After a thrilling term of schools rugby, it drew to a close over the last seven days with the final handful of fixtures.
What a final handful of fixtures they were, from tour games to huge knockout contests, via the last Live school game of 2023 here on NextGenXV. Thrills, spills, and of course utter unpredictability – as has been the way of this first term of school rugby this year.
Monday
Back on Monday the fourth of the Continental Tyres Schools Cup quarter finals was played as Blundell’s, reinstated after a half game rule breach from their conquerors in the previous round, hosted RGS HighWycombe, who have had a wonderful season to date. It was a gloriously tight game of rugby but it was Blundell’s that grabbed their unexpected chance with both hands for a 16-10 victory that will now see them progress to the semi finals, where they will take on the superb unbeaten Harrow. Two other unbeaten sides contest the other semi finals, Kirkham Grammar School and Bromsgrove.
Elsewhere, Monday was about games against Australian touring sides as King’s Parramatta and St Aloysius’ continued their tours. King’s Parramatta were at Barnard Castle and the two were well matched. It was Barnard Castle that signed off for Christmas the happier though, claiming a 22-17 victory. St Aloysius’ meanwhile were at Mount St Mary’s, who were in fine form on home turf as they secured an excellent 20-7 victory.
Monday Results
Barnard Castle 22-17 King’s Parramatta, Australia
Blundell’s 16-10 RGS High Wycombe (Cup Quarter Final)
Mount St Mary’s College 20-7 St Aloysius’, Australia
Tuesday
Tuesday saw more knockout rugby, this time in the Continental Tyres Schools Vase as Durham hosted King’s Grantham in a postponed game from the previous week. Durham have been superb this year and were again on Tuesday, sealing a 21-8 victory that sees them into the semi finals, where they will face Felsted.
Over in the Bowl, Loughborough Grammar were sensational against KES Camp Hill, winning 55-12 to reach the semi finals and a tie against the excellent Richard Hale.
Elsewhere there was a huge school vs ACE clash, a bit of a theme for the week, as Stamford took to Brooksby Melton College. The two went for it, but it was Stamford, who have truly been excellent all year, that took victory against the ACE side 29-19, a wonderful finish for them.
Meanwhile there was a Cambridge derby as The Leys hosted Hills Road and secured a 25-15 victory, while in Scotland Loretto won 19-7 at North Berwick.
Tuesday Results
Durham 21-8 King’s Grantham (Vase Quarter Final)
Loughborough GS 55-12 KES Camp Hill (Bowl Quarter Final)
North Berwick 7-19 Loretto
Stamford 29-19 Brooksby Melton College
The Leys 25-15 Hills Road
Wednesday
Wednesday saw the final LIVE game of 2023 and it was another huge ACE vs Schools fixture as Gordon’s, 3rd in the ACE League, hosted St Joseph’s College, Plate winners at the St Joseph’s Festival. On a bitterly cold day the two could barely be separated, but a late late score for St Joseph’s College sealed the game up for a 22-14 victory, which you can watch again below.
There was another feather in the cap for schools over ACE colleges on Wednesday as the superb KES Birmingham beat Stourport High School 42-10, it truly has been an outstanding season for KES. The ACE Colleges did strike back in the North East though, with Gosforth Academy beating Dame Allan’s 29-12 to round off the term.
Wednesday also saw plenty of competitive action, not least in the Continental Tyres Schools Plate, whereNewman College sealed their semi final berth with a superb performance at King’s College Taunton for a 38-15 victory, they will now face Campion in the semi finals.
Over in the Vase Mill Hill and Ravens Wood went head to head, two sides that have been fantastic all year, and played like it. A really tight game that just swung towards Mill Hill 19-14 to send them into a semi final with Ivybridge Community College. Meanwhile in the Bowl Portsmouth Grammar were simply sensational against London Oratory, winning 54-19 to set up a semi final with Richard Huish.
There was also some County Cup action, Reading Blue Coat winning their County Cup with a 29-8 victory over St Bartholomew’s, while Bolton progressed to their County Plate final thanks to a 45-12 victory over Ripley St Thomas.
In Hereford it was all about the Apple Cup, Hereford 6th form College v Hereford Cathedral, and it more than live up to the hype with an incredibly tight and tense game of rugby. It could have gone either way, but it was Hereford 6th form College that claimed it, 14-5.
There were two Anglo-Welsh games. At Lymm RFC Sedbergh and Llandovery College played their annual fixture and it was as special an event as ever, particularly with Llandovery College having claimed the Welsh title a week prior. They played like champions too, winning a fantastic game of rugby 30-20 for their first English scalp of the season. Meanwhile in Wales itself, Dean Close travelled to Cathedral School Llandaffand finished the term in real style, winning 50-14.
Across in Cheltenham, Balcarras claimed a 24-7 victory at St Edward’s Cheltenham. Meanwhile in Stratford KES hosted a triangular with Bablake and KES Camp Hill, winning against both, 15-10 and 22-0 respectively, for an unbeaten final day.
Further North, Stockport Grammar School won 19-14 against Cheadle Hulme, a real cracker to finish the season on, meanwhile Manchester Grammar won a strong contest too, beating AKS Lytham 24-17. Across to Sheffield, Mount St Mary’s College finished what has been a superb year with a 27-10 victory over Harrogate Grammar.
In London there were some great games, not least a 24-19 victory for St Benedict’s over Magdalen College, a fine way to finish. Meanwhile Emanuel were 24-10 victors over Tiffin and UCS claimed a strong 36-3 victory over Fulham Boys.
Out in Essex Bancroft’s were superb, winning 52-5 against St Edmund’s College, while in Kent was arguably the game of the day, a thrilling 37-36 victory for Maidstone Grammar over Hayes. A stunning game of rugby to end on.
Surrey had a strong game of its own, Reed’s winning 16-13 over KCS Wimbledon, another brilliant contest to end on, while Worth put in another excellent performance for a 22-7 victory at Caterham. Elsewhere, Lord Williams finished in style, winning 29-0 against Sir Henry Floyd’s.
Wednesday Results
Bancroft’s 52-5 St Edmund’s College
Caterham 7-22 Worth
Cathedral School, Llandaff 14-50 Dean Close
Dame Allan’s 12-29 Gosforth Academy
Emanuel 24-10 Tiffin
Gordon’s 14-22 St Joseph’s College – LIVE on NextGenXV
Hereford 6th form College 14-5 Hereford Cathedral (Apple Cup)
KES Stratford 15-10 Bablake
KES Stratford 22-0 KES Camp Hill
King’s College, Taunton 15-38 Newman College (Plate Quarter Final)
Maidstone GS 37-36 Hayes
Manchester GS 24-17 AKS Lytham
Mill Hill 19-14 Ravens Wood (Vase Quarter Final)
Mount St Mary’s 27-10 Harrogate GS
Portsmouth GS 54-19 London Oratory (Bowl Quarter Final)
Reading Blue Coat 29-8 St Bartholomew’s (County Cup Final)
Reed’s 16-13 KCS Wimbledon
Ripley St Thomas 12-45 Bolton (County Plate SF)
Sedbergh 20-30 Llandovery College
Sir Henry Floyd GS 0-29 Lord Williams
St Benedict’s 24-19 Magdalen College
St Edward’s Cheltenham 7-24 Balcarras
Stockport GS 19-14 Cheadle Hulme
Stourport HS 10-42 KES Birmingham
UCS 36-3 Fulham Boys
Thursday
King’s Parramatta and St Aloysius were back in tour action on Thursday and after defeats on Monday they were on the winning side on Thursday, King’s winning 31-5 at Campion, while St Aloysius’ won 33-0 at Leicester Grammar.
Elsewhere, Haileybury were outstanding after they rounded off what has been a great season with a quite excellent 43-14 victory over Welsh giants Coleg y Cymoedd, meanwhile Gravesend Grammar were also superb, winning their Kent derby with King’s Rochester 38-3.
Thursday Results
Campion 5-31 King’s Parramatta, Australia
Gravesend GS 38-3 King’s Rochester
Haileybury 43-14 Coleg y Cymoedd
Leicester GS 0-33 St Aloysius’, Australia
Saturday
Saturday saw a pair of thrillers to round the week off, notably in Liverpool, where Liverpool College beat The Grange in an epic, 43-33, a stunner to round off the year. Things were exciting at KES Stratford too, where they were just edged out by visitors Pate’s Grammar, 20-7.
Just three games now remain, St Aloysius’ final tour game at Wimbledon College, Great Marlow take on Sir William Borlase’s, and then on Wednesday Hereford 6th form College and St Peter’s Gloucester go head to head.
Saturday Results
KES Stratford 17-20 Pate’s GS
Liverpool College 43-33 The Grange
Still to Come:
Langley Park v Chislehurst & Sidcup GS
