After seven days of tough competition, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment proved they are second to none after winning the 2023 Duke of Gloucester Cup.
2RAR section commander Corporal Locksley Pryce said he couldn’t fault his section’s performance.
“Everyone performed equally well. If it wasn’t for their hard work we wouldn’t have won,” Corporal Pryce said.
“We were quite motivated and confident we could win it, but we also had a flexible mindset, that anything could be thrown at us, as well.”
A section from each infantry battalion took part in the competition, held at the School of Infantry from August 19-25.
It started with marksmanship, before moving into the field to test the soldiers in combat and medical skills.
The competition finished with a 14km endurance test and obstacle course.
Corporal Pryce said an intense physical training program and focusing on the basics helped them prepare.
“Each Friday we did a bit of a culminating activity, which also involved a pack march and obstacle course, so we were physically drained but also touching on the theory or practical skills we did that week,” he said.
2RAR also came home with the Royal Ulsters Rifles Trophy for best falling plate shoot, and Corporal Pryce was awarded the Regimental Sergeant Major’s Trophy for best section commander.
Private Cooper Cattanach, who was the only member of the winning section who competed in 2022, this year was named best individual soldier and awarded the DSM Roche CSC Memorial Cup.
1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment won the Sir Arthur MacDonald Trophy for best foundation warfighting skills, the Gurkha Trophy for best live-fire shooting and the RAR Foundation Trophy for best endurance phase.
Lance Corporal Jack Hill, of 8th/9th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, won the Albert Jacka VC Award for best section second in command.
Exercise designer, Major David Evangelidis, said the standard of all teams this year was outstanding.
“All sections put in a superhuman effort, and performances across the board were world class,” Major Evangelidis said.
“Separating the winning section was tough, and it was a very close finish.”
