Newington College's 1st V basketball team won the 2026 AAGPS Raschke Cup, the GPS preseason tournament for first-grade teams, while the school's 2nd V finished runners-up in the Yeend Shield, which is played as part of the same tournament. It's a strong start for Newington basketball heading into the GPS summer season.

The 2026 Result at a Glance

How Newington Won the 2026 Raschke Cup

The Raschke Cup isn't a one-game final. It's an annual two-day round-robin, so a team has to string together results against the other GPS schools across the tournament, and Newington's 1st V came through it as winners. The school's own wrap-up described the holiday period as one of outstanding success for its basketball program, with the 2nd V adding a runners-up finish in the Yeend Shield.

That kind of result is built well before the tournament. For GPS squads, preseason usually means a holiday camp, invitational tournaments and a lot of hard training, all aimed at arriving fit and organised for the Raschke Cup and the Saturday season that follows.

Newington Basketball: A History of Winning

Basketball has deep roots at Newington. The school began playing an unofficial basketball competition with five other schools in 1969, and the official AAGPS competition followed in 1975.

Since then, the 1sts have built one of the strongest records in the competition. AAGPS premiership records list Newington as 1st grade premiers four years running from 1995 to 1998, three years running from 2016 to 2018, and again in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Raschke Cup has been part of that story too: AAGPS results record Newington beating Shore 79-48 in the 2021 final.

The program has also produced players who've taken the game further. Former Newington 1st V players include Nick Kay, who went on to Metro State and the Perth Wildcats, Makuach Maluach, who played at the University of New Mexico before joining the Sydney Kings, and Grant Anticevich, who played at the University of California.

What It Means Heading Into the GPS Season

A preseason win doesn't guarantee a premiership, but it's a good sign that a squad has put in the work over the break. Newington's 1sts won the Raschke Cup and the 2nds finished as Yeend Shield runners-up, so both teams head into the Saturday competition with a strong tournament behind them. The premiership itself is decided over the 14-round season, with the 2nds usually playing in the morning and the 1sts in the late-morning game.

The Knox Invitational

Alongside the Raschke Cup, many schools take part in the Knox Invitational, a preseason tournament hosted at Knox Grammar School. In 2026 it was played on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October, with group games on the first day and finals on the second, and Newington was among the schools in the draw.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Has Newington won the Raschke Cup before? Yes. AAGPS results record Newington beating Shore 79-48 in the 2021 Raschke Cup final.

What is the Raschke Cup? It's the AAGPS preseason basketball tournament for first-grade teams, played as a two-day round-robin in the holidays before the Term 4 season.

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

What is the Knox Invitational? It's a preseason basketball tournament hosted at Knox Grammar School. The 2026 edition was played on 7 and 8 October.

Is the Raschke Cup the same as the GPS premiership? No. The Raschke Cup is a preseason tournament. The premiership is won over the 14-round Saturday seaso

Kit Out Your Own Team With a C2C Locker Room

Newington plays in kit made by C2C Sport, which also works with clubs, associations and schools across Australia. One way C2C helps is the C2C Locker Room, which gives your team its own online kit shop, open 24/7. Members and supporters order their own gear and choose names, numbers and sizes at checkout, while the committee watches orders come in and sees who hasn't ordered yet. Everything is paid online, so nobody is collecting cash or sizing forms at the courts.

More than 60 clubs and associations already run a Locker Room, across sports including basketball, netball, football and hockey. A full store suits larger clubs, ideally 100 or more members. Smaller teams that only order now and then can have their designs kept on file, so reordering is as simple as sending a message.

When you're ready to design the kit itself, start in the Design Your Own tool and see exactly what your colours, names and numbers will look like before you order.