There are weekends and then there are proper weekends, this was the latter as the very best of schools rugby was on show in various different guises around the country.
From Festivals to cross-border fixtures, to Friday night classics, and more, this was a weekend to remember.
Our coverage of the weekend was of course dominated by the epic St Joseph’s Festival, one of the best and most intense of all time, producing history, classic games, and some wonderful rugby. You can see highlights from Pitch 1 on Day 1 below, and highlights from Pitch 2 and the second day will be released through the week.
Ten to Watch
Blackrock College 24-25 Sedbergh – Saturday
Clifton College 38-12 Hartpury College – Friday
Harrow 32-23 Berkhamsted (Schools Cup) – Saturday
Malvern College 10-43 Monmouth (Border Shield at Ledbury RFC) – Friday
Merchiston Castle Festival – Ipswich Champions
Sir Thomas Rich’s 43-25 Bloxham
St Joseph’s Festival – Millfield Champions
St Peter’s, York 12-24 Lancaster RGS – Saturday
Stowe 50-0 Bromsgrove – Saturday
The Leys 7-19 The Perse – Saturday
Our Ten to Watch certainly lived up to expectations, and in a variety of ways. At the St Joseph’s Festival Millfield made history in becoming the first side since the mid 2000s and SGS Filton College to win back to back titles, in the process earning their record 8th title, adding to last year’s record breaking 7th. Trinity were among the other outstanding sides, reaching the final at the first attempt and in the process seeing star man Josh Bellamy named Player of the Tournament. You can read more about the Festival in our review here: St Joseph’s Festival Review.
The other huge Festival this weekend was the Merchiston Festival, where it was Ipswich School that claimed the silverware, following on from Seaford College last year. The Suffolk side faced the hosts in the final but had enough in the tank to get the job done and keep the Trophy on English soil for another year. Merchiston Castle will be delighted with their efforts though, reaching a final and putting on a tournament that left all feeling positive about schools rugby.
Saturday also saw arguably the biggest standalone fixture of the season as Sedbergh headed over to Ireland to take on one of the biggest names in the world in Blackrock College. It was two of the most famous names in all of school rugby going head to head and the game could not have lived up to expectation any more as the two teams but on a display of brilliance. It was Sedbergh that claimed the spoils though, adding to their tight victory in 2019 with another dramatic one, as dramatic as it gets, a last play conversion earning them the spoils in one of the greatest schoolboy occasions of our era.
The weekend’s action all began on Friday though, and our Ten to Watch included two of those games. Clifton College earning a second victory over Hartpury College’s U17 side in successive years, winning 38-12. The hope is that with Clifton now a fixture at the top of the school rugby pyramid, that the ACE side might be rolled out next year.
Also on Friday was the annual Border Shield between England’s Malvern College and Wales’ Monmouth, and this year it was the Welshmen that took the spoils, and in quite spectacular fashion for a 43-10 victory.
Onto Saturday, and a huge Schools Cup game between two unbeaten side, Harrow and Berkhamsted in London & South East B. Harrow took the victory, 32-23, but both sides came away with enormous credit. Harrow now face an absolute monster of a regional final after half term when they will travel to Hampton.
Elsewhere, Stowe continue to look absolutely brilliant, they dismantled a decent Bromsgrove side 50-0. Meanwhile Sir Thomas Rich’s were looking sensational as well as they defeated Bloxham 43-25, Tommies seem to be hitting top form at the moment.
Lancaster RGS had a superb win in the Roses clash at St Peter’s York, winning 24-12, while in the Cambridge derby The Perse beat The Leys 19-7.
Friday
Bryanston 31-26 Dean Close (at Ding’s Crusaders)
KES Bath 15-35 Beechen Cliff
Pate’s Grammar 17-19 St Peter’s, Gloucester (at Cheltenham Rugby Club)
Friday had some great contests in the South West, including a thriller at Cheltenham Rugby Club as St Peter’s Gloucester edged out Pate’s Grammar 19-17. There was a cracker at Dings Crusaders too, Bryanston winning 31-26 against Dean Close in a real thrill a minute game. Meanwhile Beechen Cliff were on song against KES Bath for a good 35-15 victory.
Saturday
Bishop’s Stortford High 39-14 Coopers’ Coborn
Blundell’s 21-19 Kingswood
Bristol Grammar 15-18 QEH
Camp Hill RFC 12-33 KES Camp Hill
Cathedral School, Llandaff 7-29 St John’s, Argentina
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar 0-34 The Judd
Churcher’s College 5-8 Wimbledon College
Cranbrook 19-24 Maidstone Grammar
Crossley Heath 17-31 Hill House
Dauntsey’s 34-10 Monkton Combe
Ellesmere College 13-24 Old Swinford Hospital
Epsom College 22-5 Skinners’
Felsted 36-5 Framlingham College
Giggleswick 0-17 Bradford Grammar
Gordon’s 33-0 Portsmouth Grammar
King’s Canterbury 22-13 Sir Joseph Williamson’s
King’s College, Taunton 26-19 Clifton College 2nd XV
Lord Wandsworth College 48-41 KES Southampton
Pocklington 21-29 Dame Allan’s
Reading Blue Coat 26-7 Pangbourne College
Shiplake College 7-35 The Oratory
St Edward’s, Oxford 19-32 Christ College
St George’s, Harpenden 52-7 QES Barnet
Taunton 17-12 Exeter
Tiffin 22-27 London Oratory
Whitgift 50-15 Bishop Wordsworth’s
Windsor Boys’ 35-10 Cardinal Vaughan
Wirral Grammar 7-46 St Ambrose College
Saturday saw some strong performances, among them Whitgift who were in top shape to defeat Bishop Wordsworth’s 50-15. St Ambrose College were also absolutely sensational, beating a strong Wirral Grammar side 46-7.
There were some incredible close games too, perhaps most thrillingly bonkers of all being a 48-41 victory for Lord Wandsworth College over KES Southampton. Things were tight in the other direction at Churcher’s College, where Wimbledon College edged their hosts out 8-5.
Elsewhere in the South East, Epsom College were on form, beating Skinners’ 22-5, meanwhile The Judd machine simply marches on, a brilliant 34-0 win at Chislehurst & Sidcup this week. Maidstone Grammar won a tight one at Cranbrook, 24-19, while Gordon’s won impressively 33-0 against Portsmouth Grammar, and King’s Canterbury were in form for a 22-13 victory over Sir Joseph Williamson’s.
Felsted looked strong at home to Framlingham College, winning 36-5, while St George’s Harpenden were loving life at home against QES Barnet, 52-7, meanwhile Bishop’s Stortford High won 39-14 against Coopers’ Coborn.
London Oratory were on song away at Tiffin, 27-22, ideal preparation for our Live Stream of their game against The Oratory on Wednesday, who were also in strong away form, beating Shiplake College 35-7. Along the road, Reading Blue Coat won 26-7 against Pangbourne College, while Windsor Boys were 35-10 victors over Cardinal Vaughan.
Further West, Christ College travelled from Wales to Oxford to take on St Edward’s, and went home with a 32-19 victory. KES Camp Hill faced club opposition in Camp Hill RFC and took a 33-12 victory, while Old Swinford Hospital won 24-13 at Ellesmere College.
In the South West there were some top games, notably at Blundell’s, where they defeated Kingswood 21-19. It was similar at Bristol Grammar, with the visitors, QEH, taking the spoils there, 18-15. Dauntsey’s meanwhile beat Monkton Combe 34-10 and Taunton won a close one over Exeter 17-12, while local rivals King’s College beat Clifton College’s 2nd XV 26-19.
There was tight action in the North as Dame Allan’s capped a good couple of weeks with a 29-21 victory over Pocklington. Bradford Grammar also continue to love life, beating Giggleswick 17-0 away from home. Hill House meanwhile won 31-17 at Crossley Heath. Over in Wales Argentine tourists St John’s continued to enjoy their trip, beating Cathedral School Llandaff 29-7.
Still to Come:
Haberdashers’ Adams v KES Birmingham
Hitchin v Richard Hale
Stonyhurst v St Anselm’s College
