Wednesday sees the 2023 Middlesex 7s take place at St Benedict’s School in Ealing.
Sixteen teams will gather together for one of the most competitive tournaments of the season so far and the 16 will be divided into two groups of four teams each.
There are four trophies on offer, the Cup, the Plate, the Shield, and the Bowl, with the top side from each group qualifying for the Cup semis, second place for the Plate, third for the Shield, and fourth for the Bowl.
As hosts, St Benedict’s are in Group A but it is a fearsome group featuring schools rugby giants Millfield, last week’s Plate winners at the Gordon’s School Floodlit 7s, Mill Hill, and one of the strongest state school sides in the country, Skinners’, who won the 2020 Shield. Whoever comes out on top will have done incredibly well.
Harrow and Hampton have contested the last two finals of this competition, 2019 and 2020, Harrow winning in 2020 and Hampton narrowly winning in 2019. Harrow are therefore reigning champions and are in Group B, and will be among the favourites for the competition. Joining them are London Oratory and Tiffin, who have had some terrific performances this season, as well as ACE side Gordon’s, who will provide a real threat after showing some real quality at their Floodlit 7s.
Hampton, meanwhile are in Group C, which looks very tough. Felsted will likely be their main competition, they have had a really strong side to the short form season, while John Fisher are also in the group, and are always a 7s threat, alongside Windsor Boys’, who won the Bowl in 2020 and reached the 2019 Shield final.
Group D is on another level, two ACE sides in Bishop Wand and Beechen Cliff immediately make this one stand out, as do the two independent schools in the group, St Paul’s and RGS Guildford. Bishop Wand are a very strong side, while Beechen Cliff reached the ACE final. St Paul’s are a strong outfit that should suit 7s, and RGS Guildford are coming off the back of one of their best ever fifteen-a-side seasons and will be aiming for far higher than their 2020 Shield final.
Middlesex 7s Groups
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| Mill Hill | Gordon’s | Felsted | Beechen Cliff |
| Millfield | Harrow | Hampton | RGS Guildford |
| Skinners’ | London Oratory | John Fisher | St Paul’s |
| St Benedict’s | Tiffin | Windsor Boys’ | Bishop Wand |
Past Middlesex 7s Champions
2022 N/A
2021 Cancelled
2020 Harrow 26-7 Hampton
2019 Hampton 19-17 Harrow
2018 Cancelled
2017 Hampton 33-0 Henley College
2016 Cancelled
2015 Harrow 36-14 John Fisher
2014 John Fisher 21-10 Harrow
2013 Hampton 35-5 Haileybury
Plate
2022 N/A
2021 Cancelled
2020 St Paul’s Catholic College 21-5 John Fisher
2019 St Benedict’s 28-12 SEEVIC
2018 Cancelled
2017 Merchant Taylors’ 19-12 Tiffin
2016 Cancelled
2015 RGS High Wyombe 31-7 St Paul’s
2014 Tiffin 19-7 Worth
2013 Dulwich College 40-12 Latymer Upper
Shield
2022 N/A
2021 Cancelled
2020 Skinners’ 24-22 RGS Guildford
2019 Henley College 25-5 Windsor Boys’
Bowl
2022 N/A
2021 Cancelled
2020 Windsor Boys’ 19-17 Emanuel
2019 UCS 20-12 Emanuel
