Six Nations opening weekend it may well have been, but the first weekend of February was also the busiest on the schools rugby calendar of 2023 to date.
There was action on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side being played along with the fantastic Global Pass at Rugby School on what was all-round an utterly fantastic weekend of schools rugby.
Friday
Birkenhead 21-19 Stonyhurst (at Birkenhead Park RFC)
Hayes Invitational 7s
KES Camp Hill 5-43 KES Birmingham
George Watson’s College 26-10 East Lothian RFC
Hampton 41-3 St Benedict’s (at Twickenham RFC)
Old Swinford Hospital 26-24 Sir Thomas Rich’s (at Stourbridge RFC)
Orleans Park 7s
Shelford 7s
The action began on Friday, and began in some style, and absolutely thrilling game of rugby at Stourbridge RFC as Old Swinford Hosptial and Sir Thomas Rich’s, arguably the two top state schools this season, went head to head. The two could hardly be separated but in the end it was Old Swinford Hospital that came out on top, winning 26-24.
Things were close at Birkenhead Park Rugby Club too, with Birkenhead School hosting Stonyhurst at the venue for the North of England 7s on the 5th March and just edging their visitors out 21-19.
In London Hampton were in sensational form at Twickenham RFC, beating St Benedcit’s 41-3, while there was a similarly impressive 43-5 victory in the Midlands for KES Birmingham at KES Camp Hill. In Scotland, meanwhile, George Watson’s College beat East Lothian RFC 26-10.
There was also 7s action on Friday night, at Hayes, at Orleans Park, and at Shelford RFC, where the likes of Felsted, The Perse, Hills Road, and Bishop’s Stortford High were all in early-season 7s action.
Saturday
Calday Grange Grammar 31-36 Manchester Grammar
Dundee High 12-58 Edinburgh Academy
Eastbourne College 23-22 Reed’s (NextGenXV Spring League, at Horsham RFC)
George Heriot’s 24-7 Glasgow Academy
Lancaster RGS 0-0 Bolton
Merchiston Castle U17 48-19 Glasgow High U17
Repton 7s: Repton, Shrewsbury, Trent College
Warwick 43-5 Northampton School for Boys
Wellington 7s Triangular: Cheltenham College, Millfield, Wellington College
Whitgift 29-21 St Joseph’s College
Saturday was a massive day and perhaps nowhere more so than at Warwick School where the hosts were in absolutely stunning form against a Northampton School for Boys side that has caused so many top sides real problems this year.
Whitgift also had a strong day on home soil as they welcomed St Joseph’s College for what proved to be a cracking game of rugby, Whitgift running out 29-21victors.
Further South the NextGenXV Spring League continued in absolutely fantastic fashion too as Eastbourne College and Reed’s went head to head in an absolute cracker at Horsham RFC, giving opportunities to young players and playing with real gusto on both sides. It truly was a brilliant game, and in the end it was Eastbourne that just came away the happier, winning 23-22.
In Scotland Edinburgh Academy were sensational, winning 58-12 at Dundee High, while George Heriot’s were 24-7 winners at home to Glasgow Academy. Merchiston Castle were meanwhile in U17 action as they beat Glasgow High U17 48-19.
Back in England there was an absolute firecracker on the Wirral as Manchester Grammar travelled to Calday Grange and the two sides put on a classic. It went Manchester Grammar’s way, 36-31, but the abiding memory will be of a cracker for both sides.
There was also plenty of 7s on Saturday, Wellington College and Repton hosting triangulars as teams step up there preparations for the meat of the 7s season. Repton hosted Shrewsbury and Trent College, while Wellington saw Cheltenham College and Millfield make the trip.
Sunday
Clayesmore 7s: Clayesmore, Downside, Milton Abbey, Warminster
Pangbourne 7s: Gordon’s, Eton College, Magdalen College, Pangbourne College, Stowe
Rugby School Global Pass 7s: Bromsgrove, Mount St Mary’s College, Rugby, Uppingham
South Coast 7s: at Portsmouth Grammar – See Roundup Here (Millfield Champions)
Tonbridge 7s
Sunday was all about 7s and the key tournament was the South Coast 7s at Portsmouth Grammar, the first major seven-a-side tournament of the season. Millfield ran out the champions despite a difficult group stage, you can see our full roundup of the tournament here: South Coast 7s Roundup.
The Shiplake 7s was cancelled but Tonbridge picked up much of the slack there with the likes of Bedford, Hurstpierpoint College, St Paul’s, and Worth visiting for a cracking day of Rugby.
Pangbourne College also had plenty of visitors on Sunday, with Stowe flexing their 7s muscles in impressive styles as their Rosslyn Park Vase defence preparations step up. Gordon’s were also in strong form, likewise Eton College in a field that also included the likes of St Edward’s Oxford and Magdalen College. Clayesmore were also hosting on Sunday, welcoming Downside, Milton Abbey, and Warminster.
Sunday also saw the launch of The Global Pass at Rugby School, the start of 200 Gilbert Anniversary Balls being passed around the globe as part of the 200 year celebrations of Rugby Football that will see a number of events at the school, including the International 7s in late March.
NextGenXV will be live streaming every Rugby School home game in 2023 as well as every tournament and festival at the school, including the U9s and U11s Festivals and the International 7s.
Sunday saw a bit of a precursor to the 7s tournament as Bromsgrove, Mount St Mary’s, and Uppingham, who will be at that International 7s, playing in a round robin series of game alongside Rugby School after the Global Pass had begun with the likes of Mike Tindall, Emily Scarratt, and RFU President among those passing the ball before Girls XV captain Livi Williams passed it to Boys XV captain David Bennett, who ran it onto the field to begin the rugby.
All four sides played some wonderful free-flowing 7s, particularly impressive given how early in the 7s season it is, on a gloriously sunny day at Rugby School.
Still to Come:
Ampleforth College v St Peter’s, York – 7s – Saturday
Dartford Grammar v Coopers’ Coborn – Saturday
Ealing Trailfinders v Finborough – Friday
Glasgow High v Balfron High – Saturday
Morrison’s Academy v Linlithgow RFC – Saturday
Oswestry v Shrewsbury – Saturday
RGS High Wycombe v Campion – Saturday
St Anselm’s College U17 v Kirkham Grammar U17 – Saturday
