As the end of term approaches, and indeed the main schools rugby season, we head into a busy midweek of schools rugby.
After a weather disrupted weekend, the hope will be that the next few days will be uninterrupted, not least because there are some wonderful game of rugby coming up across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Tuesday
It’s a big week of knockout rugby and that begins on Tuesday in the Continental Tyres Schools Vase quarter finals as Felsted host St Ambrose College. Both have had moments of brilliance season and will arrive with real confidence for what should be an epic game of rugby.
Outside of the Vase there are some great derbies on Tuesday, Bishop’s Stortford High School and Bishop’s Stortford College meet in a game that always provides plenty of entertainment, likewise Norwich and Langley in a big Norfolk derby.
Over in the South West Milton Abbey host Wells Cathedral, while Collegiate will be taking on Beechen Cliff’s 2nd XV.
Scotland has one game on Tuesday, ahead of a big Wednesday north of the border, with Loretto taking on George Heriot’s.
Tuesday Fixtures
Bishop’s Stortford HS v Bishop’s Stortford College
Collegiate v Beechen Cliff 2nd XV
Felsted v St Ambrose College (Vase QF)
Loretto v George Heriot’s
Milton Abbey v Wells Cathedral
Norwich v Langley
Wednesday
Wednesday is a huge day, full of knockout rugby, and in Scotland and Wales it’s Cup Finals day. Scotland sees Scottish Gas Murrayfield host their Schools Cup and Shield Finals. The Cup Final sees unbeaten George Watson’s College take on Stewart’s Melville in a repeat of the 2019/20 final, which saw Stewart’s Melville win 24-14, the fourth time they have claimed the title. George Watson’s have also won four – all in a row, 2012/13 to 2015/16. It is set to be an epic, and within their ranks both sides have real finals experience, Watson’s won the U16 Cup in 2021/22, while last year Stewart’s Melville did, there is real know-how there. Over in the Shield Dollar Academy and Dundee High School get the finals action kicked off, and the two actually met in back to back Cup finals back in 2003-2004, Dollar winning both to complete three in a row.
Over in Wales the Welsh Cup Final takes place as Llandovery College and Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf go head to head. Two giants of Welsh schools rugby with incredible history, these two will put on a real show. When they met earlier in the season they had a blinder of a game, Llandovery just edging it 23-21, now they head to the Principality Stadium with silverware on the line. Nobody in Wales has beaten Llandovery College this season, but Glantaf came closer than anyone and would love to pip them at the last.
In England it’s quarter finals time in the Continental Tyres Schools Cup competitions, and in the Cup itself there are two games on Wednesday. Unbeaten Bromsgrove will be hosting Radley College, who have hit peak form of late with four victories on the bounce including two derby victories. It should be an epic game, with the winners knowing that they will be facing the winners of the other of Wednesday’s quarter finals, Kirkham Grammar v Woodhouse Grove. Like Bromsgrove, Kirkham are also unbeaten and have also claimed the St Joseph’s Festival title back in October. St Joseph’s are actually the only side to have defeated Woodhouse Grove this season, who have been absolutely brilliant. It looks set to be an epic quarter final contest.
Over in the Plate there are also two quarter finals on Wednesday, Campion and Caterham go head to head in a really highly anticipated game, both have been brilliant at time this season. Likewise Solihull and Cheadle Hulme, who have both produced some memorable displays and would love to continue their knockout season into next term and the semi finals.
The Vase meanwhile sees the outstanding Durham School welcome King’s Grantham to the north east. Only Cup quarter finalists Woodhouse Grove have beaten Durham this year but that won’t phase King’s Grantham – nobody has got the better of them. Lord Wandsworth College have not lost since half term and they host another of Wednesday’s Vase quarter finals, against the ever-tricky Ivybridge Community College, it promises to be a fantastic contest. Wednesday’s third quarter final looks like an absolute classic, two incredibly exciting sides in the form of Ravens Wood, who have been astonishing of late, and Mill Hill, who have been remarkably consistent, and good, all season.
The Bowl sees three of the four quarter finals take place on Wednesday, plus the late regional final between London Oratory and Brentwood. The winner of that will be through to face Portsmouth Grammar School in the quarter finals. Meanwhile in the Quarter Finals Richard Huish welcome Sutton Valence, the former finalists, on Wednesday. Wednesday also sees Loughborough Grammar host KES Five Ways after the visitors progressed past Royal Latin last week. Last week also saw Richard Hale and Nottingham High School progress through the regional stage, they will meet on Wednesday in the quarter finals.
Outside of the knockouts this is the week that keeps on giving, particularly in the North of the country, and Sedbergh in particular as they host Millfield in what is always one of the biggest games of the season. Both are going to this one after some tricky recent outings, both will therefore be even more eager than usual for a statement performance in this signature game, it has all the ingredients for a classic.
Across in County Durham there is another classic school fixture as Barnard Castle take on RGS Newcastle in a fixture that has been rearranged after the weather conditions forced cancellation on Saturday, which only serves to heighten the anticipation ahead of this one. Barnard Castle’s 2nd XV are also in 1st XV action, taking on Yarm’s 1st XV.
There is a busy afternoon in Yorkshire, QEGS Wakefield welcome Dame Allan’s south from the North East, while Grammar School at Leeds host Hill House, Birkdale welcome Silcoates, and in form Harrogate Grammar head to Scarborough College.
Across the Pennines, Stockport Grammar School will host St Mary’s College, while Wirral Grammar take on Ellesmere College in what should be an entertaining game. Cheshire sees Sandbach welcome The Grange. Further South, Newcastle-Under-Lyme welcome KES Aston, while Haberdashers’ Adams host Bishop Vesey’s. Meanwhile there is a cracking looking Anglo-Welsh fixture as the superb Hereford 6th form College welcome one of Wales’ finest across the border, Whitchurch High School.
Gloucestershire is fairly stacked on Wednesday, and one of the fixtures of the day will be Sir Thomas Rich’s v St Edward’s Cheltenham, Tommies have been irresistibly impressive this season. Along the road St Peter’s Gloucester head to Marling, while Cheltenham Bournside host Chipping Campden, and Hanley Castle travel to Bredon. Cotswold meanwhile host Burford.
Staying in the Cotswolds, Bloxham welcome Wales’ Christ College for their classic fixture, always a special occasion, while Cokethorpe host The Crypt. Buckinghamshire meanwhile sees Aylesbury Grammar host Royal Latin, while Dr Challoner’s take on Next Phase, and Sir William Borlase’s host Piggott.
Over in Berkshire Reading Blue Coat welcome Windsor Boys’ in the County Cup, while Reddam House host Leighton Park. Hertfordshire meanwhile sees a couple of good fixtures as Haberdashers’ Elstree host QES Barnet and Verulam welcome Sandringham, meanwhile in Suffolk Woodbridge head to Farlingaye.
Things aren’t too busy in London, where Halliford host Claires Court and Eltham College welcome Kent’s Duke of York’s Royal Military School. In Kent, meanwhile, Trinity Sevenoaks head to Bennett Memorial, while Canterbury Academy travel to Beth’s Grammar.
Along in Sussex Christ’s Hospital host Richard Collyer after a successful triangular over the weekend, while in Surrey there is plenty going on. George Abbot host St Peter’s Guildford, while Wilson’s welcoming Riddlesdown, meanwhile Glyn welcome St Andrew’s and Ewell Castle host Ibstock Place. Gordon’s, after a terrific performance on Saturday, are in action at City of London Freemen’s.
Wednesday Fixtures
Aylesbury GS v Royal Latin
Barnard Castle v RGS Newcastle
Bennett Memorial v Trinity Sevenoaks
Beth’s GS v Canterbury Academy
Birkdale v Silcoates
Bloxham v Christ College
Bredon v Hanley Castle
Bromsgrove v Radley College (Cup QF)
Campion v Caterham (Plate QF)
Cheltenham Bournside v Chipping Campden
Christ’s Hospital v Richard Collyer
City of London Freemen’s v Gordon’s
Cokethorpe v The Crypt
Cotswold v Burford
Dollar Academy v Dundee HS (Scottish Shield Final)
Dr Challoner’s GS v Next Phase
Durham v King’s Grantham (Vase QF)
Eltham College v Duke of York’s RMS
Ewell Castle v Ibstock Place
Farlingaye HS v Woodbridge
George Abbot v St Peter’s, Guildford
Glyn v St Andrew’s
Grammar School at Leeds v Hill House
Haberdashers’ Adams v Bishop Vesey’s GS
Haberdashers’ Elstree v QES Barnet
Halliford v Claires Court
Hereford 6th form College v Whitchurch HS
Kirkham GS v Woodhouse Grove (Cup QF)
Llandovery College v Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf (Welsh Cup Final)
London Oratory v Brentwood (Bowl Regional Final)
Lord Wandsworth College v Ivybridge Community College (Vase QF)
Loughborough GS v KES Five Ways (Bowl QF)
Marling v St Peter’s, Gloucester
Newcastle-Under-Lyme v KES Aston
QEGS Wakefield v Dame Allan’s
Ravens Wood v Mill Hill (Vase QF)
Reading Blue Coat v Windsor Boys’
Reddam House v Leighton Park
Richard Hale v Nottingham HS (Bowl QF)
Richard Huish v Sutton Valence (Bowl QF)
Sandbach v The Grange
Scarborough College v Harrogate GS
Sedbergh v Millfield
Sir Thomas Rich’s v St Edward’s, Cheltenham
Sir William Borlase’s GS v Piggott
Solihull v Cheadle Hulme (Plate QF)
Stewart’s Melville v George Watson’s College (Scottish Cup Final)
Stockport GS v St Mary’s College
Verulam v Sandringham
Wilson’s v Riddlesdown
Wirral GS v Ellesmere College
Yarm v Barnard Castle 2nd XV
Thursday
Thursday is a quieter day, but still with some outstanding action coming up. Chief amongst it at Harrow where they will be hosting Ipswich in the quarter finals of the Continental Tyres U18 Schools Cup. The two unbeaten sides will be LIVE on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and you can watch it through the embedded video below as well, with the fixture also likely to see the destination of the NextGenXV Schools Rugby Table winners being decided as well. You can see a full preview of the game here: Harrow v Ipswich Preview.
There are two huge touring fixtures on Thursday too as Australian sides King’s Parramatta and St Aloysius’ both head to the UK. King’s Parramatta are in Oxford to take on St Edwards’s in what should be a special occasion, while in an equally special occasion St Aloysius’, from Sydney, will be in Lancashire to take on Stonyhurst.
Elsewhere, Bryanston make the short trip to Warminster, and in Kent King’s Rochester will be taking on Kent College.
Thursday Fixtures
Kent College v King’s Rochester
Harrow v Ipswich – LIVE on NextGenXV, 2pm KO
St Edward’s Oxford v King’s Parramatta, Australia
Stonyhurst v St Aloysius’, Sydney
Warminster v Bryanston
