions, including the Midwest Cup, changing to the format that the Proten Cup competition has pioneered.
Clubs are beginning to shape their 2024 season, with Ivanhoe starting pre-season already under coaches Shaun Aylett and Conrad McGinty (Men’s) and Dwayne Evans and Jonno Hart (Women’s) and Rankins Springs kicking off their training on February 4th with new coaches Damian Walker and Joshua Johnston (Men’s) and returning Women’s coach Joel McIntyre. The other clubs are yet to announce coaching positions.
2024 Games Not to Miss:
- Barellan v Ivanhoe Womens Round 3 – Barellan travelled well to Ivanhoe last year, winning at both the KO and the Round 2 clash with Goolgowi. Ivanhoe will undoubtedly be at their strongest at home and after just missing out on Grand Final victory are every chance to hand the Rams girls their first defeat.
- Rankins Springs v Hillston Mens Round 2 – These two teams have a history of close finishes including the 93-minute Minor Semi in 2021, won by a Dragons penalty goal. Last time these two met at Rankins Springs the Dragons came back from 14-0 down to win 22-20, again with a penalty goal after the siren.
- Narrandera v Goolgowi Mens Round 1 – Goolgowi had 6 straight wins over Narrandera before the Lizards turned it around and have won their last 2 against the Rabbits, including Goolgowi’s first ever home defeat in Round 6 last year, a 19-18 win with a field goal on the siren.
- Rivalry Round at Goolgowi Round 4 – Goolgowi v Rankins Springs, Hillston v Ivanhoe and Barellan v Narrandera. All the local derbies in one place!
Battlers For Bush Footy 