Another monumental midweek of Schools Rugby is upon us as the Cup competitions resume.
It is all about the NatWest competitions, with the Champions Trophy, NatWest Cup, and NatWest Vase all resuming for their second rounds, while the NatWest Plate and NatWest Bowl both start.
The Plate and Bowl are new competitions for this year, losers of the Cup first round play in the Plate, while losers of the Vase first round are playing in the Bowl.
The Champions Trophy will grab most of the headlines, given that it is already at the last 16 stage, and we have previewed it elsewhere, so this will focus on the other games this week. To see our Champions Trophy preview, follow this link: Champions Trophy Round 2 Preview.
Tuesday
The Champions Trophy will dominate Tuesday, but in the evening there is a huge NatWest Cup tie in London & South East as Feslted and St Joseph’s College meet for an evening kick off under the lights of Colchester RFC.
There is another massive NatWest Cup game, this time in the Midlands, as Gresham’s host Stamford. Over in the Vase QEH are hosting Backwell. While there are two regular season games, with Campion travelling to Davenant, and Uppingham hosting Leicester Grammar School in what ought to be a superb game of schools rugby.
Wednesday
Wednesday is the day that sees the bulk of the fixtures being played, and what a collection of fixtures there are.
On top of the two Champions Trophy games, there are Cup and Vase games all over the country that ought to have schools rugby supporters enthused.
NatWest Cup holders Bromsgrove are in action at home to Bloxham, while Bishop Vesey’s host Adams Grammar.
Warwick are chasing Cup glory but will need to recover from their loss at the weekend to Abingdon, they play Loughborough, while Oakwood travel to Chatham and Clarendon.
There are two huge games in the North groups as last year’s finalists, QEGS Wakefield host the highly impressive Woodhouse Grove. Meanwhile St Peter’s York, who beat QEGS on Saturday, are in action away at Pocklington.
Staying in the North section there is another huge fixture, this time between RGS Lancaster and Stonyhurst College. Meanwhile back in the South Plymouth College host King’s College Tanton and the highly impressive Judd XV travel to Simon Langton.
There is a huge game in Croydon as local rivals Trinity and John Fisher are paired together. Fisher have already beaten Trinity this year, but will know that their local rivals will be desperate for revenge.
Truro School v Exeter School shows all of the hall marks of a Cup classic, while Whitgift v Eltham College ought to be fascinating as the two time champions, Whitgift, look to really make a mark on the tournament again this year.
There is a huge fixture on Wednesday evening at Allianz Park as Haileybury and Harrow do battle on the artificial surface, with both sides in fine form it should be a cracking game of rugby, though Harrow will surely start as favourites after their Daily Mail Trophy table topping start to the year.
There are some massive games in the Vase, Plate, and Bowl, too. Ampleforth College v Hymers College in the Plate ought to be a massive game, so too Bedford Modern v Princethorpe College.
Thursday
Thursday is a slightly quieter day, though there is still plenty of exciting action. In the NatWest Cup Skinners’ host Hurstpierpoint College in what ought to be an excellent contest, while the very much in form Manchester Grammar will travel to St Ambrose College, who reached last year’s Vase final.
In the Plate there is a big fixture in the south as KES Southampton travel to Downside, meanwhile Mill Hill host Cooper’s Coborn and Nottingham High School host Leicester Grammar.
Trent College host Welbeck in the Vase, with Sir Roger Manwood’s travelling to St Lawrence College.
There is also a huge game on Thursday that sits apart from the Cup competitions, as Radley College host the high flying Rugby School in what is one of the game’s oldest fixtures.
Friday
Friday evening sees two exciting games, starting with a huge fixture between the unbeaten and high scoring Kirkham Grammar School, and Abindgon, who beat the outstanding Warwick on Saturday. Also under the lights is Wisbech Grammar School v Robert Clack.
More fixtures will be confirmed through the week, with the bulk of the round 2/round 1 fixtures in the NatWest Competitions set to be completed this week.
If you have any photos, videos, or reports from the weekend’s schools rugby, please do send them in via email (writers@fifteenrugby.com ), Facebook (www.facebook.com/FifteenRugby ), or via Twitter (@FifteenRugbyXV).
Tuesday
Davenant v Campion
Bristol GS v Blundell’s – Champions Trophy – 15.30
Epsom College v St John’s Leatherhead – Champions Trophy – 14.30
Eton College v Grammar School at Leeds – Champions Trophy – 15.00
Felsted v St Joseph’s College – NatWest Cup – Colchester RFC, 19.00
Gresham’s v Stamford – NatWest Cup
QEH v Backwell – NatWest Vase
Uppingham v Leicester GS
Wednesday
Ampleforth College v Hymers College – NatWest Plate
Ashville College v Rishworth
Austin Friars v QEGS Penrith – NatWest Vase
Bedford Modern v Princethorpe College – NatWest Plate
Beth’s v Langley Park – NatWest Bowl
Bishop Vesey’s v Adams GS – NatWest Cup
Bromsgrove v Bloxham – NatWest Cup
Cardinal Vaughan v Gunnersbury – NatWest Vase
Castle v Crypt – NatWest Vase
Chatham & Clarendon v Oakwood – NatWest Cup
City of London Freemen’s v Richard Challoner’s – NatWest Vase
Colfe’s v Maidstone GS – NatWest Vase
Emanuel v KES Aston
Glyn v Royal Alexandra & Albert
Haileybury v Harrow – Allianz Park, 20.00
Hayes v Ravens Wood – NatWest Vase
King Henry VIII Coventry v Bablake
Loughborough v Warwick – NatWest Cup
Oakham v Clifton College – Champions Trophy – 15.15
Oaklands v Gordon’s – NatWest Bowl
Plymouth College v King’s College, Taunton – NatWest Cup
Pocklington v St Peter’s, York – NatWest Cup
QEGS Wakefield v Woodhouse Grove – NatWest Cup
Reading v Sir William Borlase’s – NatWest Vase
RGS Lancaster v Stonyhurst College – NatWest Cup
RGS Worcester v KES Birmingham
Sevenoaks v Gravesend GS – NatWest Vase
Simon Langton v Judd – NatWest Cup
St Columba’s College v Magdalen College – NatWest Plate
St Dunstan’s v Duke of York’s RMS – NatWest Vase
St Paul’s v Bedford – Champions Trophy – 14.30
Tonbridge v Millfield – Champions Trophy – 14.15
Trinity v John Fisher – NatWest Cup
Truro v Exeter – NatWest Cup
UCS v Wimbledon College – NatWest Plate
Watford GS v St Clement Danes – NatWest Vase
Whitgift v Eltham College – NatWest Cup
Woodhouse Grove v Ripon GS
Worth v Cardinal Newman – NatWest Bowl
Wycliffe College v Marling
Thursday
Canford v Kingswood – Champions Trophy – 14.45
Downside v KES Southampton – NatWest Plate
Mill Hill v Cooper’s Coborn – NatWest Plate
Nottingham HS v Leicester GS – NatWest Plate
Radley College v Rugby
Skinners’ v Hurstpierpoint College – NatWest Cup
St Ambrose College v Manchester GS – NatWest Cup
St Lawrence College v Sir Roger Manwood’s – NatWest Vase
Trent College v Welbeck – NatWest Vase
Friday
Abingdon v Kirkham GS – 18.00
Wisbech GS v Robert Clack – 18.00
More fixtures to be confirmed.
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