42% gold: Staggering numbers behind rise of South Coast as school sport juggernaut

South Coast has capped off a remarkable year of Queensland Representative School Sport by taking out the top spot across all 12 regions in 2024. See how many gold they won in the year.

South Coast V Sunshine Coast in the 12-14 years QLD School Sport Baseball Championships. Picture: Glenn Campbell

South Coast has capped off a remarkable year of Queensland Representative School Sport by taking out the top spot across all 12 regions in 2024.

The region took home a staggering 42 per cent of state championships on offer – a five per cent increase from 2023, seven per cent increase from 2022 and 11 per cent increase from 2021.

The South Coast region also placed top three in an eye-watering 77 per cent of tournaments throughout the year, having increased that number from just 62 per cent three years ago.

The success was driven by a South Coast cohort that included 83 teams across 23 sports, supported by 215 officials (filling 265 roles) and a record high 1971 students hailing from over 140 schools.

Student participation increased by five per cent compared to 2023, with a dramatic climb of over 49 per cent compared to 1315 students in 2021 (1774 in 2022).

Thirty-one teams increased their standings from 2023, with 22 new state champions crowned, while 15 teams claimed back-to-back titles to accompany six back-to-back Runners-Up.

Sports with the highest medal count* included touch football (80 per cent of possible gold, one fourth), netball (100 per cent gold from three events), tennis (100 per cent podium – three gold, a silver and two bronze), Australian rules football (75 per cent gold, one silver) and football (100 per cent podium – three gold, a silver and two bronze).

Cross-country also claimed all three categories of Individual 10-19 years, relay and overall champions.

The 2025 QRSS season will kickstart on February 13 at Hervey Bay, with South Coast hoping to hold onto the state champion title for triathlon and better its second-place finish in the aquathlon.

*of medal data provided in August 2024.