The GPS Gold Challenge

The GPS Gold Challenge is the largest GPS Old Boy event.  It is now held every 2 years for Old Boys of the nine NSW GPS Schools who have reached, or about to reach, the age of 50 years.  Now in its fourteenth year, the event aims to rekindle friendships among former class mates, develop new contacts among the GPS fraternity and raise money for our designated charity, Redkite, which assists children and young people with cancer and their families.

Are you a GPS Old boy who left in 1979 or 1980?

If you are, then the 2012 GPS Gold Challenge is for you.

The key dates are:

Friday 5th October - Golf at Ryde Parramatta Golf Club, West Ryde & Shooting at The King’s School, Parramatta

Saturday 6th October All other events plus the Closing Dinner at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview

What’s it all about?

2012 marks the 13th and 14th GPS Gold Challenges with both Alumni 1979 and Alumni 1980 competing, in separate competitions, for the Aub Thomas Memorial Trophy.

This year’s main venue, Saint Ignatius’ College, provides the ideal environment and facilities to host the 600 plus participants for the Saturday competitions starting with the rowing at 8.00 am on the Gold Cup course until the evening’s debating competition held during the Closing Dinner. 

The Challenge, however, kicks off the day before, Friday 5th October, with the golf at the Ryde-Parramatta Golf Course and the shooting at The King’s School.

“It’s in reality a reunion”, said GPS Gold Challenge Founder David Hutchinson (Shore ’67).  “The event aims to rekindle the friendships among former classmates while sharing in the spirit of friendly competition and accordingly, the sports chosen, as well as the schedule for the day and evening, are set up to encourage participation in a wide number of activities regardless of physical fitness or ability”, he said.  “Previous years have proven that the greater the number of participants, the more enjoyment for all.  It is absolutely not the intention to just roll out the 1st grade teams from 30 years ago,” David stressed.

Participants are encouraged to choose a sport between tennis/rowing/cricket in the morning and then also participate in each of the touch rugby, athletics, swimming and basketball in the afternoon. The Challenge then culminates with the Closing Dinner where the guests are entertained by the nine debaters.  In addition, many events have a policy of unlimited replacements during the matches/races.

At the last Gold Challenge in 2010, over 500 Old Boys took part in the Saturday competitions on top of the more than 100 in the golf the day before, catching up with old mates while also raising over $30,000 for Redkite.

Registration Form

The 2012 Registration & Release Form is now available here:

Registration_Form_&_Release 2_2012.pdf.

Please fill it in and and send in to Marshall White to register for the event.

If you have any comments on or suggestions for this website please send David Francis (Shore ‘77) an email