Last weekend, 4 teams battled it out for the rights to progress to the finals of the inaugural AusNS2 States Tournament.

With some close fought games, here are the results of the group stage:




Both Queensland and New South Wales will be progressing to the finals, despite the valiant efforts of both New Zealand and Victoria who fought bravely until the bitter end.

It seems quite fitting that both Queensland and New South Wales have ended up in the finals, not only because of the skills they have demonstrated during the group stages, but because of the rich history of rivalry between the states. It is this rivalry that has provided sports fans over the years many epic encounters, and will undoubtedly provide a spectacle to behold as some of the best players in Aus duke it out to determine which state reigns supreme.

As such, what was once a States Tournament has now undoubtedly become:



And now for some inspirational words from a man in a completely unrelated medium:

"We're often told that if we ignore history, we are doomed to repeat it. And certainly if we look at the history of the past 2 years, it would suggest that if these two teams played to their best tonight, then Queensland, in all likelihood, will prevail. They are the proven ones; they are indeed, a champion team. But thats the beauty of sport - this result, is not yet carved in stone. The New South Wales blues, will have their say.

When the blue's players are handed their server password tomorrow night, they're not just given something to enter with, they're also given a slice of history. They're given an opportunity to create their own history. They're given an invitation to be extraordinary. To beat Queensland tonight, they will need inspiration, and the best place to get that inspiration is from each other out there, on the field of battle. Inspire each other, with your effort. Inspire each other, with your courage. Inspire each other, with your will to win.

So there it is for New South Wales. Their destiny, is not so much in their own hands, but their destiny could well be decided by what's in their own hearts. Enjoy your origin NS2."
- Phil Gould, 2013.