The Admiral Sir Harry Rawson Cup, commonly known as "The Rawson Cup", was presented to the Sydney University Sports Union in 1906 by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, GCB, KCMG, Governor of New South Wales (1902–1909). The Rawson Cup is the male intercollegiate sporting competition at the University of Sydney. The cup is fought for by men representing each of the four colleges with male undergraduate students; St Andrew's College, St John's College, Wesley College and St Paul's College. In addition, postgraduate men of Sancta Sophia College compete in rowing, swimming, and athletics.
It is contested over the academic year and consists of 8 sports: Rowing Swimming Athletics Rugby Basketball Tennis Cricket Soccer
Previously shooting was a Rawson Cup sport but this was replaced by basketball in 1975. Soccer was introduced as a Rawson Cup sport in 1993. At the conclusion of each sport points are awarded: seven for first place, five for second place, three for third place and one for fourth place. At the conclusion of the last sport the leader in the points score wins the Rawson Cup.
St Andrew's College have won the Cup the most and possess the longest continuous winning streak of eight years (1991 to 1998).
Prior to the donation of the Rawson Cup, there was a sport played between the men's colleges at the University of Sydney on an informal basis from about 1892.
The system used to determine the winner of the cup has a rather tangled history. Intercollegiate delegates have argued for many years over the interpretation of the word "challenge". Prior to 1922, the holder was determined on a first-place only basis, though half a point was awarded to each of the two colleges involved in a tied win in a sport. From 1922 second places were taken into consideration in the event in the event of two colleges obtaining an equal number of first places. In 1948, after consulting the University Of Sydney Sports Union, Intercol introduced the 5:3:1:0 scoring system, where points are shared in case of a draw. In 2025, the scoring moved to a 7:5:3:1 system.
The challenge principle was held to be still preserved in that the college holding the cup had to be defeated on points to relinquish it. On each of the five occasions where St Andrew's and St Paul's were equal on points (1960, 1978, 1996, 2020 and 2024), St Andrew's retained the cup although both names were inscribed on it. The award of the cup is considered valid even if all the sports are not contested, such as in 1946 when rowing and shooting were not contested.
During the two world wars, there were self-imposed restrictions on college sports and so the award of the Rawson Cup during those years was discontinued, although some informal sport did take place.
Results Overall
+ Total Victories College Number of Wins St Andrew's College 64St Paul's College 41Wesley College 7St John's College 3
+ Winners by Year Year College 1907 St Paul's College 1908 St Andrew's College 1909 St Andrew's College 1910 St Andrew's College 1911 St Andrew's College 1912 St Andrew's College 1913 St Andrew's College 1914 St Andrew's College 1915 discontinued 1916 discontinued 1917 discontinued 1918 discontinued 1919 St Andrew's College 1920 St Paul's College 1921 St Andrew's College 1922 St Andrew's College 1923 St Paul's College 1924 St Andrew's College 1925 St Andrew's College 1926 St Andrew's College 1927 St Andrew's College 1928 St Andrew's College 1929 St Andrew's College 1930 St Paul's College 1931 St Paul's College 1932 St Andrew's College 1933 St Andrew's College 1934 St Andrew's College 1935 St Andrew's College 1936 St Andrew's College 1937 St Paul's College 1938 St Paul's College 1939 St Paul's College 1940 discontinued 1941 discontinued 1942 discontinued 1943 discontinued 1944 discontinued 1945 discontinued 1946 St Andrew's College 1947 St Paul's College 1948 St Paul's College 1949 St Andrew's College 1950 Wesley College 1951 St Andrew's College 1952 St Paul's College 1953 St Paul's College 1954 St Andrew's College 1955 St Paul's College 1956 St Paul's College 1957 St Paul's College 1958 St Andrew's College 1959 St Andrew's College 1960 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 1961 St Andrew's College 1962 Wesley College 1963 St Paul's College 1964 St Paul's College 1965 St Andrew's College 1966 St Andrew's College 1967 St Paul's College 1968 St Andrew's College 1969 St Andrew's College 1970 St Andrew's College 1971 St Andrew's College 1972 St Paul's College 1973 St Paul's College 1974 St John's College 1975 St Paul's College 1976 St Paul's College 1977 St Andrew's College 1978 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 1979 St Andrew's College 1980 St Andrew's College 1981 St Paul's College 1982 St Paul's College 1983 St Andrew's College 1984 St Andrew's College 1985 St Paul's College 1986 St Paul's College 1987 St Andrew's College 1988 St Paul's College 1989 St Paul's College 1990 St Paul's College 1991 St Andrew's College 1992 St Andrew's College 1993 St Andrew's College 1994 St Andrew's College 1995 St Andrew's College 1996 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 1997 St Andrew's College 1998 St Andrew's College 1999 Wesley College 2000 Wesley College 2001 Wesley College 2002 Wesley College 2003 St Paul's College 2004 Wesley College 2005 St Paul's College 2006 St Paul's College 2007 St Paul's College 2008 St Paul's College 2009 St Paul's College 2010 St Andrew's College 2011 St Andrew's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 St Paul's College 2018 St Andrew's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 2021 St Andrew's College 2022 St Andrew's College 2023 St Andrew's College 2024 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 2025 St John's College 2026 St John's College
Cricket Year College 2011 St Andrew's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College, St John's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 Wesley College 2016 St Paul's College 2017 St Andrew's College 2018 St Andrew's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Andrew's College 2021 St Paul's College 2022 St Paul's College, St Andrew's College 2023 St Andrew's College 2024 St Andrew's College 2025 St Paul's College, Wesley College, St John's College 2026 St Paul's College, St John's College
Swimming Year College 2011 St Andrew's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 St Andrew's College 2018 St John's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Andrew's College 2021 St Andrew's College 2022 St Andrew's College 2023 St Andrew's College 2024 St Andrew's College 2025 St John's College 2026 St John's College
Rowing Year College 2011 St Andrew's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 St Andrew's College 2018 St Andrew's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Paul's College 2021 St Paul's College 2022 St Paul's College 2023 St Paul's College 2024 St Paul's College 2025 St John's College 2026 St John's College
Rugby Year College 2011 St Andrew's College, St John's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 St Paul's College 2018 St Paul's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Andrew's College 2021 St Andrew's College 2022 St Andrew's College 2023 St Andrew's College 2024 St John's College 2025 St John's College 2026 St John's College
Soccer Year College 2011 St John's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 Wesley College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 Wesley College 2017 St Paul's College 2018 St Andrew's College 2019 St Paul's College 2020 St Paul's College 2021 St Paul's College, St Andrew's College 2022 St Paul's College, St Andrew's College 2023 St Paul's College 2024 St Paul's College 2025 St John's College 2026 St John's College
Tennis Year College 2011 St Paul's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Paul's College 2015 St Paul's College 2016 St Paul's College 2017 St Paul's College 2018 St Paul's College 2019 St John's College 2020 St Paul's College 2021 St Andrew's College 2022 St John's College 2023 Wesley College 2024 Wesley College 2025 St John's College 2026 St Andrew's College
Basketball Year College 2011 St Andrew's College, Wesley College, St John's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Paul's College 2014 St Paul's College 2015 St Andrew's College, St Paul's College, Wesley College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 Wesley College 2018 Wesley College 2019 Wesley College 2020 Wesley College, St Andrew's College, St Paul's College 2021 St Andrew's College 2022 St Andrew's College 2023 Wesley College 2024 Wesley College 2025 St John's College 2026 Wesley College
Athletics Year College 2011 St Andrew's College 2012 St Andrew's College 2013 St Andrew's College 2014 St Andrew's College 2015 St Andrew's College 2016 St Andrew's College 2017 St Paul's College 2018 St Andrew's College 2019 St Andrew's College 2020 St Andrew's College 2021 St Paul's College 2022 St Paul's College 2023 St Andrew's College 2024 St Paul's College 2025 St Paul's College 2026
References