The new season is just about upon us, next weekend is the major kick off in England, but there is plenty going on this weekend with pre season Festivals and fixtures, plus the odd competitive fixture, while in Scotland the season is getting fully underway!
Every year like a bang the August bank holiday skips past and out of nowhere the school season begins and this year is no different, no sooner are the Hartpury College pre season Festival (which you can see below) and the Esher President’s Cup over than we are into the ‘soft-opening’ of the school season.
Next weekend marks the start of the school season proper, but be under no illusions, there is plenty of competitive rugby going on this weekend too.
Next week we will really get into the nitty gritty of what’s to come, what to expect, and a little of who to expect it from, with some big announcements to come from us too, but for now we look ahead to this first weekend of the term.
Competitive Fixtures
England
Hereford Cathedral v RGS Worcester
Nottingham High v Lord Wandsworth College
Reading Blue Coat v RGS High Wycombe
RGS Guildford v St George’s College, Weybridge
Skinners’ v Langley Park
Stowe v Warwick
Trent College v Malvern College
A great bunch of competitive fixtures to get the year underway, perhaps the pick of the bunch could be Stowe v Warwick. Stowe were fantastic last year en route to U18 Schools Vase and Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s Vase successes, and they could be even better this year. It is unknown at this stage to us if Henry Pollock and Archie McParland, who starred for England in South Africa this summer (Pollock captained the side and was the outstanding player in the series), will be available yet but if they are then those on the touchlines are in line for an extra treat. Warwick weren’t at the heights they have been in some years last year, yet were always a threat and it is that ability to always be in the mix that marks them out year on year. They will be there or thereabouts this year surely, making this a great game to start the season with.
Reading Blue Coat became a bit of a star of the NextGenXV broadcasts last season with their fantastic Vase run. They begin the year on Saturday with a real tester of a fixture against RGS High Wycombe. It should be a great game and a great occasion, a victory for Reading Blue Coat would suggest another cracking season in the offing, for RGS it would be a major first step in a season that will take in some of the biggest names around.
Skinners’ claimed some huge scalps last year, who could forget that narrow win against Tonbridge? They start this year at home to Langley Park, and after the heights of last year Skinners are going to be a big target for a lot of schools in the area this year. You get the sense that they will be more than happy with that though!
Over in Surrey RGS Guildford welcome St George’s College Weybridge. Our system, more of which is to be revealed next week, suggests home advantage should prove handy to RGS but at this early stage of the season practically everything is an unknown and these are two old and proud rugby schools, who are almost certain to put on a cracking contest.
Nottingham is hosting a couple of competitive games this weekend, Lord Wandsworth College are making the trip up to Nottingham High School, two teams that will be itching to get off to a good start this year. Meanwhile Malvern College will travel over to Trent College, it ought to be a close game, Trent with home advantage and Malvern with the inspiration of having had all of the Premiership Academies using their facilities once more during the summer.
Finally, in the very West of the country, Hereford Cathedral School host RGS Worcester. RGS had a fantastic year last year and will be hoping for more, Hereford too had a strong year and will be hoping for even more this year – a fast home start would be the perfect way to begin.
Scotland
Dollar Academy v Edinburgh Academy
George Heriot’s v Stewart’s Melville
Glasgow Academy v Marr College
Hutchesons’ Grammar v Kelvinside Academy
Lasswade High v Stewart’s Melville 2nd XV
Morrison’s Academy v Strathendrick RFC
Robert Gordon’s College v Dundee High
St Aloysius’ College v Glasgow High
There is plenty to keep an eye on in Scotland on the competitive front, and George Heriot’s v Stewart’s Melville is definitely chief among those that we will be paying attention to. Stewart’s Melville’s 2nd XV are also in 1st XV action, they travel to Lasswade High School.
Dollar Academy v Edinburgh Academy is another monster of a game, between two of the country’s oldest and most prestigious sides, while over in Glasgow Marr College take on Glasgow Academy and Glasgow High head to St Aloysius’ College.
In Aberdeen Robert Gordon’s College welcome Dundee High School North, while elsewhere Morrison’s Academy are in club action, hosting Strathendrick RFC.
Pre-Season Festivals
There are a number of major Festivals going on this weekend, with every corner of the country seemingly covered by a very competitive looking Festival.
King’s Macclesfield Festival:
| Pool 1 | Pool 2 | Pool 3 | Pool 4 |
| King’s Macclesfield | Wirral Grammar School | Cheadle Hulme | Lancaster RGS |
| Woodhouse Grove | QEGS Wakefield | Harrogate Grammar School | Bradford Grammar School |
| Loughborough Grammar | Oakham | Bloxham | Mount St Mary’s College |
| Sevenoaks | Solihull | Reed’s | Old Swinford Hospital |
Perhaps the most prestigious of the lot is the annual King’s Macclesfield Festival. A 16 team Festival, with the sides split into four groups of four. The teams just play the other sides in their group, but each of those groups looks oh so competitive.
Pool 1 includes the hosts, King’s Macclesfield, alongside Woodhouse Grove, Loughborough Grammar, and Sevenoaks. Pool 2 meanwhile is a heavyweight one, Wirral Grammar, one of the most impressive sides last year with their improved performances, up against legends in QEGS Wakefield and Oakham, and a Solihull side that could do some great work this year.
Pool 3 sees rising state stars Harrogate Grammar up against Cheadle Hulme, long-distance travellers Reed’s, and Bloxham, who have had some wonderful times in recent years. Pool 4 looks feisty too, the U18 Vase champions Mount St Mary’s College up against to historical names in Lancaster RGS and Bradford Grammar, and an Old Swinford Hospital side whose U16 efforts last year suggest they could be a serious challenger this year.
Kingswood Festival:
| Pool 1 | Pool 2 | Pool 3 |
| Millfield | Blundell’s | KES Bath |
| Kingswood | Bristol Grammar | Monmouth |
| Cheltenham College | Monkton Combe | Bryanston |
| Collegiate | Cathedral School, Llandaff | QEH |
Kingswood is another Festival that looks packed with star names, a 12 team festival split into three groups of four.
The hosts are in Group 1 alongside Millfield, who were our team of the season last year and look strong again this, as well as Cheltenham College and Collegiate School, the rebranded name of former schools rugby heavyweights, Colston’s.
Pool 2 includes Wales’ Cathedral School Llandaff, plus Monkton Combe, Blundell’s, and a Bristol Grammar School side worth keeping an eye on. Meanwhile in Pool 3 Monmouth are a side to watch, outstanding last year, they will hope to back that up this year. Alongside them are KES Bath, Bryanston, and QEH.
Brentwood Festival
Brighton Triangular
King’s Burton Festival
King’s Canterbury Festival
Norwich Festival
St Albans Festival
Elsewhere there are Festivals at Norwich, where the likes of Bedford, Framlingham, Oundle, and Royal Hospital School are in attendance, and further south in Brentwood, which will see some top sides from Essex taking part.
Just north of London is the St Albans Festival, where among the attendees are St John’s Leatherhead, The Judd, Worth, Mill Hill, and Bedford Modern. Kent meanwhile sees King’s Canterbury host a Festival, while King’s Bruton host one in the South West.
It is also worth a trip to Brighton College if it is within reach, they are hosting a pre-season triangular with KCS Wimbledon and Tonbridge, an event that could very well be the pick of the entire day – all three were absolutely wonderful last year.
Pre-Season Fixtures:
Abingdon v Hurstpierpoint College – pre season
Bromsgrove v Kirkham Grammar – pre season
Cardinal Vaughan v UCS – pre season
Cranbrook RFC v Cranbrook – pre season
Dulwich College v Felsted – pre season
George Watson’s College v RGS Newcastle – pre season
Hill House v Crossley Heath – pre season
Ipswich v Bishop’s Stortford College – pre season
Llandovery College v Uppingham – pre season
Loretto v Merchiston Castle – pre season
Merchant Taylors’ v AKS Lytham – pre season
Reigate Grammar v Tiffin – pre season
RGS Guildford v Emanuel – pre season
Sedbergh v Newport Salop RFC – pre season
Shelford Colts v The Leys – pre season
St Paul’s v Campion – pre season
The Grange v Scarisbrick Hall – pre season
Topsham RFC v Eltham College – pre season
Wellington College v Northampton School for Boys – pre season
Without any shadow of a doubt, the pre season fixtures this weekend are absolutely massive. Some of the most likely contenders for the big prizes this year are in action, and you can be sure that they are going to be giving it everything to be absolutely ready for their big kick offs next weekend.
Wellington College v Northampton School for Boys has massive written all over it, Wellington stunned NSB a little last year, but the visitors will know what’s coming this time. Wellington meanwhile have a massive season opener against Harrow next up.
Sedbergh’s season opener is against Whitgift, and it’s a big one so they will want to be bang on the money on Saturday against club side Newport Salop RFC. Kirkham Grammar beat Sedbergh in last year’s Sedbergh Super 10s final, a huge achievement, and will want to start the year with a bang. They begin on Saturday with a pre-season game that should be a tester, facing Bromsgrove.
Sedbergh are not the only side taking on club opposition in their final warm up game, Eltham College take on Topsham RFC, while The Leys head to Shelford RFC and Cranbrook take on Cranbrook RFC.
There is some great cross-border competition too, Uppingham are in Wales on pre-season to take on Llandovery College, while the annual Scotland v England clash is back on this year after a long covid interrupted break as George Watson’s College head down to RGS Newcastle for what is always a spectacular way to start the season. Meanwhile in Scotland two of the most famous names in Scottish rugby complete their preparations as Loretto host Merchiston Castle.
The traditional pre-season game between Dulwich College and Felsted once again occupies it’s place in this first weekend of September, last year Felsted gave almost thirty players a run out in this one. Elsewhere in London St Paul’s preparations continue with a game against Campion, while Cardinal Vaughan host UCS.
Ipswich were on song to claim the President’s Cup in midweek, now they have one last chance to get their tweaks done as they host Bishop’s Stortford College on Saturday. Ipswich are a team to watch this year.
Abingdon v Hurstpierpoint College is a strong pre-season game for both to prepare for what is to come, so too Reigate Grammar v Tiffin, which should be well matched, The Grange v Scarisbrick Hall also looks good, Scarisbrick had a great U16 group last year.
There is action in the North West as Merchant Taylors’ host AKS Lytham and Hill House welcome Crossley Heath. All four will be hoping to finish off the foundations of what they will hope is a strong season to come.
All in all it looks like a fantastic final weekend of preparation ahead of the big season kick off next weekend! As ever, any photos, reports, and videos/clips, do please send them in!