The draw for the 2022 Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s has been made, one of the key tournaments on the school calendar.

It will once again be an absolutely crucial stepping stone on the route to the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s, taking place at Richmond Athletic Ground on Wednesday 9^th March, just 12 days before Rosslyn Park. It will see some of the very strongest teams in the country pitted against each other in what is considered to be one of the toughest school tournaments to do well in.

It is a poignant return too, two years on from the last Surrey 7s. The 2020 Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s was the last major competitive rugby before Covid changed life as we know it. Wondering around on that day of the 11^th March 2020 we were all still naïve to what was to come, feeling unsure as to whether others were shaking hands was about the extent of it – how quickly things changed, three days later this writer was writing that it was only right that Rosslyn Park and the Schools Cup Final should be cancelled.

Epsom College won that day, beating Cranleigh 14-5 in a hugely competitive final. Whitgift meanwhile won the Surrey Plate, beating Dulwich College in that final. It was a terrific competition.

In fact it was a second in a row for Epsom College, and a repeat of the final from the year before. Meanwhile for Cranleigh it was a third final on the bounce, they had beaten Harrow 29-0 in 2018 before those back to back final defeats against Epsom College, who will be a key challenger again this year having already picked up silverware on the way to the Surrey 7s.

Epsom are, therefore, as champions drawn in Group A for this 2022 edition. In total there are twelve groups of four teams each, with 48 teams in total in the draw.

Epsom’s Group A rivals are Cedars, Hurstpierpoint College, and Harrow, who lost in that 2018 final with a star studded side. Group B meanwhile features Beechen Cliff, the ACE College that reached the 2017 final against Hampton, as well as Wimbledon College, 2005 Plate winners, Emanuel, and a St Benedict’s side that will be eager to have the sort of run that took them all the way to the title back in 2007.

Group C meanwhile feature another potential favourite in the form of Daily Mail Trophy champions Berkhamsted, who won the Hertfordshire 7s too, as well as strong opposition in the form of ACE side City of Oxford College, Bedford, and Dulwich College, who reached that 2020 Plate final. Group D sees Brighton College among the contenders, a side that has almost staggeringly not reached the final in recent times despite their terrific Rosslyn Park record. Alongside them are Halliford, who have been absolutely brilliant this year, London Oratory, and John Fisher, who reached the 2001 and 2003 finals as well as winning the 2006 Surrey Plate.

Group E is a potential thriller, 2017 champions Hampton, who also won the Plate in 2015, are up alongside Felsted, always a strong 7s outfit, as well as an exciting Marlborough College side, and Tiffin, who won the 2011 Plate.

Group F is a belter, Millfield, who went unbeaten in the fifteen-a-side season, are always one of the headline acts and have won the competition more often than anyone else in the last 20 years, five times in total with another four finals to boot. Their finals against Wellington College in 2015, 2006, 2005, and 2003 are the stuff of schools rugby legend. They will have to be at their best even to get out of the group this year though, with  2007 finalists and Welsh giants Coleg Sir Gar for company, alongside newcomers Bishop Wand, the new London Irish ACE side. George Abbot complete the group, a tough draw for them, but a huge experience.

Group G features Cranleigh, who are, as mentioned, chasing a fourth final in a row and won the Hampton 7s. Looking to stop them are strong sides in Abingdon and Reigate Grammar, and a side that will have seriously high ambitions in the form of Seaford College. Over in Group H things look incredibly competitive, Rugby School are a genuine contender, ACE side Oaklands College will be a threat, they won the title with a side that included Wales’ Nick Tompkins back in 2013, Saint Cecilia’s meanwhile complete the group along with Surrey’s Reed’s.

Wellington College head a hugely competitive Group I, their finals with Millfield, as mentioned, are the stuff of legend and their four titles in the last 20 years makes them Millfield’s closest challengers in terms of titles, there have been a further four finals for them too and they will be among the favourites once again this year having already claimed a couple of titles. To get there though, they need to get past the 2020 Plate winners, Whitgift, as well as St Edward’s Oxford and 2014 finalists St Joseph’s College.

Group J should be a good fun group, RGS Guildford have twice won the Plate, most recently in 2019, and are looking food this year, while St John’s Leatherhead have claimed in three times, their most recent being in 2018. Alongside those two are Salesian and a Bishop Wordsworth’s side that could fire some strong shots.

In Group K Kirkham Grammar School make the big trip down to Richmond and will be among the favourites to go home with the silverware, although with a Schools Cup final to come they might not go fully loaded. Alongside them are ACE College Gordon’s, who will have high hopes, as well as Pangbourne College and 2017 Plate winners Caterham. Finally to Group L, where City of London Freemen’s and Wallington County Grammar School will be up against Eton College and USP College.

From the 12 groups sixteen side will progress to the knockout rounds, the twelve group winners and the four best runners up. Winners of Groups A, F, G, and L will meet those best runners up.

The Surrey Plate is exclusively for Surrey affiliated schools, the top 8 that do not make the Cup knockouts will compete for it.

Naturally though, the main draw is where much of the focus will be – there is no greater indicator of form than the Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s. More importantly though, it will be so special for school 7s to return to the Richmond Athletic Ground, the scene of the last ‘normal’ tournament.

Seeing school 7s back there again will be a special moment. That the rugby will, as always at this event, be of such a high quality will only add to that.

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Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s Draw:

*Denotes Surrey Affiliated School