The AAGPS runs 12 sports: six in summer and six in winter. The AAGPS, or Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of NSW, is the sporting association of nine historic schools: eight in Sydney and one in Armidale. Whether you're weighing up an enrolment, trying to decode what the parents on the sideline are talking about, or you're an old boy who just wants the list in one place, this guide covers every sport, when it's played, who plays it and what each school is playing for.

All 12 AAGPS Sports at a Glance

"Official since" is when the AAGPS began running a formal competition, which isn't always when schools first played each other. Swimming relays between schools date back to 1922, and water polo and volleyball had years of informal matches before their official competitions began.

What Sports Do GPS Schools Play in Summer and Winter?

Summer sports (six): basketball, cricket, rowing, swimming, tennis and water polo.

Winter sports (six): athletics, cross country, football, rifle shooting, rugby and volleyball.

Most boys play one summer sport and one winter sport, which is why school sport feels like a year-round commitment from the first week of Term 4 right through to the Athletics Championships in September.

The GPS Season Calendar

Term 4 Summer season starts → Term 1 Swimming carnivals and Head of the River → Terms 2 to 3 Winter season → September Athletics Championships

• Summer (Term 4 into Term 1): basketball, cricket, tennis and water polo play on Saturdays, with a preseason build-up in the holidays before Term 4. Basketball's Raschke Cup and Yeend Shield kick things off, and in 2026 Newington's 1st V won the Raschke Cup.
• Swimming (Term 1): the AAGPS Swimming Carnival is run as a series, with the fourth carnival in 2026 held on Friday 27 February.
• Rowing (Term 1): the Head of the River, the main event of the rowing season, was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Saturday 21 March 2026.
• Winter (Terms 2 and 3): rugby, football, volleyball, rifle shooting and cross country. The 2026 1st XV rugby season ran for ten rounds, finishing in mid-August.
• Athletics (September): the 130th Annual AAGPS Athletics Championships were held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre on Saturday 19 September 2026.

The Nine AAGPS Schools

Eight of the nine are in Sydney, and The Armidale School is the northern NSW country member. Not every school fields every sport: basketball, for example, is contested by the eight Sydney schools.

One School, Many Sports, One Kit Partner

For a GPS family, the uniform bill isn't one purchase, it's a different kit for each sport your son plays. That's where having one supplier across a school's sports makes life simpler, and it's why C2C Sport, which has been making team uniforms since 1988, supplies three GPS schools. Instead of a separate process for every team, a school or parent group can design on one platform: pick from 300+ ready-to-go templates, add the school colours, crest, names and numbers, and see the result in 3D before ordering. C2C offers custom design (typically 2 to 8 weeks), express stock (2 to 3 weeks) and its own ready-made stock (1 to 3 days), so there's an option whether you're planning ahead or racing a fixture.

Here's where to start for the sports in this guide:

• Basketball: custom basketball uniforms, including reversible options.
• Rugby: custom rugby jerseys and kits.
• Football (soccer): custom soccer jerseys.
• Volleyball: custom sport singlets are the starting point for singlet-and-shorts sets.
• Team jackets: custom varsity jackets for teams and school leavers.

Every GPS school sets its own rules on crests, colours and numbering, so check with your school's sports office before you finalise any design.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sports are in the AAGPS? There are 12: six summer sports (basketball, cricket, rowing, swimming, tennis and water polo) and six winter sports (athletics, cross country, football, rifle shooting, rugby and volleyball).

What does GPS stand for? GPS stands for Great Public Schools, and the AAGPS is the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of NSW. "Public" is used in the historic British sense, so in modern terms all of the schools except Sydney Boys High are private schools.

When did the GPS start? The AAGPS was formed on 30 March 1892 at a meeting held at Gunsler's Café near Circular Quay. Schools including The King's School, Riverview, St Joseph's and Shore were represented at the first meeting.

What is the difference between GPS and CAS? They're two separate school sporting associations. The GPS was formed in 1892 and has nine member schools. The CAS, or Associated Schools of NSW, was formed in 1929 and has six independent Sydney schools: St Aloysius' College, Barker College, Cranbrook School, Knox Grammar, Trinity Grammar and Waverley College. GPS and CAS schools often play each other in representative and trial fixtures.

How many schools are in the GPS? Nine: eight in Sydney and The Armidale School in northern NSW.

What GPS schools are in Sydney? The King's School, Sydney Grammar, Newington College, Riverview, St Joseph's College, Sydney Boys High, Shore and The Scots College.

What are the main AAGPS trophies? Each sport has its own premiership trophy, such as the Denys Hake Shield in basketball, the Wanderers' Cup in football, the Major Rennie Trophy in rowing and the Michael Kay Shield in volleyball. The full list is in the table above.

Kit Every Team Under One Roof

If you're helping a school team, house group or parent committee sort uniforms, start with C2C's School Sports Teamwear range, or build your own look in the Design Your Own tool.