The Worth 7s takes place on Sunday and it could prove to be one of the key tournament in the build up to the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s.

With such a compact and weather hit 7s season, each tournament counts for a huge amount now, and for a number of schools the Worth 7s could be their last full on hit out before the nationals.

Twenty teams will be in attendance, split between four groups of five. Each will have a genuine chance of silverware too. Those finishing top of the groups will go to the Cup semi finals, with those in second heading to the Trophy, third the Plate, fourth the Vase, and fifth the Shield.

From a historical point of view, Brighton College, who reached the semi final of the Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s on Wednesday, are the side to watch. They have reached four of the last five finals at Worth, winning the last two comfortably. In 2016 they beat the Oratory 31-0 in the final, and last year was even more impressive as they saw off Bedford 33-0.

The champions are in Group C alongside Seaford 7s winners, Hurstpierpoint College. Joining those two are Langley Park, St Paul’s, and the 2016 Plate champions, Campion.

Last year’s losing finalists, Bedford, find themselves in Group B. Bedford have been looking food so far this season and will have to be once again in a tough group containing last year’s Plate winners, KCS Wimbledon, the ever-strogn Bromsgrove, City of London Freemen’s, and Wednesday’s Plate winners at the Surrey 7s, St John’s Leatherhead.

The side they beat in Wednesday’s Plate final was Caterham, who also lost last year’s Plate final at Worth. They find themselves in Group A alongside the hosts, Worth, and what a group it is. Alongside those two are three of the toughest sides in school rugby, both 7s and 15s, in Hampton, Wellington College, and Kirkham Grammar School. As groups of death go, this is up there with the toughest of all.

Finally to Group D, where the 2016 runners up, The Oratory, reside. Joining them are Seaford College, always a dangerous opponent, the Champions Trophy winners, Dulwich College, Gordon’s, and a side to keep a real eye on, Felsted.

Once again it looks as though this is going to be a fantastic tournament, one from which we may well learn an awful lot about the sides that could be competing for the title at Rosslyn Park in a couple of weeks.

Worth 7s Draw: