The U18 Vase is the busiest of all the competitions at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s, with 52 groups in total, each with four sides.
That can prove controversial at times, with organisers, spectators, and seasoned observers imploring, begging sometimes, some of the bigger names in the competition to move across to the Cup. Some concede, recognising that their own pursuit of silverware is not as important as the competition as a whole, others elect not to.
What it does do is make for a busy and exciting two days of competition, the winners of each group plus the best two runners up will play in an elimination round at the end of Day 1, Wednesday 25th March, with the winners in that elimination round heading to the Vase last 16, the losers to the Bowl last 16.
The last 16 competitions consist of nine pools of three teams each, the winners of though head to the Quarter Finals, which again are a pool format, with three pools of three. The winners of those quarter final pools and the best runner up will then head to the semi finals, from which point it is a straight knockout.
Other Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools 7s Draws
U18 Girls, U18 Girls AASE, & U15 Girls
Prep Schools, Junior Schools, U11s
Among the notable names in the Vase are last year’s champions, Bromsgrove. They head up a tricky Group A with Ampleforth College, Reigate Grammar, and Rhydywaun for company.
Canford are a side to look out for in Group C, which also features an international side in the form of Muvuti Boys High School, while Group F with Eton College and Seaford College in competition should be exciting.
Group I features last year’s Bowl winners, RGS Newcastle, who look like a cracking side again this year, but it should a top group too with Eltham College, Bishop Wordsworth’s, and Preseli all included.
Stonyhurst College in Group J could be a dark horse, while in Group L Bloxham could be a real threat depending on their Schools Plate commitments, never underestimate the Millfield 2nd VII either.
George Watson’s College are one of Scotland’s finest in Group M, which also features Teddies Oxford, Weston College, and international side Sint-jan Berchmanscollege. Group N looks tasty too, Blundell’s are a strong outfit and Gwyr, RGS Guildford, and especially Newcastle School for Boys are all good sides.
Uppingham had one of their best fifteen-a-side seasons in years and will fancy their chances despite the tricky looking opposition in Group Q, but even more tricky is the group of their closest rivals, Oakham, Group R. Alongside Oakham are Cheltenham College, Shiplake College, and Mount St Mary’s College, a testing group if ever there was one.
Back in the old Festival days Tonbridge were a dominant force in this competition and they are strong again this year, they could be a threat from Group T, look out for Abingdon in Group U and Bristol Grammar in Group V, too.
Group X looks fiendish, St Paul’s, QEGS Wakefield, St George’s, and Merchant Taylors could all cause each other problems. It will be worth watching Wimbledon College in Group BB, too, in the age-grades in the last four or five years they have been one of the most dominant schools and it could start showing at U18 Vase level now.
Scottish giants Merchiston Castle are in Group DD and will have a strong Wirral Grammar side for company. Merchiston could be dark horses, as could Dean Close in Group FF, who have a seriously strong group of players.
Felsted and Haileybury are drawn together in what could be an absolute monster of a tie in Group KK – the winner could easily go on to challenge for the title. In Group PP Epsom College will undoubtedly be one of the most talked about sides in the competition, after a fifteen-a-side season that saw them acknowledge as one of the very best teams in the country, they will be expected to mount a serious challenge in the Vase.
Truro School in Group QQ are a team to keep an eye on, so too the famous Scots, Dollar Academy, in RR, Stamford and Bradford Grammar’s challenge in TT ought to be fascinating too, while St Peter’s York won the Colts tournament last year and must fancy a real tilt at this title now from Group VV.
The Vase promises to be an intense and high quality couple of days of action at the 2020 Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s!
U18 Vase – Wednesday 25th March & Thursday 26th March
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
Bromsgrove School | Gateshead College | Muvuti Boys High School | Christ College |
Rhydywaun | Trinity School | St Paul’s | Cwm Rhymni School |
Ampleforth College | St Peter Gloucester | Hills Road Sixth Form College | Lycee International |
Reigate Grammar School | Gordons School | Canford | Mount Kelly |
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
Haberdashers Askes Boys School | Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School | The College of Richard Collyer | Dulwich College (2nd VII) |
Gower College Swansea | KES Birmingham | Exeter School | Thomas Hardye School |
Malvern College | Eton College | Manchester Grammar School | Queen Elizabeth School |
Hampton School (2nd VII) | Seaford College | Royal Wootton Bassett Academy | Sidcot School |
Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L |
RGS Newcastle | Stonyhurst College | Giggleswick School | Bloxham |
Eltham College | Leicester Grammar School | Loughborough Grammar | Emanuel School |
Bishop Wordsworth’s | Isle of Man | Caterham School | Shrewsbury School |
Ysgol Y Preseli School | Prior Park College | Aitchison College | Millfield School (2nd VII) |
Group M | Group N | Group O | Group P |
St. Edward’s, Oxford | Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr | Framlingham College | Wellingborough School |
George Watson’s College | Blundell’s School | Ellesmere College | Sutton Valence School |
Sint-jan Berchmanscollege | RGS Guildford | The Oratory School – Reading | Hayes School |
Weston College | Newcastle School for Boys | Richard Huish College | Oundle School |
Group Q | Group R | Group S | Group T |
Uppingham School | Mount St Mary’s College | Langley School | The Perse School |
Hymers College | Shiplake College | Royal Hospital School | Tonbridge School |
Worksop College | Cheltenham College | University College School | AKS Lytham |
Sir Joseph Williamson’s | Oakham | The Campion School | Clayesmore |
Group U | Group V | Group W | Group X |
Abingdon School | Wycliffe College | King’s College – Taunton | Howard of Effingham |
Coleg Gwent BGLZ | The Cathedral School, Llandaff | St. Olave’s Grammar School | QEGS Wakefield |
Bryanston School | Magdalen College School | Park House School | St George’s, Weybridge |
Pocklington School | Bristol Grammar School | Norwich School | Merchant Taylors’ School |
Group Y | Group Z | Group AA | Group BB |
Reed’s School | The King John School | Plymouth College | Kingswood |
Downside School | Melksham Oak | Wallington County GS | Royal Alexandra & Albert School |
Ibstock Place School | The King’s School – Macclesfield | Ipswich School | Wimbledon College |
The King’s School Worcester | Cardinal Newman | Worth School | Chislehurst and Sidcup GS |
Group CC | Group DD | Group EE | Group FF |
Stowe | Wirral Grammar School | Nottingham High School | Dean Close School |
Gravesend Grammar School | Kings Of Wessex Sports Academy | Brynteg School | Bedford Modern School |
Pembrokeshire College | Colyton Grammar School | Colfe’s | Sevenoaks School |
Berkshire College of Agriculture | Merchiston Castle School | Hereford Cathedral School | Bishops Stortford College |
Group GG | Group HH | Group II | Group JJ |
Pangbourne College | Wellington School | The Windsor Boys’ School | Mill Hill School |
Easton & Otley College | St Christopher School | Bassaleg School | King’s Bruton School |
Wisebch Grammar School | Aberdare | Torquay Boys’ Grammar School | Portsmouth Grammar School |
Brentwood School | Loretto School | Coopers’ Coborn School | Gresham’s |
Group KK | Group LL | Group MM | Group NN |
Felsted School | Queen Elizabeth’s – Barnet | Bridgwater & Taunton College | Lancaster Royal Grammar School |
Haileybury | The Leys School | Grammar School at Leeds | Hertfordshire & Essex HS |
Stockport Grammar School | Ravens Wood School | TyneMet College | Ysgol Bro Edern |
Shebbear College | Ysgol Y Strade | The Fulham Boys School | Yarm School |
Group OO | Group PP | Group QQ | Group RR |
Birkenhead School | Durham School | Truro School | The Judd School |
Farnborough 6th form College | Maidstone Grammar School | Radyr Comprehensive | Dollar Academy |
Coleg Y Cymoedd | Duke of York’s RMS | London Oratory | Rydal Penrhos School |
City of London Freemen’s School | Epsom College | Dame Allan’s School | KCS Wimbledon |
Group SS | Group TT | Group UU | Group VV |
Peter Symonds College | Bradford Grammar School | The Harrodian | St Peter’s, York |
Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital Bristol | Oswestry School | Langley Park School for Boys | Seevic College |
Queen’s College | Stamford School | Cardiff High School | Tanglin Trust School |
Trent College | Taunton School | Tiffin | The Churcher’s College |
Group WW | Group XX | Group YY | Group ZZ |
Ysgol Bryn Tawe | Caerleon Comprehensive | New Hall School | Reigate College |
St Albans School | Oakwood Park Grammar School | Burford School | Harris City Academy |
Rossall School | Marlborough College | Loughborough College | Lord Wandsworth College |
Welbeck Defence College | Ashville College | Birkdale School | Queen Ethelburga’s |
Reserves: Culford, Haberdashers’, Coleg Sir Gar, King’s Ely, King’s Canterbury, Wells Cathedral, Monmouth, Olchfa, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Penwith College, Isleworth & Syon, Kingsley, Simon Langton, Wrekin College, KES Stratford, Bristol Cathedral Choir, Strathallan, Watford GS, Forest School.
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