Jamie Parsons

Hillston has won its first Proten Cup silverware since 2018, taking out the pre-season knockout with an impressive three victories while conceding no tries.

The Bluebirds were the first winners of the knockout and have now added to their tally with an 18-0 win over Ivanhoe in the final, after accounting for Deniliquin 26-0 and Goolgowi 6-2 in the pool stage.

In the women’s games the Ivanhoe Hens won their first knockout, defeating Hillston 4-0 in the final after defeating Rankins Springs 10-0 and Goolgowi 14-0 beforehand, with no tries scored against them the entire day.

The Hillston girls started the day much improved over their 2025 performances with a 12-0 shutout of Goolgowi, followed up later with a 6-all draw with Deniliquin including 2 tries to new recruit Tilly Heath.

Rankins Springs put in a tough performance in its first game against Ivanhoe, with only seven registered players available on the day and a few backing up from Goolgowi.

The Hens’ Aimee McGuckin scored three tries across the day, with a double in their 14-0 win over Goolgowi.

Deniliquin’s women made their debut in this season’s knockout after failing to field a side last season, also with a few back-ups, and managed to draw their first game before going down to Rankins Springs 16-0.

Hillston’s men only conceded the one penalty goal all day, with winger Tale Delai scoring three tries, one in each game.

Despite an improved squad, Deniliquin failed to get on the scoreboard and suffered a couple unfortunate injuries. Goolgowi were unfortunate to lose the points against Ivanhoe, losing only via the first tryscorer rule for knockouts.

Full Knockout Results

Men’s

Hillston 28 (Tale Delai, Malek Afuamua, Brayden Davis, Connor Eade, Clayton Kemp tries; Brayden Davis 4 goals) Deniliquin 0

Ivanhoe 10 (Lochyer Brennan, Ethan Harris tries; Phillip Hunter goal) Goolgowi 10 (Dan Brown, Henry Taylor tries; Henry Taylor goal)

Hillston 6 (Tale Delai try; Brayden Davis goal) Goolgowi 2 (Henry Taylor goal)

Ivanhoe 40 (Ethan Harris 3, Lochyer Brennan 2, Will Sali, Jermaine Dixon tries; Thomas Lee 6 goals) Deniliquin 0

Final – Hillston 18 (Connor Eade, Saul Railo, Tale Delai tries; Brayden Davis 3 goals) Ivanhoe 0

Women’s

Hillston 12 (Tulia Ciri, Tilly Heath tries; Belle Lowe 2 goals) Goolgowi 0

Ivanhoe 10 (Aimee McGuckin, Cherokee Dixon tries; Falesiu Moli goal) Rankins Springs 0

Hillston 6 (Tilly Heath try; Belle Lowe goal) Deniliquin 6 (Amy Cashmere try; 1 goal)

Ivanhoe 14 (Aimee McGuckin 2, Cherokee Dixon tries; Falesiu Moli goal) Goolgowi 0

Rankins Springs 16 (Brooke Streat, Kendy Lawrence, Natalie Gibbs tries; Tash Tuckett 2 goals) Deniliquin 0

Final – Ivanhoe 4 (Falesiu Moli try) Hillston 0