It never ceases to amaze how quickly summer turns into the start of the new school rugby season, but as sure as day follows night, so the 2022/23 schools rugby season has arrived.

Here on NextGenXV it is going to be a huge one, with some major announcements to be made in the coming days and weeks. However the season is all about one group and one group only – the players, and what a season they are all set to have

The 2021/22 season began as one full of uncertainty due to Covid, became one of celebration due to it actually being able to happen, almost collapsed from under us all as Omicron hit in December, and ended as one of the great schools rugby seasons in recent memory with one of the most fantastic Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s weeks of all time, basked in glorious sunshine, with joy on and off the field at the heart of it.

So what of 2022/23 season, what’s the feeling going into that?

Well, normality. Normality not in the mundane sense, but in the sense of a normal feeling of excitement and anticipation as the season gets ready to kick off. This weekend is dominated by pre-season Festivals and fixtures, though there is the odd competitive game and we have a preview of the weekend ahead here, and each team is simply bursting to get out on the field.

Earlier in the week we had the Hartpury College pre-season Festival and the annual Esher RFC President’s Cup.

We live streamed the Hartpury College Festival, which you can watch below, and the sense of excitement at the season to come was palpable. If the evidence of the quality of play was anything to go by, then we are in for a classic season.

So too at the President’s Cup, where Ipswich claimed the title on countback. Often referred to as rising stars last year, this year they are established as a star side and are going to be one of the key teams to watch.

It promises to be a spectacular season and for each and every player a special one. Whether it’s the U14 Es or the 1^st XV, pulling on a school shirt alongside your mates remains one of the most special sporting memories. The game as a whole may be lurching from crisis to crisis, and through the season we will be keeping you informed as to the latest news on the front of keeping the game as safe as possible (by the way, do be sure to visit our partners Return2Play who are providing schools with a world class medical service), but those special moments, those friendships, and those memories and experiences will remain as strong as ever.

In those coaching and teaching in rugby environments the length and breadth of the country, schools rugby is being guided by some truly great people. Not only that, but they are being guided towards some quite outstanding rugby. Forget the nonsense Eddie Jones came out with this summer (indeed have a read of Angus Savage’s thoughts on that here: Does Eddie Jones even know what he’s actually talking about?), schools rugby is the most wonderful rugby product and we are going to be all we can to bring as much of that to you as possible this year.

Live Streaming

With that in mind, once again our cameras will be going far and wide around the country, announcements as to our first few live games will be made early next week but we are keen to cover as many games as possible, as always. If you are interested in having your game streamed please contact richard@nextgenxv.com

Already we are committed to showing more school rugby than ever before, including some of the biggest, best, and most famous school rugby fixtures and competitions in the world. Truly, it is going to be a season to remember.

Dates for the Diary

To help you remember, here are a few key dates to bear in mind, although there is plenty more to come than just the below, and indeed plenty more to be announced in the coming days but already the calendar is looking packed with major events!

10^th – Opening Saturday of the season

14^th September – Opening Round of U18 Vase & ACE League

28^th September – Opening Round of U18 Cup, U15 Cup, & U18 Vase

15^th/16^th October – St Joseph’s Festival

7^th December – ACE League Finals (TBC)

10^th December – Final Round of Daily Mail Trophy

8^th-18^th December – World Schools Festival

6^th/7^th/8^th January – U18 Academy League Round 3

13^th/14^th/15^th January – U18 Academy League Round 4

20^th/21^st/22^nd January – U18 Academy League Round 5

29^th January – Seaford 10s (TBC)

3^rd/4^th/5^th February – U18 Academy League Round 6

10^th/11^th/12^th February – U18 Academy League Round 7

19^th February – U18 Academy League Finals

14^th March – Schools Plate & Bowl Finals (subject to change)

15^th March – Schools Cup & Vase Finals (subject to change)

20^th-24^th March – Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s

24^th-26^th March – Rugby Football Bicentenary International School 7s

26^th-27^th March – Sedbergh Super 10s

What Next?

With a few competitive fixtures this weekend and a host of pre-season friendlies and Festivals, do check out our Weekend Preview. Keep tuned to our social media channels through the weekend – @NextGenXV on Instagram and Twitter – and then keep an eye out on Monday and Tuesday where there are some major early season announcements to be made!