St Joseph’s Festival: Draw Announced for 2022 Festival

St Joseph's College vs Kings School Worcester_-35

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The draw has been revealed for the 2022 St Joseph’s Festival as anticipation continues to ramp up for one of schools rugby’s finest tournaments.

 

Taking place on the 15th and 16th October, sixteen teams will gather in Suffolk and NextGenXV will be live streaming every second of the competition.

 

Earlier in the week the sixteen teams competing were announced, with three new entrants, Trinity, Marlborough College, and Strathallan replacing Eltham College, Cheltenham College, and King’s Worcester. Those sixteen teams are split into four groups of four.

 

As in 2021, the group stages will take place on Day 1 and on Day 2 the top two from each group will compete in the Trophy quarter finals, with the bottom two competing in the Bowl quarter finals. Winners of those will progress to the semi finals of those competitions, while losers will head to the semi finals of the Plate and Shield respectively.

 

Over the course of the weekend every side will play six games as there will also be 3rd/4th play offs for the semi final losers of each of the different levels of knockout competition. Meaning every side will have a final placing between one and sixteen.

 

Before all that though come the group stages, and they look fearsome, such is the depth of quality amongst the sixteen teams. There are potential champions, multiple potential champions in fact, in every single group.

 

2022 St Joseph’s Festival Groups

 

Group 1

Denstone College, Dulwich College, Hurstpierpoint College, Wellington College

 

Group 1 throws up an exciting matchup right off the bat, with last year’s third and fourth placed sides, Wellington College and Denstone College, drawn together. Both will be among the favourites, with Wellington College looking to add a second title to their maiden effort in 2019, while Denstone College will be itching to build on last year’s best ever 4th place finish having had a powerful start to 2022. Watching these two in action is going to be very special.

 

Joining those two are 2011 champions Dulwich College, who finished up in 7th place last year after winning the third place play off in the Plate. Again it’s another exciting combination in the group as the side that they beat in that 3rd place play off were Hurstpierpoint College, who complete the group and will be excited ahead of this one after their best ever showing at the Festival last year.

 

Group 2

Kirkham Grammar, Marlborough College (New), Trinity (New), Whitchurch High

 

Group 2 has plenty of intrigue with two of the new entrants, Marlborough College and Trinity. Both are likely to be strong additions to the tournament, notably Trinity who are the reigning U18 Schools Cup champions

 

As if that wasn’t enough, the intrigue in this group ramps up even further as the side that Trinity beat in that Cup final, Kirkham Grammar School, are also in the group. Kirkham only joined the Festival in 2019 but in that first year they reached the final, and in 2021 they were looking like one of the favourites, only to suffer a tight defeat to Denstone College in the quarter finals. They rallied though, winning the Plate, and then rounded the season off with the Sedbergh Super 10s title, and they have started this season off in sensational style too. They will be in the title mix, no doubt. Welsh side Whitchurch High School complete the group, they finished 11th last year and will be looking for a return to the Cup form they showed a few years ago.

 

Group 3

Millfield, QEGS Wakefield, RGS Newcastle, Strathallan (New)

 

Group 3 is headlined by Millfield, the 2021 De La Salle Trophy Champions, or team of the 2021/22 season and the most successful side in St Joseph’s Festival history. Their season hasn’t started quite as that season but they remain one of the key favourites and are in a really interesting group. Alongside them are RGS Newcastle, champions in 2018, who had a 10th place finish last year after finishing as Bowl runners up, but will be determined to be back in the Cup mix.

 

Joining those two are the third new side, Strathallan, who come down from Scotland to join the fray for the first time and will add an exciting new element. QEGS Wakefield complete the group, champions in the 90s, QEGS had a tough year last year, finishing 15th, but they may look back to their 2017 Plate triumph for a bit of inspiration. As one of the tournaments most historic side, they are always a threat with a deep understanding of how to play in this white-hot intensity.

 

Group 4

Brighton College, Hampton, RGS High Wycombe, St Joseph’s College

 

The final group and possibly the most competitive of all, with four former champions all grouped together. Brighton College finished second to Millfield last year and are going to be absolutely itching to add to the title that they won in 2017 – they are almost always one of the most competitive teams at the Festival and surely will be again. So too Hampton, who won in 2015 and have twice since won the Plate. They were runners up in the Plate last year but it will be the De La Salle Trophy that they have eyes on this year, particularly after a stunning start to the season that has actually seen them beat Brighton.

 

The other two sides in the group actually won silverware last year, RGS High Wycombe the Bowl and the hosts, St Joseph’s College, winning the Shield. St Joseph’s will be desperate to add another De La Salle Trophy to their name, their last title was in 2013, and though they may not be among the favourites on paper, you can never count them out in this competition. The swell of pride and support that they feel and receive is like nothing else in the school game. To watch them in action at this Festival is one of the great privileges of the school game. It has been even longer since RGS’ last title but they are perennially competitive here and are off to a strong start in their season. Both side will have been happy to earn silverware last year, but they will be so keen to compete for the big prizes this year. A very special group indeed.

 

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2021 Final Standings

 

1st – Millfield (De La Salle Trophy Champions)

2nd – Brighton College

3rd – Wellington College

4th – Denstone College

5th – Kirkham Grammar (Plate Champions)

6th – Hampton

7th – Dulwich College

8th – Hurstpierpoint College

9th – RGS High Wycombe (Bowl Champions)

10th – RGS Newcastle

11th – Whitchurch High

12th – Cheltenham College

13th – St Joseph’s College (Shield Champions)

14th – King’s Worcester

15th – QEGS Wakefield

16th – Eltham College

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