Since 1949 records have been kept of each England U18 team to have played, so we decided to dig into them and see which schools have been represented the most often.
So we decided to look at the Top 10 England U18 producing schools, and it certainly yielded some fascinating results.
As always with such things there were a couple of caveats, as detailed in the video, we have included players selected in England U18 squads in 2020 despite there being no games as a result of Covid, we felt it only fair to the efforts of those players and the schools they represent.
Second, we have included only the schools that players finished their school rugby careers at. While we would love to give due recognition to every school that played its role, the data simply is not there for a huge number of players and we felt it only fair to apply the same rule to all players.
That being said – if a player went to your school prior to the school for whom they were playing whilst in England U18 colours, please to get in touch, we would love to recognise your efforts!
The results are, in our opinion, incredibly interesting – the rise of the AASE/ACE Colleges is clear, the fact that some appear in this Top 10 is incredibly when your consider they have only been contributing since 2008 in most cases.
Perhaps most startling of all is that a staggering 460 schools have had an England U18 player since 1949, a real demonstration of the reach that schools rugby in England has had over the years.
The top end of the Top 10 features some huge names and some unbelievably high number of representatives, but it’s also worth us pointing out some of those that just missed out before you dive into the Top 10.
Some we mention in the video, but the likes of Whitgift, Exeter College, RGS High Wycombe and Dulwich College only just miss out on the Top 10. Sides such as Cranleigh, Hampton, Northampton School for Boys, and Bedford have been creeping up the list and could easily be just a few years away from a place in the Top 10.
Great sides of past eras such as Cowley Grammar School and Lydney Grammar also came close, as with more recent legends of the school game such as Barnard Castle. The depth of school rugby is astonishing!
You can see the full list from 11th to 460th below, and do make sure you check out the Top 10 above!
| 11= | Whitgift | 18 | ||||||||
| Exeter College | 18 | |||||||||
| 13= | RGS High Wycombe | 16 | ||||||||
| Dulwich College | 16 | |||||||||
| Bedford | 16 | |||||||||
| Northampton School for Boys | 16 | |||||||||
| Oakham | 16 | |||||||||
| 18= | Ivybridge Community College | 15 | ||||||||
| Bromsgrove | 15 | |||||||||
| 20= | Sherborne | 14 | ||||||||
| Truro College | 14 | |||||||||
| Hampton | 14 | |||||||||
| 23= | Barnard Castle | 13 | ||||||||
| Cowley Grammar/High | 13 | |||||||||
| SGS Filton College | 13 | |||||||||
| 26= | Lydney Grammar | 12 | ||||||||
| Bryanston | 12 | |||||||||
| Cranleigh | 12 | |||||||||
| Oaklands College | 12 | |||||||||
| St Peter’s, Gloucester | 12 | |||||||||
| 31= | Beechen Cliff | 11 | ||||||||
| Rugby | 11 | |||||||||
| RGS Newcastle | 11 | |||||||||
| 34= | Cheltenham College | 10 | ||||||||
| Prince Henry’s Grammar | 10 | |||||||||
| QEGS Wakefield | 10 | |||||||||
| Gosforth Academy | 10 | |||||||||
| 38= | Ampleforth College | 9 | ||||||||
| Leicester Grammar | 9 | |||||||||
| Warwick | 9 | |||||||||
| Woodhouse Grove | 9 | |||||||||
| Moulton College | 9 | |||||||||
| 43= | Haileybury | 8 | ||||||||
| Tonbridge | 8 | |||||||||
| Gresham’s | 8 | |||||||||
| Lancaster RGS | 8 | |||||||||
| Dean Close | 8 | |||||||||
| Lymm High | 8 | |||||||||
| Hymers College | 8 | |||||||||
| Campion | 8 | |||||||||
| Pate’s Grammar | 8 | |||||||||
| 52= | Bristol Grammar | 7 | ||||||||
| Stonyhurst College | 7 | |||||||||
| Denstone College | 7 | |||||||||
| Uppingham | 7 | |||||||||
| Oundle | 7 | |||||||||
| John Fisher | 7 | |||||||||
| Plymouth College | 7 | |||||||||
| De La Salle College | 7 | |||||||||
| Normanton Grammar | 7 | |||||||||
| Rossall | 7 | |||||||||
| Felsted | 7 | |||||||||
| Brooksby Melton College | 7 | |||||||||
| Marlborough College | 7 | |||||||||
| 65= | John Cleveland College | 6 | ||||||||
| Bishop Wordsworth’s | 6 | |||||||||
| Cockermouth Grammar | 6 | |||||||||
| Merchant Taylors’, Crosby | 6 | |||||||||
| Sir Thomas Rich’s | 6 | |||||||||
| Epsom College | 6 | |||||||||
| Berkhamsted | 6 | |||||||||
| AKS Arnold | 6 | |||||||||
| KES Birmingham | 6 | |||||||||
| Bablake | 6 | |||||||||
| Pocklington | 6 | |||||||||
| Silcoates | 6 | |||||||||
| KES Aston | 6 | |||||||||
| 78= | Blundell’s | 5 | ||||||||
| King Henry VIII, Coventry | 5 | |||||||||
| King’s Macclesfield | 5 | |||||||||
| Brighton College | 5 | |||||||||
| St Benedict’s | 5 | |||||||||
| RGS Guildford | 5 | |||||||||
| Bishop Vesey’s Grammar | 5 | |||||||||
| Crypt | 5 | |||||||||
| Heles | 5 | |||||||||
| St Joseph’s College | 5 | |||||||||
| Sevenoakes | 5 | |||||||||
| Trent College | 5 | |||||||||
| West Park | 5 | |||||||||
| Workington Grammar | 5 | |||||||||
| Ermysted’s Grammar | 5 | |||||||||
| QES Barnet | 5 | |||||||||
| St Paul’s | 5 | |||||||||
| St Peter’s, York | 5 | |||||||||
| Wanstead | 5 | |||||||||
| 97= | Clifton College | 4 | ||||||||
| Radley College | 4 | |||||||||
| West Buckland | 4 | |||||||||
| Trinity | 4 | |||||||||
| Grammar School at Leeds | 4 | |||||||||
| Wellingborough | 4 | |||||||||
| Aylesbury Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Sandbach | 4 | |||||||||
| St Ambrose College | 4 | |||||||||
| Christ’s Hospital | 4 | |||||||||
| Hereford Cathedral | 4 | |||||||||
| KES Bath | 4 | |||||||||
| King’s Peterborough | 4 | |||||||||
| Stowe | 4 | |||||||||
| KES Five Ways | 4 | |||||||||
| KES Lichfield | 4 | |||||||||
| King’s Worcester | 4 | |||||||||
| Merchant Taylors’, Northwood | 4 | |||||||||
| Reigate Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Abingdon | 4 | |||||||||
| Adams Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Chosen Hill | 4 | |||||||||
| Manchester Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Norwich | 4 | |||||||||
| Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| City of Oxford College | 4 | |||||||||
| Loughborough Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Mount St Mary’s College | 4 | |||||||||
| Nelson Tomlinson | 4 | |||||||||
| Wallington County Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| Whitehaven Grammar | 4 | |||||||||
| 128= | Hutton Grammar | 3 | ||||||||
| Lord Wandsworth College | 3 | |||||||||
| St Edward’s College, Liverpool | 3 | |||||||||
| Henley College | 3 | |||||||||
| Old Swinford Hospital | 3 | |||||||||
| Peter Symonds’ College | 3 | |||||||||
| Solihill | 3 | |||||||||
| Stamford | 3 | |||||||||
| Bedford Modern | 3 | |||||||||
| King’s Canterbury | 3 | |||||||||
| Marling | 3 | |||||||||
| St George’s College, Weybridge | 3 | |||||||||
| King’s College, Taunton | 3 | |||||||||
| Sutton Valence | 3 | |||||||||
| Harrogate Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| High Pavement Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| Marylebone Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| Mount Kelly/Kelly College | 3 | |||||||||
| Saltley Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| Stockport Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| Weston-Super-Mare | 3 | |||||||||
| Keswick | 3 | |||||||||
| New Hall | 3 | |||||||||
| Nottingham High | 3 | |||||||||
| RGS Worcester | 3 | |||||||||
| Shiplake College | 3 | |||||||||
| Harrow County Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| Marple Hall | 3 | |||||||||
| Redruth Grammar | 3 | |||||||||
| St Joseph’s College, Stoke | 3 | |||||||||
| Twyford | 3 | |||||||||
| Westcliff | 3 | |||||||||
| 160= | St John Fisher | 2 | ||||||||
| St George’s, Harpenden | 2 | |||||||||
| Wade Deacon | 2 | |||||||||
| Woodlands | 2 | |||||||||
| Eastbourne College | 2 | |||||||||
| The Perse | 2 | |||||||||
| Dame Allan’s | 2 | |||||||||
| Downside | 2 | |||||||||
| Ratcliffe College | 2 | |||||||||
| Roundhay | 2 | |||||||||
| St Edward’s, Oxford | 2 | |||||||||
| Watford Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Worcester 6th form College | 2 | |||||||||
| Merchiston Castle | 2 | |||||||||
| Aireborough Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Birkenhead | 2 | |||||||||
| Caludon Castle | 2 | |||||||||
| City of Bath Tech | 2 | |||||||||
| Dunsmore | 2 | |||||||||
| Eltham College | 2 | |||||||||
| Haywards Heath College | 2 | |||||||||
| Henry Smith’s Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Judd | 2 | |||||||||
| Kirkbie Kendall | 2 | |||||||||
| QEGS Hexham | 2 | |||||||||
| Queen Mary’s Grammar, Walsall | 2 | |||||||||
| Redruth Tech/Comp | 2 | |||||||||
| St Bees | 2 | |||||||||
| Truro School | 2 | |||||||||
| Worth | 2 | |||||||||
| Bicton College | 2 | |||||||||
| Hurstpierpoint College | 2 | |||||||||
| Milton Abbey | 2 | |||||||||
| Myerscough College | 2 | |||||||||
| Bloxham | 2 | |||||||||
| Clevedon | 2 | |||||||||
| Eton College | 2 | |||||||||
| King John | 2 | |||||||||
| Airedale & Wharfdale College | 2 | |||||||||
| Barnstaple Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Beckenham Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Belmont Abbey | 2 | |||||||||
| Burton Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Carlton-Le-Willows Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Cheadle Hulme | 2 | |||||||||
| Cornwall Tech | 2 | |||||||||
| Duchess High | 2 | |||||||||
| Gateshead Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Hartlepool 6th form College | 2 | |||||||||
| Ilkley Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| John Wilmott | 2 | |||||||||
| KES Morpeth | 2 | |||||||||
| Leighton Park | 2 | |||||||||
| Liverpool College | 2 | |||||||||
| London Oratory | 2 | |||||||||
| Lutterworth Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Morpeth | 2 | |||||||||
| Moseley Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Newbury Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Poynton High | 2 | |||||||||
| Reading Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Royal Latin | 2 | |||||||||
| Seaford College | 2 | |||||||||
| Sharnbrook Upper | 2 | |||||||||
| Spalding Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| St Dunstan’s College | 2 | |||||||||
| St Joseph’s Academy | 2 | |||||||||
| Wellington School | 2 | |||||||||
| Windsor Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| Yeoville Grammar | 2 | |||||||||
| 230= | Giggleswick | 1 | ||||||||
| Richmond College | 1 | |||||||||
| Wirral Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Crossley Heath | 1 | |||||||||
| Kingsbridge | 1 | |||||||||
| Lawrence Sheriff | 1 | |||||||||
| St Albans | 1 | |||||||||
| Bushey Academy | 1 | |||||||||
| Framlingham College | 1 | |||||||||
| King’s Gloucester | 1 | |||||||||
| Ludlow | 1 | |||||||||
| Skinners’ | 1 | |||||||||
| Balham | 1 | |||||||||
| Bec/Bec Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Bishop’s Stortford College | 1 | |||||||||
| Blackpool Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Bristol Cathedral | 1 | |||||||||
| Cambridge High | 1 | |||||||||
| Caterham | 1 | |||||||||
| Claire’s Court | 1 | |||||||||
| Cranbrook | 1 | |||||||||
| Dartford Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| De Aston | 1 | |||||||||
| Emanuel | 1 | |||||||||
| Exeter School | 1 | |||||||||
| Fairfax | 1 | |||||||||
| Gloucester Colllege | 1 | |||||||||
| Glyn | 1 | |||||||||
| Godalming 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| Harris College | 1 | |||||||||
| Heath Clark Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Hitchin Boys | 1 | |||||||||
| KCS Wimbledon | 1 | |||||||||
| KES Camp Hill | 1 | |||||||||
| KES Stourbridge | 1 | |||||||||
| King William’s, Isle of Man | 1 | |||||||||
| King’s Bruton | 1 | |||||||||
| Kingswood | 1 | |||||||||
| Latymer Upper | 1 | |||||||||
| Leamington College | 1 | |||||||||
| Lewes County Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Loughborough College | 1 | |||||||||
| Luton 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| Magdalen College | 1 | |||||||||
| Magnus College/Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Newton-le-Willows Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Prior Park College | 1 | |||||||||
| Queen’s College, Taunton | 1 | |||||||||
| Robert Smyth | 1 | |||||||||
| Sale County Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| St Edmund’s College, Ware | 1 | |||||||||
| Thames Valley Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Thomas Hardye’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Tunbridge Wells Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Wallasey Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Wolverhapton Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Wycliffe College | 1 | |||||||||
| Alleyn’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Bancroft’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Baverstock Sports College | 1 | |||||||||
| Biddenham | 1 | |||||||||
| Bishop Stopford | 1 | |||||||||
| King’s Chester | 1 | |||||||||
| Malvern College | 1 | |||||||||
| Marian Catholic College, Australia | 1 | |||||||||
| New Pontefract College | 1 | |||||||||
| Norton College | 1 | |||||||||
| St Bede’s | 1 | |||||||||
| The Leys | 1 | |||||||||
| Yarm | 1 | |||||||||
| Abbey High | 1 | |||||||||
| Abbotsholme | 1 | |||||||||
| Acklam Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Alderman Newtons | 1 | |||||||||
| Altrincham Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Austin Friars | 1 | |||||||||
| Bath College | 1 | |||||||||
| Batley Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Bede | 1 | |||||||||
| Bedminster Down | 1 | |||||||||
| Bee | 1 | |||||||||
| Berwick High | 1 | |||||||||
| Bingley Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Bishop’s Cleveland | 1 | |||||||||
| Blackpool College | 1 | |||||||||
| Bolton | 1 | |||||||||
| Bournville College | 1 | |||||||||
| Brentwood | 1 | |||||||||
| Brune Park | 1 | |||||||||
| Brunel College | 1 | |||||||||
| Calder High | 1 | |||||||||
| Carrisbrook Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Chatham Technical | 1 | |||||||||
| Cheltenham Bournside | 1 | |||||||||
| Chingford Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Chingford High | 1 | |||||||||
| Chipping Norton | 1 | |||||||||
| Chiswick | 1 | |||||||||
| Christ’s College, Finchley | 1 | |||||||||
| City of London Freemen’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Colchester RGS | 1 | |||||||||
| Colfe’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Corsham | 1 | |||||||||
| Cotham Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Crewkerne | 1 | |||||||||
| Deacon | 1 | |||||||||
| Devizes Comprehensive | 1 | |||||||||
| Devonport High | 1 | |||||||||
| Dinnington | 1 | |||||||||
| Diss High | 1 | |||||||||
| Dixie | 1 | |||||||||
| Dorchester Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Dr Challoner’s Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| East Surrey College | 1 | |||||||||
| Ellesmere Port Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Ernest Bailey Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Estovery Community College | 1 | |||||||||
| Fortescue House | 1 | |||||||||
| Gaynes | 1 | |||||||||
| George Dixon Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Hall Cross | 1 | |||||||||
| Harlow Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| Harrogate College | 1 | |||||||||
| Harrow Weald 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| Hartcliffe | 1 | |||||||||
| Hartland | 1 | |||||||||
| Haydon | 1 | |||||||||
| Helsby High | 1 | |||||||||
| Henley Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Henry Mellish | 1 | |||||||||
| Heversham Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| High Tunstall | 1 | |||||||||
| Hills Road 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| Hinckley Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Hull Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| Isleworth Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| John Smeaton High | 1 | |||||||||
| KCS Kidderminster | 1 | |||||||||
| KEGS East Retford | 1 | |||||||||
| KES Lytham | 1 | |||||||||
| KES Nuneaton | 1 | |||||||||
| KES Sheffield | 1 | |||||||||
| King George VI | 1 | |||||||||
| King’s Lynn Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| Lady Manners’ | 1 | |||||||||
| Langley | 1 | |||||||||
| Langley Park | 1 | |||||||||
| Launceston | 1 | |||||||||
| Leeds Modern | 1 | |||||||||
| Leek High | 1 | |||||||||
| Leigh Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Leominster Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Longbenton High | 1 | |||||||||
| Longcroft | 1 | |||||||||
| Longton High | 1 | |||||||||
| Lord Williams’ | 1 | |||||||||
| Loughton | 1 | |||||||||
| Lyndhurst | 1 | |||||||||
| Lytham Hgh | 1 | |||||||||
| Manor | 1 | |||||||||
| Mayfield College | 1 | |||||||||
| Midhurst Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Midsomer Norton Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Mitcham Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Nelson & Colne | 1 | |||||||||
| Nettleswell | 1 | |||||||||
| Newcastle School for Boys | 1 | |||||||||
| North Gloucester Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| North Manchester Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Norwich Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| Okehampton Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Pangbourne College | 1 | |||||||||
| Park Lane College | 1 | |||||||||
| Parkside | 1 | |||||||||
| Pemberton | 1 | |||||||||
| Portsmouth Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Purley High | 1 | |||||||||
| Queen Mary’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Queen Mary’s, Basingstoke | 1 | |||||||||
| Ravens Wood | 1 | |||||||||
| Raynes Park Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Reading | 1 | |||||||||
| Rednock | 1 | |||||||||
| Rishworth | 1 | |||||||||
| Royal Forest of Dean College | 1 | |||||||||
| Royal Hospital School | 1 | |||||||||
| Royal Naval College, Dartmouth | 1 | |||||||||
| Sawyers Hall College | 1 | |||||||||
| Scarborough High | 1 | |||||||||
| Sheldon | 1 | |||||||||
| Shooters Hill | 1 | |||||||||
| Sir John Deane’s College | 1 | |||||||||
| Sir Leo Schultz | 1 | |||||||||
| South Devon Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| St Aelred’s Tech | 1 | |||||||||
| St Bartholomew’s Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| St Boniface | 1 | |||||||||
| St Cuthbert’s | 1 | |||||||||
| St Ignatius’ College | 1 | |||||||||
| St Joseph’s College, Dumfries | 1 | |||||||||
| St Mary’s | 1 | |||||||||
| St Mary’s & St Joseph’s | 1 | |||||||||
| St Michael’s College | 1 | |||||||||
| St Wilfred’s | 1 | |||||||||
| Stepney Green | 1 | |||||||||
| Stockton 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| Stourport High | 1 | |||||||||
| Temple Moore | 1 | |||||||||
| Thomas Alleyne | 1 | |||||||||
| Thomas Bennett | 1 | |||||||||
| Thomas Magnus | 1 | |||||||||
| Thorne Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Tiffin | 1 | |||||||||
| Tottenham Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Tupton Hall | 1 | |||||||||
| Vyners | 1 | |||||||||
| Wallingford Upper | 1 | |||||||||
| Wath Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Whitecross | 1 | |||||||||
| Whitley Bay Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Widnes 6th form College | 1 | |||||||||
| William Ellis School | 1 | |||||||||
| Wimbledon College | 1 | |||||||||
| Woolstanton Grammar | 1 | |||||||||
| Woolverstone Hall | 1 | |||||||||
| Wootton Upper | 1 |
