The Oakham 7s takes place on Sunday, with twenty top schools gathering in England’s smallest County, Rutland.

The teams are split up into four groups of five, with the top two in each group heading to the Cup quarter finals, and the third and fourth placed sides making the Plate quarter finals.

Bedford are the defending champions, they beat Stowe 42-5 in last year’s final, and the men in red have actually lifted this Cup in three of the last four years.

They are placed in Group D, where they will meet the side they beat in last year’s final, and 2014’s, Stowe. Joining those two are Leicester Grammar School, Trent College, and one of Oakham’s local rivals, Stamford, who lost 36-10 in last year’s Plate final to Rugby School.

Rugby will be defending that Plate from Group B, but will hope that it is the Cup they compete in this year after a stunning unbeaten fifteen-a-side season. Bromsgrove join them in group B but will likely have their focus on the NatWest Cup semi final against Bishop Wordsworth’s on the 4^th March. Nottingham High School and Langley are also in the group, while The Oratory also make the trip.

Oakham will host the competition from Group A, where they will meet a St Joseph’s College side that always poses a threat. Joining those two are the always exciting Dentone College, Loughborough, and a strong Perse VII.

Two of Oakham’s great rivals, Uppingham and Oundle, are in Group C, and they are joined by two schools from Ipswich, Royal Hospital School and Ipswich School, as well as St Edward’s Oxford.

With Rosslyn Park edging ever nearer, expect this tournament to be a top quality tournament, and one that gives a good few indications as to what to expect in the flagship school 7s tournament at the end of March.