Five former Manning Cup winners, including dethroned champion Kingston College (KC), will contest the second-tier Walker Cup knockout starting next Wednesday.

The Walker Cup, which was started in 1961 as a knockout tournament involving the top four Manning Cup teams, was altered in 2018 to be contested by teams that have dropped out of the Manning Cup in the second round. That means the best Manning Cup teams are not involved.

The Walker Cup was formed in honour of H.N. ‘Chicken’ Walker, the devoted former general secretary and treasurer of ISSA, in 1961, with St George’s College (STGC) winning the first edition. George’s and KC were the most successful schools, winning nine titles each, before the format was changed.

Now both KC and STGC, along with defending champions Mona High; four-times winners Wolmer’s Boys; St Jago, winners in 2023; the 2022 winners, Tivoli Gardens High; and the 2019 and 2021 champion St Catherine High, will be hunting what is widely dubbed the ‘Loser Cup’.

Campion College is the only contestant never to have won the Walker Cup, and this could be the year, as they are more motivated than the others.

The competition kicks off with four games as Mona High take on St George’s College at Mona High School; preseason Manning Cup favourites St Catherine High hosting Campion College; KC taking on St Jago at North Street; and Wolmer’s Boys travelling to Tivoli Gardens. All matches are scheduled to start at 3:00 pm.

Mona won their first Manning Cup title in 2023 and followed up by winning the Walker Cup in 2024. KC won the Manning Cup in 2024, and are now in the 2025 Walker Cup.

St George’s College’s last taste of football success was winning the 2014 Walker Cup, and the stage is set for arguably the best Walker Cup competition since the format was changed in 2018, having so many former Manning Cup winners involved.

It will be a matter of who is more motivated following their elimination from the prestigious Manning Cup tournament.