The 2025 ABAL Banking Schools Cup is well underway with the Year 5/6 and Year 7/8 divisions recently wrapping up after weeks of high-energy football across Western Sydney.
In the Year 5/6 competition, King Park Public School completed a remarkable double by defending their titles in both the Boys and Girls divisions.
The boys side delivered a commanding 9-2 victory over St Michael’s Meadowbank in the final, while the girls recorded a solid 3-1 win against Penrith Anglican School.
A total of 118 teams took part in the Year 5/6 competition, including 79 boys teams and 39 girls teams, reflecting the continued growth of grassroots football in the region.
The Year 7/8 division saw Merrylands High School emerge as Boys champions with an emphatic 11-0 win over Good Samaritan Catholic College, while William Clarke College dominated the Girls Final with a victory over Marsden High School. A total of 96 teams entered the 7/8 competition, comprising 61 boys and 35 girls teams.
The ABAL Banking Schools Cup is a community-based competition designed to encourage students to participate and play football in a friendly, inclusive and supportive environment. The tournament brings schools together across multiple age groups to represent their region with pride and passion.
Schools enter through their regional gala days, competing in round-robin tournaments to determine their regional champions. These champions then progress to the Finals Series held at Wanderers Football Park, the club’s elite training base and home of the Wanderers Academy.
Regional Gala Days began in late April, and cover areas across Western NSW, Hills, Granville, North-West Sydney, Canterbury-Bankstown, Nepean, Southern Districts, Blacktown and Macarthur, with the Finals Series to be played in mid-August.
Last year’s competition saw over 500 students travel to Wanderers Football Park for the Finals Series alone, creating unforgettable memories and inspiring the next generation of footballers.
With the Years 9/10 and 11/12 divisions still to come, the 2025 edition of the Schools Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most successful yet.
