Lock In Dates For The 2024 Proten Cup Draw

The proten Cup has released its draw for the 2024 season.

As the Cup enters the last year of its first six-year cycle, premiers Narrandera will host the first round on May 18.

The competition plays a full weekend’s games at one location each week, with clubs Goolgowi, Hillston, Rankins Springs, Narrandera, Barellan and Ivanhoe hosting one round each over the six-week comp.

A pre-season knockout on May 4, hosted by Rankins Springs will launch the season.

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.

Recent low numbers for the knockout are a result of the day usually falling in the middle of the busy sowing season, decimating rural sides.

To kick the year off, Barellan will play Hillston, Ivanhoe will face 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 8, before continuing with Goolgowi on June 15, Hilton on June 22 and Barellan on 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 in what is sure to be another worthy meeting in their recent storied history, including the past two Grand Finals.

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.

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 have already begun to shape their 2024 season, with Ivanhoe starting pre-season under coaches Shaun Aylett and Conrad McGinty (mens) and Dwayne Evans and Jonno Hart (women).

Rankins Springs kicked off their training on February 4 with new coaches Damian Walker and Joshua Johnston (mens) and returning women’s coach Joel McIntyre.

Games not to miss this year include:

• Barellan versus Ivanhoe Women’s Round 3 - Ivanhoe will undoubtedly be at their strongest at home.
• Rankins Springs versus Hillston Mens Round 2 - These teams have a history of close finishes, including the 93-minute Minor Semi in 2021, won by a Dragons’ penalty goal. The last time they 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 versus Goolgowi Men’s Round 1 - Goolgowi had six straight wins over Narrandera before the Lizards turned it around, winning their last two games 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 versus Rankins Springs, Hillston versus Ivanhoe, and Barellan versus Narrandera. All the local derbies in one place.

• Topics:

• Rugby League