CATHERINE McAuley Catholic Primary School’s bid to claim the Netball NSW Schools Cup in years five and six hits a crucial point in today’s west/central west regional final, and the Orange side has one vital benefit - home court advantage.

After qualifying for the regional final by taking out the Bathurst Schools Cup local day in May, Catherine McAuley gets the advantage of playing today’s final at Orange PCYC where the side will clash with the regional finalist from Parkes, Coonamble and Dubbo.

Played out across three divisions - years five and six mixed, years seven and eight boys and years seven and eight girls - the winners of each grade today will qualify for the 2015 Netball NSW Schools Cup state final to be played at Netball Central, at Sydney Olympic Park, in September.

“All the local days have been really good, so we’re looking forward to seeing how it all pans out now,” Netball NSW west/central west regional co-ordinator Mardi Aplin said.

“There’s been some really good netball played and I think there will again [today].”

Catherine McAuley took out last year’s west/central west regional title, and will be gunning to retain it. The Orange school’s task isn’t an easy one though, facing stiff opposition from St Joseph’s Walgett, St Joseph’s Gilgandra, St Mary’s Warren, The Cathedral School Bathurst, St Raphael’s Cowra, St Matthew’s Mudgee, St Mary’s Dubbo and Macquarie Anglican Grammar Dubbo today.

“[Catherine McAuley] played really well at the local day in Bathurst, and obviously they represented the region in Sydney last year,” Aplin said.

“So with that in mind I’m sure they’ll be really keen to win the years five and six title again and have another crack.”

Catherine McAuley scored victories over St Mary’s Orange, Holy Family Kelso, The Assumption School Bathurst, Cathedral Bathurst and St Philomena’s Bathurst to place first in its pool at the local day.