Gone are the days when the weekend that marks the start of half term was a quiet one, this weekend is absolutely packed full with fixtures.
From the St Joseph’s Festival and the Merchiston Festival and the 32 teams competing across them, to some huge fixtures under the lights on Friday, and some of the biggest standalone fixtures of the season on Saturday.
It is going to be a weekend to remember.
NextGenXV will be at the St Joseph’s Festival bringing you live broadcast coverage of every single second of the action across Saturday and Sunday, and we will also be keeping you abreast of what is going on across the rest of the country as well.
This week’s episode of the NextGenXV Podcast is also a Festivals special, where we take an in depth look at both Festivals – as well as bringing you our usual Top 5 School Teams of the Weekend and debate our selection for the Number 10 jersey in our Greatest Schools XV of the Decade. Alex Mitchell of Lymm High School was our selection at scrum half last year, check who joins him as his half back partner!
Ten to Watch
As ever, we begin our preview with our Ten to Watch, although given the inclusion of both Festivals, it could be described as a 40 to Watch!
Blackrock College v Sedbergh – Saturday
Make no mistake, this is massive. The most famous rugby school in Ireland hosting one of the most famous rugby schools in England. Two absolute hotbeds of rugby talent that have produced some of the greatest players of all time, and are known across the planet. The will has been there to make this an annual fixture, in 2019 Sedbergh hosted Blackrock and won an absolute epic 26-23, but global pandemics have rather got in the way. Now the fixture is back though and it is going to be huge. Huge on a number of levels, off the field as an exercise in all that is great about school rugby, and on it in a display of the very best of the school game. Irish school rugby is much storied, the famed Leinster Academy leaning on the school system. Now the jewel in that crown hosts arguably the best in England, who are unbeaten and rampant this year, which nation will come out on top? This is blockbuster rugby.
Clifton College v Hartpury College – Friday
Clifton College also take on Blackrock College later this year, and one of their toughest tests en route to that game is going to come on Friday when they host Hartpury College at Clifton Rugby Club. Without doubt, Clifton College look like one of the best few sides around once again this year, but the might of Hartpury College is always a huge challenge, and the ACE champions are flying this year. It is not the ACE side coming though, Hartpury are sending their U17 development side. Last year that side was beaten fairly soundly by Clifton College so Hartpury will be keen to turn that around, but Clifton will be eager to repeat the feat. If they continue to do so, perhaps one day we will get that clash between one of the top school sides and one of the top ACE sides.
Harrow v Berkhamsted (Schools Cup) – Saturday
Another absolute belter of a game. Two of the best in the business last year and looking like it again as both sides head into this game that doubles up as a Schools Cup clash – a Schools Cup this year that both would firmly believe they can win. Last year the two met and thrillingly drew 10-10, the only game en route to their Daily Mail Trophy triumph that Berkhamsted did not win. They were then both knocked out in tight games at the quarter final stage of the Cup. If anything, these two might just be even better this year, Harrow have beaten, among others, Wellington College and Whitgift ahead of this game, Berkhamsted the likes of Bromsgrove, Seaford, and Warwick. The difference, perhaps, is that this will be Berkhamsted’s toughest game so far, while Harrow have faced similar. Could that make the difference? Perhaps, but either way this is a massive game.
Malvern College v Monmouth (Border Shield at Ledbury RFC) – Friday
Ledbury RFC plays host to the annual Border Shield between England’s Malvern College and Wales’ Monmouth, and as if the occasion was not already big enough, Nigel Owens will be the man in the middle with the whistle. This game is huge. Monmouth won last year’s encounter 24-10 and are playing pretty well again this year, though they will have been gutted to have been knocked out of the Cup in Round 1 by Sir Thomas Rich’s. However Malvern College won the last two Border Shield’s prior to Covid and will be eager to reclaim the Shield. Their season got off to a slow start but they gained vital momentum last weekend with a healthy defeat of RGS Worcester. Both sides will be up for this and it should be a great game and, more importantly, an incredible occasion.
Merchiston Castle Festival – Saturday & Sunday
The Merchiston Festival just keeps on growing, from an 8 team tournament in 2019 it is now a 16 team tournament with 11 English Schools heading up to take on Scottish counterparts, and included in the number are last year’s champions Seaford College. It has quickly become one of the key tournaments on the school calendar and a weekend hotbed of the very best of schools rugby. It is going to be a superb display of schools rugby, the likes of Ipswich School, Barnard Castle, Merchiston Castle, George Watson’s College, and Bedford being among the many challengers, it’s not to be missed. We have previewed it in depth here: Merchiston Festival Preview
Sir Thomas Rich’s v Bloxham
This one absolutely fascinates us. Both side have had some superb teams in recent years and have produced some exceptional players, Sam Underhill is a Sir Thomas Rich’s old boy while Alfie Barbeary was a star for Bloxham. This year both sides look pretty strong, Sir Thomas Rich’s have had great results against the likes of Monmouth and Dean Close, while Bloxham have only lost against some truly outstanding sides. Perhaps the key result for each in the context of this one is against King’s Worcester, whom they both beat, Bloxham winning 24-18 and Tommies 28-23. Such similar margins suggest that we could be in for an incredibly tight game on Saturday, which makes this one absolutely one to watch.
St Joseph’s Festival – Saturday & Sunday
Over 35 years old and still going strong, The St Joseph’s Festival is one of the jewels in the Schools Rugby crown, and this year has the potential to be one of the best of all time – a legitimate case could be made for about half the field as potential winners. The thing with the St Joseph’s Festival that always stands out though is the passion from the home support, which in turn results in huge passion from St Joseph’s College, passion that feeds through to the other 15 teams and results in one of the most intense and meaningful weekend’s of school sport each and every year. NextGenXV will be live streaming every second of the action and you can find the videos for Pitch 1 and Pitch 2 on Day 1 above and below this section. It is going to be a blockbuster occasion, once again, and you can check out our full preview here: St Joseph’s Festival Preview.
St Peter’s, York v Lancaster RGS – Saturday
It might not be the War of the Roses, but it’s certainly the Game of the Roses, Yorkshire v Lancashire, York v Lancaster. Two proud schools that have produced some glorious rugby teams through the years. Neither has had the start to the season that they would have hoped for, but that all goes out of the window come Saturday when these two go head to head at 2.30pm. St Peter’s won a tight one at LRGS last year, 10-8, and the hope is for a similarly tight and competitive game this weekend. For the victor it will be a massive momentum boost heading into half term.
Stowe v Bromsgrove – Saturday
Always a decent game, this year it feels even bigger. Stowe are on a bit of a roll, with three strong victories in a row, while Bromsgrove have had a bit of an up and down year but are looking a decent side. By the time this preview goes out, both will also know their Schools Cup fate, whether they have progressed to Round 3, the regional final, or not. Regardless, this is where the real competition is for both, their Saturday fixtures and putting together a season to remember. Victory on Saturday for either would go a long way towards making it very much a season to remember and send them into half term absolutely bouncing.
The Leys v The Perse – Saturday
The Cambridge derby and the first of two scheduled meetings between these two this year. Last year at home The Perse won 33-19, but prior to covid The Leys had claimed victory on back to back occasions. This year both are playing some good rugby, The Leys faced tough opposition early on but have now recorded seriously impressive back to back victories, The Perse meanwhile have won four of five and when they win they win big. It could well be an absolutely fantastic derby match on Saturday.
Friday
Bryanston v Dean Close (at Ding’s Crusaders)
KES Bath v Beechen Cliff
Pate’s Grammar v St Peter’s, Gloucester (at Cheltenham Rugby Club)
Friday night has some great fixtures with which sides will finish up for half term. At Ding’s Crusaders Bryanston and Dean Close go head to head, looking for a strong performance to take with them into half term ahead of a huge second half of the season for both.
Along the road at Cheltenham Rugby Club it is yet another Friday night game for St Peter’s Gloucester, who are not playing a single Saturday game this season. This time they take on Pate’s Grammar and will be hoping for improved Friday night fortunes after tricky fixtures in their earlier games. Not too far away KES Bath will be hosting Beechen Cliff’s non-ACE side in what should be a special Friday occasion to send both into the half term break with.
Saturday
Bishop’s Stortford High v Coopers’ Coborn
Blundell’s v Kingswood
Bolton v Wilmslow High
Bristol Grammar v QEH
Camp Hill RFC v KES Camp Hill
Cathedral School, Llandaff v St John’s, Argentina
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar v The Judd
Churcher’s College v Wimbledon College
Cranbrook v Maidstone Grammar
Crossley Heath v Hill House
Dauntsey’s v Monkton Combe
Ellesmere College v Old Swinford Hospital
Eltham College Triangular: Eltham College, Finborough, Langley Park
Epsom College v Skinners’
Felsted v Framlingham College
Giggleswick v Bradford Grammar
Gordon’s v Portsmouth Grammar
Haberdashers’ Adams v KES Birmingham
Hitchin v Richard Hale
King’s Canterbury v Sir Joseph Williamson’s
King’s College, Taunton v Clifton College 2nd XV
King’s Ely v St Edmund’s College
Lord Wandsworth College v KES Southampton
Pocklington v Dame Allan’s
Reading Blue Coat v Pangbourne College
Shiplake College v The Oratory
St Edward’s, Oxford v Christ College
St George’s, Harpenden v QES Barnet
Stonyhurst v St Anselm’s College
Sutton Valence v Wellington College 3rd XV
Taunton v Exeter
Tiffin v London Oratory
Whitgift v Bishop Wordsworth’s
Windsor Boys’ v Cardinal Vaughan
Wirral Grammar v St Ambrose College
Despite Festivals and half term for some, Saturday’s fixture card is still a full one with some great games and some teams that are simply demanding attention as a result of their performances of late. Not least The Judd, who are unbeaten so far and playing some incredible rugby. Next up for them are Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar, who will need to be at their very best. At home and in front of a passionate crowd though, they are sure to be up for giving The Judd a real test.
Another side going along really nicely are Bradford Grammar School. Only in the Vase have they come unstuck, on the Saturday circuit they are building some incredible momentum ahead of half term. Only Giggleswick stand between them and an unbeaten non-Vase first half of term, but Giggleswick is never an easy place to travel to and they will be absolutely determined to head into half term of a positive note themselves.
Another that we will be keeping a particularly close eye on comes in Devon, where Blundell’s host Kingswood, both enjoyed spectacular victories last weekend, and Kingswood are actually on for an unbeaten first half of term. This will be their stiffest test though, a Blundell’s side that has played some of the very best teams in the country this season.
As ever, there is good rugby in the South West, Exeter School travel from Devon to Somerset to take on Taunton School, while along the road King’s College Taunton take on Clifton College’s 2nd XV. Meanwhile Monkton Combe travel to Dauntsey’s and Bristol Grammar host QEH.
Over in Wales Cathedral School Llandaff have a very special fixture as they welcome Argentine tourists St John’s, while back across the border there is club action for KES Camp Hill as they take on Camp Hill RFC.
Old Swinford Hospital are looking good this season and had a fantastic victory over Solihull last week, this weekend they head to Ellesmere College, who will be looking to head into half term on a high after a rather cancellation heavy first half of term. Elsewhere, Adams Grammar welcome KES Birmingham.
Along the M40 to Oxford, St Edward’s welcome frequent cross-border travellers Christ College Brecon over from Wales for what should be a great occasion. Over in Henley there is great action too as Shiplake College host The Oratory, whose game against London Oratory we will be live streaming this coming Wednesday.
Along in Reading there is another fantastic fixture as Reading Blue Coat host Pangbourne College, a game that really should be a tight one, while in Windsor Cardinal Vaughan travel to take on Windsor Boys’.
Heading South, Lord Wandsworth College host KES Southampton, a game that should be a strong one, while along to the South East King’s Canterbury are at home against Sir Joseph Williamson’s. Cranbrook host Maidstone Grammar, with Sutton Valence hosting Wellington College’s 3rd XV, while over in Surrey Portsmouth Grammar make the trip from the South Coast to take on a strong Gordon’s side. Wimbledon College meanwhile head south to take on Churcher’s College.
In London there is some great rugby, and look out for Whitgift, who host Bishop Wordsworth’s in what should be a great way to sign off heading into half term. Tiffin meanwhile host London Oratory ahead of that live stream of London Oratory next week.
In South East London there is a great occasion as Eltham College host a triangular that should be spectacular, the ‘new kids on the block’ Finborough (what a year they are having!) are in attendance alongside a confident Langley Park after their comeback against John Fisher last week. Meanwhile in South West London Epsom College are in action and looking to finish a tricky first half of term on a high, they host Skinners’, who would love nothing more than to claim such a prestigious scalp.
North of London the in form Richard Hale, who are having a great season, head to Hitchin, while St George’s Harpdenden welcome QES Barnet. Meanwhile Bishop’s Stortford High School host Coopers’ Coborn.
In Essex there is a massive game as Felsted welcome Suffolk’s Framlingham College for what promises to be an absolutely fantastic game with which to head into half term. Meanwhile elsewhere King’s Ely host St Edmund’s College.
It’s a relatively quiet day in the North of England, but the fixtures on the card are definitely worth looking out for. Wirral Grammar School were absolutely sensational last weekend, with every back scoring, and they will need to be at their brilliant best again this weekend as they host a strong St Ambrose College side.
Wilmslow High School head over to Bolton School, with Crossley Heath hosting Hill House, a game where both will need to be at their best. Meanwhile look out for Stonyhurst v St Anselm’s College, both have played some great rugby at times this year and could put on a show.
Over in Yorkshire, Pocklington host a Dame Allan’s side that are going to be absolutely bursting with confidence after a magnificent series of performances last weekend saw them claim the Tom Burrows Cup at Silcoates.
