Australian Schools Champs

Take part, see Australia, and build lifelong friendships.

Australian Schools Orienteering Championships

The Australian Schools Orienteering Championships (ASOC) is the premier event in the Australian schools orienteering calendar. It is held every year in late September / early October as part of the Australian Championships Carnival week.

It is an amazing event. You meet new people. You catch up with old friends and make new lifelong friends. You travel to different parts of Australia and enjoy some fantastic orienteering.

Action from 2023 ASOC
The start of Senior Girls division relay at the 2023 Australian Schools Championships in West Australia. Photo: Richard Matthews.

Who Can Take Part?

You can take part in ASOC if you are a student at an Australian school, including students studying Years 11 and 12 full time at TAFE and home-schooled students, recognised by State /Territory Education Departments in Australia, who are 19 years or younger and 12 years or older as of 31 December in the year of the event. Equivalent eligibility criteria apply to all international competitors.

Competitors must be a member of their respective state/territory affiliate of Orienteering Australia or their international federation.

Each state or territory affiliate of Orienteering Australia selects a team to compete at ASOC. If you don’t make a team, you can still take part as an “independent athlete”. We encourage everyone who can to take part. Its a great experience!

What about Events and Classes?

ASOC is contested over three events. These are:

  • Sprint Distance – individual and teams.
  • Long Distance – individual and teams.
  • Relay – teams.

All entrants are eligible for indvidual titles and the teams’ titles are restricted to those students who are competing as part of an official team,

There are four ASOC classes in each Championship events. These are:

  • Boys 19 years and under
  • Girls 19 years and under
  • Boys 15 years and under
  • Girls 15 years and under

SOUTHERN CROSS JUNIOR CHALLENGE

The Southern Cross Junior Challenege is held in conjunction with ASOC and is contested by the invitational New Zealand teams and all the Australian State/Territory teams. It is a tough competition as the New Zealanders are hard to beat and always perform with great credit.

It is also a fantastic opportunity for all competitors to get to know each other and for competing students to form lifelong friendships between our two countries.

Past results and history of ASOC

Rules

ASOC is conducted under the authority of Orienteering Australia and rules approved by the Board of Orienteering Australia. The ASOC rules work in tandem with the competition rules for orienteering.

The ASOC rules can be found on the Operations Guide page as 2.6 – Australian Schools Championships Rules. The rules apply from March 8, 2025.

Service Award

The Service Award recognises a person’s continued commitment to the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships program, in particular representatives from State/Territory associations who have completed or are about  to complete ten (10) years of attendance and/or participation in the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships.

2019 – Joan Sheldon – Queensland

2019 – Stephen Bird – Victoria

2016 – Reid Moran – Queensland

2014 – Ian Dalton – Western Australia

2005 – David Tilbrook – South Australia

2004 – Blair Trewin – Victoria

2004 – Fiona Calabro – Queensland

2003 – Len Minty – Australian Capital Territory

2003 – Peta Whitford – Victoria

2001 – Rob Simson – Queensland

The Rob Simson Memorial Shield

The Rob Simson Memorial Shield was initiated by the Simson family, to acknowledge the work done by Rob Simson, in 1989 and later, in establishing and championing the competition that we now know as ASOC. The award is presented to the best first time competitor at ASOC.

2024 – Gretel Young – Queensland

2023 – Mathew Maundrell – Australian Capital Territory

2022 – Liana Stubbs – Tasmania

2019 – Milla Key – Victoria