Waterlogged pitches were a bit of a curse on the weekend’s school rugby action, however plenty of rugby did manage to take place, and some great rugby there was too.
The Premiership Rugby U18 Academy League, Lambs Chairman’s Day, and various other representative fixtures and events meant that naturally many sides were fielding development sides, U17 sides, or perhaps not their full strength sides, but the rugby was magnificent.
Schools Rugby Weekend Results
Friday
Eastbourne College 26-34 Hayes (NextGenXV Spring League)
Hartpury College Bulls 43-17 St Joseph’s College
Friday was a cracking evening, not least at Horsham RFC where the NextGenXV Spring League kicked off in spectacular style with Eastbourne College and Hayes meeting in an absolute thriller. The two sides played some magnificent rugby as they shared a whopping 60 points, with Hayes coming out on top, 34-26.
Hartpury College Bulls also enjoyed Friday night, earning a 43-17 victory over St Joseph’s College, though the Suffolk side did cause them plenty of problems, racing to a 10 point lead early on and keeping the deficit narrow until Hartpury pulled away in the closing stages.
Saturday
George Heriot’s 12-38 Edinburgh Academy
Glasgow Academy 0-60 Stewart’s Melville
Glasgow High 7-47 George Watson’s College
John Fisher 7-13 Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar
Kelvinside Academy 17-12 Morrison’s Academy
KES Stratford 7-37 Solihull
Millfield 12-29 Christ College
Old Swinford Hospital 21-17 Bishop Vesey’s Grammar
QEGS Wakefield 20-25 Lancaster RGS
Sedbergh U17 19-35 Northampton School for Boys U17
Saturday saw some wonderful performances away from home, Lancaster RGS were on song in a cracker at QEGS Wakefield, winning 25-20, while Solihull travelled to KES Stratford and claimed an excellent 37-7 victory.
Christ College Brecon travelled from Wales to Somerset to take on a Millfield development side and secured an outstanding result on the Sir Gareth Edwards pitch, a brilliant 29-12 victory. Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar also enjoyed life on the road, heading to John Fisher and winning a close on 13-7.
Bucking the trend were Old Swinford Hospital who, despite missing a number of key figures, won 21-17 at home against Bishop Vesey’s Grammar.
In Scotland Kelvinside Academy claimed home victory against Morrison’s Academy 17-12, but across the rest of Scotland things were much like in England, away sides on song. Edinburgh Academy won 38-12 at George Heriot’s, while Stewart’s Melville and George Watson’s College were both in stunning form away in Glasgow. Stewart’s Melville won 60-0 at Glasgow Academy while George Watson’s were 47-7 victors at Glasgow High.
There were also plenty of U17 games on Saturday, and while the results of some are yet to come through, one that has come through and that ought to have people getting excited about some of the possibilities for the 2023/24 U18 season game in Cumbria where Northampton School for Boys U17 travelled to Buskhome to take on Sedbergh U17 and claimed an absolutely brilliant 35-19 victory. An early signal from NSB that they are a side to watch as U18’s next year.
Still to Come:
Durham U17 v RGS Newcastle U17
Mount St Mary’s College U17 v Loughborough Grammar U17
Wirral Grammar U17 v Calday Grange Grammar U17
