Talented teens from the top eight rugby league secondary schools in northern and central Queensland have played out rounds two and three of the Aaron Payne Cup, on their way to the finals in August.
Supported by the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, this year's round-robin style competition kicked off in April and sees schools from Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay and Yeppoon playing off to secure the trophy.
LATEST RESULTS – matches played at Townsville & District Junior Rugby League grounds:
Round 2 results, Wednesday 9 May:
- Emmaus College Rockhampton 16 def St Patrick's College Mackay 10
- Mackay State High School 48 def Rockhampton Grammar School 0
- Ignatius Park College 32 def St Brendan's College 8
- Kirwan State High School 26 def The Cathedral College 0
Round 3 results, Thursday 10 May:
- St Brendan's College 30 def Mackay State High School 6
- The Cathedral College 16 def St Patrick's College Mackay 14
- Kirwan State High School 82 def Emmaus College Rockhampton 0
- Ignatius Park College 16 def Rockhampton Grammar School 10
Round 4 of the Aaron Payne Cup will be held on 16-17 May in Mackay and Rockhampton.
The Aaron Payne Cup final will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Cowboys v Broncos Round 22 NRL match at 1300SMILES Stadium on Thursday 9 August.
The two highest-placed teams will go on to compete in state finals in the NRL Schoolboys Competition, making it an important pathway for aspiring rugby league talent.
The competition provides schoolboys with regular rugby league games and encourages continued involvement at the state and national level.
The Cowboys Under 15 Challenge takes place at the same time as the Aaron Payne Cup, giving the under-15 age group a chance to eventually participate in the Aaron Payne Cup.
