Hampton continued their stunning 2017 7s season by winning the Gullivers Sports Travel Surrey U18 7s at the Richmond Athletic Ground.

On a brilliant and surprising day of rugby, where many of the biggest names in schools rugby exited early, Hampton fast paced and exciting brand of 7s stole the show in extraordinary fashion.

They stormed through a tough Group D that included Eton College, St Joseph’s College and Wallington County Grammar, setting up a last 16 tie against AASE side SGS Filton College, whom they beat by a stunning 52-5 margin.

Brighton College, who had qualified as the best runners up after a draw against St John’s Leatherhead in Group C faced Harrow, showing just how tough this competition is, these are two title winning sides, and here they were meeting at the last 16 stage.

Harrow saw off Brighton, while another major scalp also went, Wellington College, who lost 26-15 to St John’s, and Beechen Cliff saw off Millfield. The two most recent winners were out at the earliest knockout stage.

That sent everyone into the quarter finals with open minds and full of excitement, justified excitement, too, as some brilliant rugby was played.

Cranleigh put on a fantastic performance to beat Eton College, the reigning Rosslyn Park champions were looking in fine form. Beechen Cliff looked even better, hammering their AASE counterparts, Moulton College, 54-14.

St John’s were perhaps the surprise of the day though as they beat a much fancied Harrow side 35-26, while Hampton sealed their semi final spot with a comfortable 31-15 win over St Benedict’s.

Beechen Cliff’s brilliant form was again on show in the semis with a fine 26-15 win over the much fancied Cranleigh, but it was the Hampton v St John’s semi that grabbed the headlines. It was tense right up until the death but Hampton just sneaked through to secure their final place with a 15-12 victory, but it was tense, oh so tense.

To the final then, where given their respective semi finals Beechen Cliff were perhaps the more fancied in general, but this Hampton side was playing with a pace that was going to be hard for anyone to stop.

So it proved as they took an early 10-0 lead, but Beechen Cliff came back to level it at ten each, however in a stunningly controlled yet pacy second half, Hampton scored two further tries for a quite brilliant 22-10 victory and a first ever Surrey 7s title.

Over in the Plate, Caterham took the competition by storm, beating Emanuel and Dulwich College en route to a fantastic performance in the final, where the beat John Fisher, a side always pressing hard in the final stages, 29-12.

The main plaudits have to go to Hampton though, who were quite simply sensational. Their play was certainly the most exciting on show, and the pace they showed was just magnificent, as was their victory, which put a new name on the famous Surrey U18 7s Trophy.

The question now is, can they put in a similar performance at the HSBC Rosslyn Park National School 7s? On current evidence, it looks like it could well be the most open competition in years.

2017 Gullivers Sports Travel Surrey Senior 7s Results:

Cup

Final

Hampton 22-15 Beechen Cliff

Semi Finals

St John’s Leatherhead 12-15 Hampton

Beechen Cliff 26-15 Cranleigh

Quarter Finals

Harrow 26-35 St John’s Leatherhead

Hampton 31-15 St Benedict’s

Moulton College 14-54 Beechen Cliff

Cranleigh 31-19 Eton College

Last 16

Harrow (Group A Winners)19-7 Brighton College (Runner Up 1, Group C)

Wellington College (B) 15-26 St John’s Leatherhead (C)

Hampton (D) 52-5 SGS Filton College (RU5, G)

Berkhamsted (E) 24-31 St Benedict’s (RU2, I)

Epsom College (F) 24-29 Moulton College (RU3, H)

Beechen Cliff (G) 22-17 Millfield (H)

Cranleigh (I) 29-24 Whitgift (RU4, E)

Trinity (J) 0-45 Eton College (RU6, D)

Surrey Plate

Final

Caterham 29-12 John Fisher

Semi Finals

Dulwich College 12-22 Caterham

John Fisher 12-0 Wimbledon College

Quarter Finals

Dulwich College 38-0 Salesian

Caterham 31-15 Emanuel

John Fisher 38-7 RGS Guildford

Wimbledon College 19-15 Tiffin

Italics – Cup Qualifiers

*Surrey Plate Qualifiers