The draws for the Continental Tyres U18 Schools Cup, Plate, Vase, and Bowl quarter finals have all been drawn today.
Fixtures are due to take place before the Christmas break, with semi finals then due on the opening weekend of March, and finals in mid-March.
Competitions all begin at the regional stage, with each competition consisting of two North sections, two Midlands sections, two London & South East sections, and two South West sections.
Those section remain in part for the quarter finals and semi finals, with North and Midlands amalgamated and likewise London & South East and South West, creating a North side of the draw and a South side of the draw in each competition.
That means that quarter final 1 and quarter final 2 in each competition are ‘north’ and quarter finals 3 and 4 are ‘south’. Winners of Quarter Final 1 will be the ‘home’ side against the winners of Quarter Final 2 in Semi Final 1, while winners of Quarter Final 3 will be the ‘home’ side against the winners of Quarter Final 4 in Semi Final 2.
Continental Tyres U18 Schools Cup Quarter Finals
QF 1 Bromsgrove v Radley College
QF 2 Kirkham Grammar v Woodhouse Grove
QF 3 Monmouth v RGS High Wycombe
QF 4 Harrow v Ipswich
Two time champions Bromsgrove will host Radley College in Quarter Final 1 after both came through epic Regional Finals, unbeaten Bromsgrove beating an outstanding Stamford side as they chase a first final since 2015, while Radley College won a thriller 28-27 at 2022 Plate winners, Stowe.
2022 finalists Kirkham Grammar School will host the former Plate champions Woodhouse Grove in Quarter Final 2, both came through their Regional Finals in some style, Woodhouse Grove finding peak form against St Peter’s York last week, and unbeaten Kirkham Grammar School, who are looking to add to October’s St Joseph’s Festival title, winning at King’s Macclesfield a week prior.
Over in the Southern half, two-time finalists RGS High Wycombe, who won at last year’s quarter finalists Marlborough College to get here, face a tricky away trip to Monmouth, who won at last year’s semi finalists, Blundell’s, in the last round.
Unbeaten Harrow, meanwhile, lost at this stage to Trinity last year but will be determined to go even further as a result this year. They were magnificent in their regional final time out, but now have arguably the biggest fixture of the lot as they host Ipswich, who progressed past Epsom College on try count. Both sides sit in the Top 5 in the NextGenXV Schools Rugby Table, it is going to be a huge clash.
Overall it looks like one of the strongest Cup quarter final lineups in years, featuring the reigning St Joseph’s Festival champions, Kirkham Grammar, the side they beat in the final, RGS High Wycombe, the reigning Daily Mail Trophy champions, Harrow, two further unbeaten teams, Bromsgrove and Ipswich, and three sides with just one defeat between them since half term (and even that was two Harrow), Monmouth, Radley College, and Woodhouse Grove, indeed Woodhouse Grove have lost just once all season.
It should make for four outstanding quarter finals.
Continental Tyres Schools Plate Quarter Finals
QF 1 Uppingham v Grammar School at Leeds
QF 2 Solihull v Cheadle Hulme
QF 3 King’s College, Taunton v Newman College
QF 4 Campion v Caterham
A strong collection of schools head to the Plate quarter finals. In quarter final 1 Uppingham, who beat three time Cup winners Warwick to get here, will host Grammar School at Leeds, an intriguing match-up after GSAL beat a much fancied Stockport Grammar side.
Solihull meanwhile knocked out Uppingham’s great rivals Oakham by a point, the defending Cup champions, in their Midlands B final. They will host Cheadle Hulme, who also progressed by a point, 35-34 against Stonyhurst.
Quarter Final three looks interesting, Newman College, who got past KCS Wimbledon last time out, will be on the road again to take on King’s College Taunton, who had to knock out the Cup’s most successful side ever last time around, Collegiate.
A former Cup champion lurks in Quarter Final 4, Campion, who knocked out 3 time Cup winners Whitgift in the London & South East A regional final. They will be hosting a Caterham side that has been absolutely tearing up trees.
Continental Tyres Schools Vase Quarter Finals
QF 1 Durham v King’s Grantham
QF 2 Felsted v St Ambrose College/St Anselm’s College
QF 3 Lord Wandsworth College/St John’s Leatherhead v Ivybridge Community College
QF 4 Eastbourne College/Ravens Wood v Mill Hill
Only the one confirmed game in the Vase so far, which will see this superb Durham School side host King’s Grantham, who have also been in red hot form.
Elsewhere, sides have to wait to the final Regional Finals to take place to know their opponents for sure. Felsted know that they will be hosting, after beating St Albans, but must wait until Wednesday evening to find out if it will be St Ambrose or St Anselm’s.
Meanwhile Ivybridge know they are on the road after beating Dauntsey’s, with either Lord Wandsworth College or St John’s Leatherhead their hosts. Mill Hill, who have only lost once all season, will also be on the road, against either Eastbourne College or Ravens Wood, both of whom have had some fantastic performances this year.
Continental Tyres Schools Bowl Quarter Finals
QF 1 King’s Ely/Richard Hale v Nottingham High/Prince Henry’s Grammar
QF 2 Loughborough Grammar v KES Five Ways/Royal Latin
QF 3 Richard Huish v Sutton Valence
QF 4 Portsmouth Grammar v London Oratory/Brentwood
Like the Vase, there is just one confirmed game, Quarter Final 3 where Richard Huish host a Sutton Valence side that has been excellent in knockout competition in recent times. In Quarter Final 4 Portsmouth Grammar must await the result of London Oratory v Brentwood to see who them will host.
Quarter Final 2 will see Loughborough Grammar host either KES Five Ways or Royal Latin, while Quarter Final 1 is a long way from ready. There the Regional Final in Midlands B, King’s Ely v Richard Hale, and in North B, Nottingham High v Prince Henry’s Grammar, both still need to take place.
Semi Finals and Finals
The Cup and Vase semi finals will all take place at Aylesbury RFC on Saturday 2nd March, meanwhile the Plate and Bowl semi finals will take place at the Home School, with the winners of Quarter Finals 1 and 3 being allocated as the home sides.
Cup and Vase finals will take place at Twickenham Stadium on Thursday 14th March, while the Plate and Bowl Final are yet to have their dates and venues confirm but they will be on the week commencing the 11th March.
