Wednesday sees the annual Hampton School Founders’ Day 7s take place, one of the key tournaments of this stag of the 7s season.
It is a tournament that almost always sees contenders for some of the season’s major prizes, such as the Rosslyn Park National School 7s and the Edwin Doran Surrey Schools Senior 7s, taking part.
This year is no different, in fact it may even be a step up. Alongside long term Hampton 7s attendees such as Cranleigh, Epsom College, and, more recently, Ipswich, are school 7s most successful side, Millfield.
Cranleigh are the reigning champions, winning their third title of the last ten editions of the competition in 2022. Perhaps even more impressive though is that they have reached every Hampton 7s final since 2016 (2021 was lost to Covid).
Hampton have been in four of those, 2020, 2019, 2017, and 2016, and are the only other side to have won three titles in the time period. Since 2016 only Brighton College and Ipswich have broken the Cranleigh/Hampton grip on the final, Brighton College winning the title in 2018, to add to their 2014 title, and Ipswich losing out in a thriller to Cranleigh last year.
Brighton College are sadly not in attendance on Wednesday, but Ipswich will be and they will be grouped alongside the only other former champion of the last 10 years not mentioned so far, John Fisher, who edged out the hosts by a point in 2015, following on from Plate success over the same opponents in 2014.
There are two groups in total, each with five teams competing. The top team in each group will compete in the Cup Final, while the two runners up will compete in the Plate Final.
Joining Ipswich and John Fisher in Group 1 are the hosts, Hampton, who have reached the final of either the Cup or the Plate in every single one of the last ten editions of the tournament, winning three of each. Alongside those two are a strong Hurstpierpoint College outfit, and an Epsom College side that have already performed exceptionally well in the 7s/10s season and will be among the favourites.
Champions Cranleigh are in the other Group, Group 2, and it is a fierce looking group. Joining them are two ACE sides, the Harlequins affiliates, Gordon’s, and the London Irish affiliates, Bishop Wand, who reached the Plate final three times in their previous guise as St Paul’s Catholic College.
Alongside those two are 2016 Plate finalists St Benedict’s, and a Millfield group that could be very special indeed as they begin to fully launch their 7s campaign now that the Academy season is over.
Always one of the best of the early-season 7s tournaments, this year’s Hampton School Founders’ Day 7s looks set to be even better than ever.
Hampton School Founders’ Day 7s Draw
| Group 1 | Group 2 |
| Epsom College | Cranleigh |
| Hampton | Gordon’s |
| Hurstpierpoint College | Millfield |
| Ipswich | St Benedict’s |
| John Fisher | Bishop Wand |
Previous Finals:
Cup
2022 Cranleigh 28-21 Ipswich
2021 N/A
2020 Hampton 31-12 Cranleigh
2019 Cranleigh 27-14 Hampton
2018 Brighton College 40-5 Cranleigh
2017 Hampton 19-10 Cranleigh
2016 Hampton 24-19 Cranleigh
2015 John Fisher 15-14 Hampton
2014 Brighton College 21-17 Whitgift
2013 Whitgift 19-17 Hampton
2012 Cranleigh 33-14 Whitgift
Plate
2022 Hampton 29-26 Bishop Wand
2021 N/A
2020 St John’s, Leatherhead 32-7 St Paul’s Catholic College
2019 St John’s, Leatherhead 31-19 RGS High Wycombe
2018 Hampton 31-10 St Paul’s Catholic College
2017 Brighton College 26-24 St Paul’s Catholic College
2016 John Fisher 31-7 St Benedict’s
2015 Brighton College 12-0 St Paul’s
2014 John Fisher 26-12 Hampton
2013 Cranleigh 28-7 Campion
2012 Hampton 45-12 Campion
