If you've just joined a GPS school community, you've probably heard parents and old boys talking about the Raschke Cup and the Yeend Shield without anyone explaining what they are. Here's the short answer: they're the AAGPS basketball preseason trophies, the Raschke Cup for the 1st teams and the Yeend Shield for the 2nds, contested by the GPS schools in the holidays before the Saturday competition begins. They're the first bragging rights of the season, and they're not the premiership. This guide covers how it all fits together, including this year's result.

The 60-Second Version

• What it is: a preseason competition for the 1st teams (Raschke Cup) and 2nd teams (Yeend Shield) of the AAGPS, the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of NSW.
• Who plays: the eight Sydney schools that field AAGPS basketball teams: Newington, Scots, Shore, Sydney Grammar, Sydney Boys High, The King's School, St Ignatius' Riverview and St Joseph's Hunters Hill.
• When: during the school holidays, just before the GPS summer season starts in Term 4. Exact dates change from year to year, so check your school's sport calendar.
• How it works: a two-day round-robin tournament. The 1st teams play for the Raschke Cup, and the 2nd teams play for the Yeend Shield as part of the same event.
• 2026 result: Newington's 1st V won the Raschke Cup, and Newington's 2nd V finished runners-up in the Yeend Shield.

Raschke Cup, Yeend Shield, Premiership: Don't Mix Them Up

The names sound alike and the trophies get confused constantly, so here's the cheat sheet:

• Raschke Cup: the preseason trophy for 1st teams. You'll sometimes see it spelled "Rashcke Cup", but Raschke is the right spelling.
• Yeend Shield: the preseason trophy for 2nd teams, played as part of the same tournament as the Raschke Cup.
• The premiership: won over the 14-round Saturday season, where every school plays the others twice. The 1st grade premiership trophy is the Denys Hake Shield, and 2nd grade plays for the TE Bawden Shield. Those are the big ones.
• PJ Yeend Trophy: a separate representative match between an AAGPS side and a CAS side. The name overlaps with the Yeend Shield, which is why it trips people up.

How the GPS Basketball Preseason Works

In a typical year, the build-up looks like this:

1. Preseason camps and training across the school holidays, often with a team camp.
2. Invitational tournaments against other schools, often across age groups such as Opens, U15 and U14.
3. The Raschke Cup and Yeend Shield, a two-day round-robin where the 1sts and 2nds play the other GPS schools.
4. A champion crowned, and the first bragging rights of the season.
5. Round 1 of the GPS summer season, usually played on a Saturday early in Term 4, with 2nd team games in the morning and the 1sts around 11:45am.

The Raschke Cup is a good early guide to who's turning up fit and organised, but it isn't a predictor. Preseason winners don't always go on to win the premiership, which is decided over the long Saturday season.

Why It Matters to Families and Old Boys

For new families, the pull is partly tradition. The AAGPS competition began in 1975, and the Saturday games, with the 1sts as the headline fixture, have become a fixed point of the school calendar. For old boys, it's a chance to see how the school's players are shaping up, and a few of them have taken the pathway a long way. Past GPS players include Isaac Humphries (Scots), who went on to Kentucky and the Orlando Magic, Josh Green (The King's School), who played at Arizona and in the NBA, and Makuach Maluach (Newington) and Henry Lau (Sydney Boys High), who both played college basketball before joining the Sydney Kings.

School Pride Starts With the Kit

Anyone who's stood on the sideline in school colours knows the uniform is part of the day. Every school sets its own rules on crests, colours and numbering, so check with your sports office before ordering anything. If you're helping a team, club or parent group sort uniforms, C2C Sport has supplied custom basketball teamwear since 1988, and its Design Your Own Uniform starts from 300+ ready-to-go templates that you can personalise with colours, logos, names and numbers. Its Locker Room also lets players and supporters order their own basketball apparel individually, which saves a lot of chasing for the volunteers running the team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Raschke Cup? It's the AAGPS basketball preseason trophy for 1st teams, played as a two-day round-robin tournament between the GPS schools in the holidays before the Term 4 season.

What is the Yeend Shield? It's the preseason trophy for AAGPS 2nd teams, run as part of the same tournament as the Raschke Cup.

Is the Raschke Cup the GPS premiership? No. The premiership is decided over the 14-round Saturday season. The Raschke Cup is a separate preseason competition.

Which schools play in GPS basketball? Eight schools compete: Newington, Scots, Shore, Sydney Grammar, Sydney Boys High, The King's School, St Ignatius' Riverview and St Joseph's Hunters Hill.

Who won the Raschke Cup in 2026? Newington College's 1st V won the 2026 Raschke Cup, and the school's 2nd V finished runners-up in the Yeend Shield, which is run as part of the same tournament.

Can my school team or club order custom basketball uniforms? Yes. Custom teamwear suppliers let you choose a design, add your colours, logos, names and numbers, and order for the whole squad. Check your school's uniform rules first.

Where can I customize my school team uniform? You can customise your school team's uniform online with C2C Sport, which specialises in custom basketball uniforms and teamwear.

Kit Out Your Squad

Whether it's a school team, a rep squad or a local club, getting everyone into the same kit lifts a team. Try the 3D Product Configurator to build your uniform in real time, or browse our Locker Room to see how individual basketball apparel orders work for your members.