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40. St Michaels (Ireland)
Senior Internationals: 104.50 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 78.40 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 124.80 Points
Rugby World Cup: 14 Points
School Championships: 10.49 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 332.19
A modern day school rugby juggernaut St Michael’s are arguably the world’s most improved rugby program over the last decade and are in fact the leading producer of senior men’s internationals over the last decade out of any school on this list.
Although historically overshadowed by their Leinster rivals Blackrock College, St Michael’s have of late been arguably the strongest program in Leinster over the last few years and with 10 senior internationals, 22 Under 20 Internationals and 29 Under 18 internationals produced over the last decade it is easy to see why this is the case.
39. Gisborne Boys (New Zealand)
Senior Internationals: 139.50 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 26.70 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 78.00 Points
Rugby World Cup: 8 Points
School Championships: 81.08 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 333.28
Another school with a proud history that is currently not the powerhouse they once were Gisborne Boys pack a punch in terms of their rugby program.
It was in the 1990s where Gisborne truly ruled the roost with their 1994 team being one of the best in school rugby history, to showcase the strength of the program the team easily dispensed of South African powerhouses Monument (47-3) and Maritzburg College (44-6) and easily won the New Zealand national title.
They have lived in the shadows of Hamilton Boys and Hastings in the Super 8 of late but in terms of the historical strength of their program be left in no doubt that a legacy has been left.
38. Knox Grammar (Australia)
Senior Internationals: 115.20 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 7.00 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 62.10 Points
Rugby World Cup: 7.6 Points
School Championships: 142.41 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 334.31
While the AAGPS and GPS are Australia’s best known rugby competition one should not underestimate the strength of the CAS championship, a competition many Wallabies have graduated from.
One of the powerhouse programs within the CAS is Knox Grammar with 25 titles in their history. Since it’s founding in 1924 the school has gone on to produce 23 Under 18 internationals, 3 Junior Wallabies and 12 Wallabies with the most recent being Lachlan Swinton who gained his first cap in 2020.
37. St Munchins (Ireland)
Senior Internationals: 142.10 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 9.60 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 54.60 Points
Rugby World Cup: 115 Points
School Championships: 15.03 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 336.73
A truly interesting rugby program, St Munchins are certainly as a whole not considered a major powerhouse in Munster rugby with Presentation Brothers and Christian Brothers ruling the roost but it is the quality of player that the school produces which helps them make our list.
36. Clongowes Wood College (Ireland)
Senior Internationals: 104.50 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 42.50 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 93.60 Points
Rugby World Cup: 66 Points
School Championships: 34.09 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 340.69
Another Leinster powerhouse with a rich history, Clongowes have produced 36 schools internationals, 15 under 20 internationals and 11 senior internationals.
9 Leinster schools trophies in their history with 2020 being their most recent win there is plenty of talk that the program is going from strength to strength and we look forward to seeing how things pan out for the team in the future.
35. Maritzburg College (South Africa)
Senior Internationals: 176.00 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 25.90 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 66.00 Points
Rugby World Cup: 38.60 Points
School Championships: 44.44 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 350.94
School rugby has long been dominated by the Afrikaans speaking schools in South Africa but there was indeed a time where Maritzburg College were known for producing the toughest English speaking players in the country and have been a massive contributor not only to Sharks rugby but South African rugby as a whole.
When Skonk Nicholson was at the helm Maritzburg went on a run that made it next to Grey College the country’s premier rugby program, this continued into the 1990’s but by the 2000’s and 2010’s the program seemed to have lost momentum that is until now where there are some extremely talented young players coming through.
22 SA Schools players, 7 Junior Springboks and 16 Springboks have once called Maritzburg College home with the most recent graduate being Jesse Kriel. We have them down as unofficial national champions in both 1978 and 1985.
34. Methodist College (Ireland)
Senior Internationals: 114.30 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 24.50 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 93.60 Points
Rugby World Cup: 14 Points
School Championships: 108.25 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 354.65
Another Ulster powerhouse on our list, Methodist College in Belfast is known for being one of the toughest teams to beat in Ireland.
36 Under 18 internationals, 9 under 20 internationals and 11 senior internationals have been produced but it is their dominance in the Ulster Schools Senior Cup where they are most recognized being the leading trophy winner in the competition with 36 cups to their name.
33. SACS (South Africa)
Senior Internationals: 323.20 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 0.00 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 12.00 Points
Rugby World Cup: 22.60 Points
School Championships: 0.00 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 357.80
When it comes to historical programs in South Africa, SACS is up there with the best of them.
In the early days of Springbok rugby it was the Southern Suburbs schools of Cape Town who ruled the roost, regular victories over teams that have surpassed them in the modern age, a large portion of the Springboks in those frontier days came from the area with a large portion being SACS old boys.
It shows in the data with a total of 32 Springboks being produced by SACS with 31 of those produced from 1891 – 1949 before Percy Montgomery broke that duck making his debut in 1997. No SACS boy has managed to gain senior colours since Monty but that could change soon with some truly outstanding talent beginning to come through the ranks.
32. Sydney Grammar (Australia)
Senior Internationals: 307.20 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 0.00 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 13.50 Points
Rugby World Cup: 0;.00 Points
School Championships: 55.12 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 375.82
Syndey Grammar is to Australian rugby what SACS is to South African rugby with a large portion of their points being awarded based on the sheer quantity of senior internationals produced in the early days of their history.
No Junior Wallabies have come through the Grammar program and so far only 5 Under 18 internationals have been produced with the last being Lachlan Rosengreen in 2005.
One of the leading producers of Wallabies a total of 32 senior internationals have come through Sydney Grammar with Jake Gordon making his debut in 2018 breaking a duck that lasted since 1973 when Eric Tindall ran on for the Australians.
31. Affies (South Africa)
Senior Internationals: 117.30 Points
Under 20 Internationals: 73.60 Points
Under 18 Internationals: 84.00 Points
Rugby World Cup: 45.60 Points
School Championships: 66.67 Points
TOTAL POINTS: 387.17
One of the “Big 6” South African school rugby programs, Affies are a globally renowned and respected rugby program and are especially known for the intense physicality with which they play the game.
In the early part of their history they were known as a respected regional player but on the national stage where yet to fully announce themselves, that was until the 1990s where the Affies that is renowned and respected to this very day announced themselves.
28 SA Schools players, 20 Junior Springboks and 11 Springboks it is clear just how much Affies have contributed towards South African rugby with notable alumni including Pierre Spies, RG Snyman and of course legendary scrumhalf Fourie du Preez.
We have them down as our unofficial national champions in 1996, 2012 and 2013 with the class of 1996 in particular being considered one of the finest in South African schools rugby history.
