Denstone College secured the main silverware at the Uppingham 7s on Sunday, sending them into the business end of the 7s season on a high.

Denstone had a tricky group alongside Oakham, Framlingham College, and the hosts, Uppingham, but came through unscathed to reach the Cup semi finals, which saw the winners of each of the groups and the best runner up compete.

That meant Bedford went through as the Group 3 winners, along with the runners up from Denstone’s group, Oakham. Group 2 meanwhile was a tricky one, teams had all taken points off each other with Stamford and Rugby winning two and losing one while Royal Hospital School and St Joseph’s won one each and lost two.

Stamford topped that group on points difference though, and clearly the tough group helped them out as they then beat Oakham 7s champions Bedford 17-15 in the semi finals, sending them through to face Denstone College in the final.

Denstone had beaten Oakham 19-12 in the semi final and went on to repeat the trick with a 19-12 victory over Stamford in the final to claim the Cup and lay down a marker ahead of a big Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s for them in a couple of weeks.

The Plate, meanwhile, was contested by those remaining two second placed sides, Rugby and The Leys, as well as the best two from the remaining eight teams, Royal Hospital School and St Joseph’s College.

Royal Hospital had beaten Rugby in the group stages despite finishing behind them, and they repeated that in the semi finals of the Plate with a 20-12 victory. St Joseph’s College meanwhile beat The Leys 17-12.

That pitted RHS and St Joseph’s College together in the final. When the two had met in the groups St Jo’s had won it by a hair at 7-5, however in the final St Joseph’s College showed the quality that they undoubtedly have for a 29-7 victory and the Plate title.

Meanwhile in the Bowl it was straight to the final, where hosts Uppingham beat Framlingham College 29-14 to claim some silverware for the home faithful, fitting reward for hosting an excellent 7s tournament.

There was also a Colts tournament, which Bedford won in dramatic style. The final was not too dramatic, a 38-12 victory over Group 2 runners up Oundle, however their semi final against the hosts and Group 2 winners, Uppingham, was as dramatic as it gets.

Bedford led 19-0 with three minutes to play, only for Uppingham to score three tries to send it into extra time and golden point. Both sets of players were exhausted by the end of normal time, bodies littering the field in a mix of joy, despair, and sheer exhaustion.

In the end though the comeback had perhaps just taken too much out of Uppingham and it was Bedford that secured the golden point, sending them through to the final, where they would secure the Cup. Royal Hospital School, meanwhile, went one better than their U18s, taking the Plate with a 42-12 win over Stamford.

For Denstone College in the U18 Cup though it was an important day, an impressive win and a big stepping stone on the way towards Rosslyn Park.

Uppingham 7s Results:

Champions – Denstone College

Plate – St Joseph’s College

Bowl – Uppingham

Cup

Final

Denstone College 19-12 Stamford

Semi Finals

Denstone College 19-12 Oakham

Stamford 17-15 Bedford

Plate

Final

St Joseph’s College 29-7 Royal Hospital School

Semi Finals

St Joseph’s College 17-12 The Leys

Royal Hospital School 20-12 Rugby

Bowl

Final

Uppingham 29-14 Framlingham College

Uppingham 7s Final Group Standings:

U16s

Champions – Bedford

Plate – Royal Hospital School

Cup

Final

Bedford 38-12 Oundle

Semi Finals

Bedford 19-19 Uppingham (Golden Point, Bedford)

Oundle 14-12 The Perse

Plate

Final

Royal Hospital School 42-17 Stamford

Semi Finals

Royal Hospital School 28-7 Oakham

Stamford 22-7 Rugby

Final Group Standings