| Waratah Cup | |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Country: | Australia (NSW) |
| Dates: | 17 July – 14 August (finals) 5 March – 5 June (prelim.) |
| Num Teams: | 4 (finals) 159 (prelim.) |
| Defending Champions: | Sydney United 58 |
| Winners: | APIA Leichhardt |
| Runner-Up: | Rockdale Ilinden |
| Prev Season: | 2023 |
| Next Season: | 2025 |
The 2024 Waratah Cup was the 22nd season of the Football NSW's knockout competition. The four winners from the Australia Cup preliminary seventh round qualified for the Waratah Cup. Sydney United 58 were the defending champions but were eliminated by NWS Spirit in the seventh round. APIA Leichhardt won 3–0 in the final against Rockdale Ilinden to claim their sixth cup title at Jubilee Stadium. Michael Kouta, who scored the opening goal for APIA, was named player of the match.[1]
See main article: 2024 Australia Cup preliminary rounds.
The draw for round 2 involved 88 association clubs (level 5) and was announced in February 2024. Clubs from NSW League One and League Two were drawn in round 3.[2] The draw for round 4 was announced in March and included teams from the National Premier Leagues NSW.[3] Youth teams of the A-League Men were not eligible to participate in the cup.[4]
| Round | Clubs remaining | Winners from previous round | New entries this round | Main match dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 2 | 159 | – | 88 | 5–12 March | |
| Round 3 | 115 | 44 | 58 | 19–27 March | |
| Round 4 | 64 | 51 | 13 | 8–24 April | |
| Round 5 | 32 | 32 | – | 23 April–14 May | |
| Round 6 | 16 | 16 | – | 15–28 May | |
| Round 7 | 8 | 8 | – | 28 May–5 June |
The four qualified clubs were Rockdale Ilinden, NWS Spirit, Blacktown City and APIA Leichhardt, all of whom compete in the National Premier Leagues NSW.[5] From the seventh round, Rockdale Ilinden won 9–1 against Phoenix FC, the latter based in the football association of the Eastern Suburbs. NWS Spirit overcame defending champions Sydney United to progress, while APIA Leichhardt and Blacktown City defeated Marconi Stallions and Inter Lions in their respective matches.[5] [6] In addition to the Waratah Cup, the four clubs qualified to the Round of 32 of the 2024 Australia Cup.[5]
Rockdale played against NWS Spirit in the semi-final, having won their first head-to-head match over the latter in the 2024 league season.[7] Rockdale competed in their third cup appearance and for their first cup title. Spirit are previous cup winners, claiming the trophy in 2022, and appeared for their second Waratah Cup campaign.[6] [7] Blacktown City played against APIA Leichhardt in the semi-final. Both sides have won the cup five times and won once in the clashes between them during the 2024 league season.[8]
| Rockdale Ilinden | NWS Spirit | Blacktown City | APIA Leichhardt | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | ||
| 4 | Manly United | 2–2 (a.e.t.; 4–2 p) | Albion Park White Eagles | 1–4 | St George City | 2–1 | Hazelbrook FC | 19–1 | |
| 5 | Hakoah | 2–1 | Dulwich Hill | 3–2 | Fraser Park | 3–0 | Berkeley Vale S.C. | 5–0 | |
| 6 | Wollongong Wolves | 2–0 | Sydney Olympic | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Northbridge FC | 4–0 | Blacktown Spartans | 5–2 | |
| 7 | Pheonix FC | 9–1 | Sydney United 58 | 2–1 | Inter Lions | 5–1 | Marconi Stallions | 2–1 | |
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