The U18 Schools Cup officially begins this week, with almost all of the first round games taking place across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
A few games have already taken place, including a thumping win for the reigning Champions, Whitgift, against St Olave’s Grammar last week in London & South East B last week. Loughborough Grammar are also off to a good start in Midlands A, so too last year’s Vase champions, Samuel Whitbread. They moved up to the Cup and Midlands B this year and beat Bedford Modern 50-0 in their opener.
Over in London & South East A Mill Hill are also through with a tight win over Watford Grammar, while on Saturday Emanuel joined them after a 43-5 victory over Tiffin. The other London group has been a busy one already, with Campion joining Whitgift after a good 27-7 victory over Eltham College, who had a really good run last year.
South West B, meanwhile, has seen a thriller as Lord Wandsworth College just edged out Portsmouth Grammar School by a single point at 18-17.
With plenty more to come this week though, here’s a quick look at each section – each section’s fixtures are listed in line with the draw so the top two fixtures will play each other next, and so on and so on.
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U18 Schools Cup Draw:
North A
Stonyhurst College v Stockport GS (Wednesday)
Lancaster RGS v Ermysted’s GS (Wednesday)
Giggleswick v QEGS Wakefield (Wednesday)
Cheadle Hulme v Bradford GS (Wednesday)
Silcoates v Manchester GS (Wednesday)
Wilmslow HS v Merchant Taylors’, Crosby (Wednesday)
King’s Macclesfield v Calday Grange GS (Wednesday)
Wirral GS v St Mary’s College (Wednesday)
North A is looking strong and is set for a full house of fixtures on Wednesday, barring any late changes. In Bradford Grammar and QEGS Wakefield there are a couple of Schools Cup legends, and should they win against Giggleswick and Cheadle Hulme respectively, they will be facing each other next up.
North B
RGS Newcastle v Dame Allan’s (Wednesday)
Emmanuel College v Durham (Wednesday)
East Durham College v Hartlepool 6th form College – TBA
Barnard Castle v Carmel College (Wednesday)
St Peter’s, York v Grammar School at Leeds (Wednesday)
BYE v BYE
Woodhouse Grove v Prince Henry’s GS – TBA
Hymers College v Pocklington (Wednesday)
Things are no less competitive in North B with most fixtures taking place on Wednesday and a couple still to be confirmed. In Barnard Castle, Durham, and RGS Newcastle there are some real legends of the Cup, along with the likes of Woodhouse Grove and St Peter’s York. St Peter’s face a tricky tie against former Champions Trophy finalists Grammar School at Leeds, but for the winner there is a huge reward, a trip straight to round 3 thanks to a second round bye.
Midlands A
Lymm HS v BYE
Sir John Dean’s v Ellesmere College (Wednesday)
Wrekin College v Old Swinford Hospital (Wednesday)
Bromsgrove v King’s Worcester (Wednesday)
Mount St Mary’s College v Worksop College
Trent College 12-38 Loughborough GS
Bishop Vesey’s GS v Solihull (Wednesday)
Warwick v Bloxham (Wednesday)
Bromsgrove and Warwick have dominated in recent times, Bromsgrove earning back to back titles followed by Warwick, a run only ended by Whitgift winning last year. Both are in this Midlands A section but on opposite sides. Warwick have a really tough draw too, facing Plate champions Bloxham in round 1. Loughborough Grammar are already though and will face either Mount St Mary’s or Worksop College, while Lymm High School received a bye and will face either Sir John Dean’s or Ellesmere College.
Midlands B
Northampton SfB v Stowe (Wednesday)
Oundle v BYE
Bedford Modern 0-50 Samuel Whitbread Academy
Bishop’s Stortford College v BYE
Bishop’s Stortford HS v Felsted (Wednesday)
BYE v BYE
Royal Hospital School v St Joseph’s College (Wednesday)
Norwich v BYE
Midlands B is a little thin in terms of numbers but not quality. Last year’s Vase winners, Samuel Whitbread, beat Bedford Modern on Wednesday and now face Bishop’s Stortford College in round 2 after they received a bye. As did Oundle, who will face either traditional heavyweights Stowe, or the side that has made a habit of deep runs in recent years, Northampton School for Boys. In the bottom half the winner of Bishop’s Stortford HS v Felsted heads straight to round 3, while the winner of Ipswich derby Royal Hospital School v St Joseph’s College have Norwich visiting them in Round 2.
London & South East A
Watford GS 17-19 Mill Hill
UCS v St Benedict’s (Wednesday)
KCS Wimbledon v St George’s College, Weybridge (Friday)
St Clement Danes v BYE
Tiffin 5-43 Emanuel (Saturday)
Wimbledon College v ACS Cobham International (Wednesday)
John Fisher v Reed’s (Wednesday)
City of London Freemen’s v Christ’s Hospital (Wednesday)
Former champions St Bendict’s head to UCS on Wednesday, and a win will see them make a trip to Mill Hill after their opening round win over Watford Grammar. Elsewhere St Clement Danes have a bye straight to the second round, where they will face either KCS Wimbledon or St George’s College, who have an epic clash lined up for Friday night. With the likes of Wimbledon College, John Fisher, and Reed’s among those in the draw, it’s a tricky section, while on Saturday Emanuel progressed with a 43-5 victory over Tiffin.
London & South East B
Campion 27-7 Eltham College
Seevic College 61-0 Colfe’s
Whitgift 78-0 St Olave’s GS
Trinity v Langley Park (Friday)
Ravens Wood v Richard Challoner (Wednesday)
Judd v BYE
Cardinal Newman v Simon Langton GS (Wednesday)
Sevenoaks v BYE
London & South East B hosts two former champions and both are already through. Campion’s win over Eltham means they are though and will face either Seevic College, who were in flying form for a 61-0 win over Colfe’s, while Whitgift’s brilliant win means their back to back dream will continue against either Langley Park or their Croydon rivals, Trinity. Judd are through with a bye and face either Ravens Wood or Richard Challoner, while Sevenoaks, so good early on this season, are also through with a bye and play either Cardinal Newman or Simon Langton.
South West A
Dean Close v Sir Thomas Rich’s (Tuesday)
BYE v BYE
Sherborne v Downside (Wednesday)
Kingswood v QEH – TBA
Bridgwater & Taunton College v Taunton (Wednesday)
King’s College, Taunton v Richard Huish (Wednesday)
Ivybridge Community College v BYE
Bristol GS v Colston’s (Wednesday)
There are some big-time clashes in South West A, not least on Tuesday when Dean Close and Sir Thomas Rich’s meet, and the reward as big – a bye straight to round 3. Sherborne v Downside is also massive, while Bristol Grammar host the most dominant side in Schools Cup history, Colston’s. They winner of that one faces Ivybridge Community College, who had a first round bye.
South West B
Dauntsey’s v Marlborough College (Wednesday)
Abingdon v Reading Blue Coat (Wednesday)
Pangbourne College v RGS High Wycombe (Wednesday)
Dr Challoner’s GS v The Crypt (Wednesday 2nd October)
Lord Wandsworth College 18-17 Portsmouth GS
Seaford College v East Sussex College (Wednesday)
Canford v Bishop Wordsworth’s (Thursday)
BYE v BYE
Schools Cup legends RGS High Wycombe lurk in this section, and after beating Millfield they will fancy their chances at Pangbourne College. Elesewhere urk the likes of Marlborough College and Abingdon, while on Thursday Canford and former finalists Bishop Wordsworth’s meet, with a bye straight to round 3 the reward.
