The draw for the North of England Schools 7s has been confirmed, one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of school rugby and the key tournament in the North of England in the build-up to the Rosslyn Park National School 7s.

The tournament takes place on Sunday 3^rd March, and, as last year, all the action from Pitch 1 at the Birkenhead Park FC venue will be live streamed on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel, and through the embedded video below, which includes Group A and B action in the morning and the knockout rounds in the afternoon.

Forty teams are competing, split into eight groups of five across three different venues. Groups A and B will be based at Birkenhead Park FC, Groups C, D, and E at Birkenhead School, and Groups F, G, and H at St Anselm’s College. Group games will be six minutes each way, with teams separated for the knockout stages by points, then points difference, thn head to head, most tries in the head to head, and finally a coin toss.

The top team from each group heads to the Bowring Trophy Quarter Finals, second to the Boodle and Dunthorne Salver quarter finals, and third to the Bowl quarter finals. All knockout games will take place at the Birkenhead Park FC Venue, with every Trophy knockout game LIVE on NextGenXV, plus the Salver Quarter Finals and Final. Knockout games are 7 minutes each way, and draws are decided on golden point.

Sedbergh are the reigning champions, having beaten Denstone College in back to back finals in 2022 and 2023 and will surely be among the favourites again, not least after a terrific performance at the RGS Newcastle 7s earlier this month. The Cumbrian side has won the North of England School 7s an extraordinary 11 times since its inception in 1989, a staggering number, not least when you consider that Kirkham Grammar are their closest challengers with 4 titles, most recently in 2017.

Only two other sides have ever won multiple titles, Cowley, once a giant of the school game, won the first two editions of the tournament, while Stonyhurst won in 1995, 1996, and 1999. It is a fiercely difficult competition to win, let alone on multiple occasions.

As champions, Sedbergh are in Group A, one of the two Birkenhead Park FC groups. Alongside them are two fellow English sides in Pocklington and Repotn, while Fettes College travel down from Scotland, and Coleg Llandrillo make the trip across from Wales having reached the final of last year’s Salver, it should be an excellent group.

The other Birkenhead Park FC group in Group B, which contains three former champions, Trent College, the 1991 champions and two-time Salver winners, Manchester Grammar School, champions in 2022, and Ellesmere College, 2011 champions. Joining those three greats of the tournament are Gosforth Academy, the Newcastle Falcons ACE side that will surely be a big threat, and a Newcastle School for Boys side that were the runners-up in last year’s Bowl – a heavyweight group for sure.

Over at Birkenhead School, Groups C, D, and E take place. Group C includes 2003 champions Llandovery College and last year’s Salver winners Malvern College, their second Salver victory in the last four editions of the competition. Joining those two are St Andrew’s College, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, and a St Peter’s York side that surprisingly is yet to pick up silverware at the North of England Schools 7s.

Over in Group D are the 2020 champions, Barnard Castle. They had a superb team in 2020, beating Kirkham Grammar School in the final before the season was ended due to Covid before they could claim further honours. They will want to add to that this year but have a tough group featuring 2015 Salver winner Bradford Grammar School, plus Dame Allan’s and Shrewsbury, two tough teams, and a very good Dean Close side that travels up from Gloucestershire.

Group E is stacked, with four time champions Kirkham Grammar School in the mix, and they will be among the favourites again this year. Alongside them are Hymers College, who have been so unlucky not to win the Trophy at the North of England School 7s, reaching four finals, including back to back against Kirkham Grammar in 2008 and 2009, part of a run in four finals in five years. Their efforts have been huge, but only a 2007 Salver title stands to their name. There is a former champion in the group, albeit under a fresh name, AKS Lytham. As Arnold they won the 1994 title and reached the final in 2004. The group also includes the hosts, Birkenhead, who would love to claim their first silverware at this tournament, and the 2022, and original, Bowl winners, Old Swinford Hospital. An extraordinary pool.

Groups F, G, and H move over to St Anselm’s College, and Group F looks like it will be competitive, featuring the reigning Bowl champions, Mount St Mary’s College, who will be in the hunt for higher honours this year. Alongside them are the 2015 runners up, RGS Newcastle, and Scotland’s Loretto, the 2014 Salver runners up, along with Scarborough College and King Edward’s.

Over in Group G are one of the competition’s most successful sides, Woodhouse Grove, who won the title in 2014 and finished as runners up in 2017. Challenging them will be Hill House, King’s Hospital, and Ampleforth College, who won the Salver in 2011 and are itching to get right back to the top of the school game.

Group H includes the hosts of F, G, and H, St Anselm’s College, who will be eager to earn their first silverware at the tournament. They face a tricky pool that includes the runners up of the last two tournaments, Denstone College, who have reached the final three times and are eager to finally get over the line in that last game. Joining those two are the 2022 Salver winners, King’s Worcester, who also reached the final of that competition in 2017, and a Hereford Cathedral School side that is getting increasingly competitive. Completing the group are the 1989 runners up, Wirral Grammar School, who won the Salver in 2001 and will be among the competitive sides this year.

Another aspect to look out for is the Graeme Marrs Memorial Trophy, awarded to the Player of the Tournament and named after one of the great administrators in the school game. Sedbergh’s Ben Redshaw claimed the award in 2022 and 2023 (sharing it with Barnard Castle’s Harry Williams in 2022) and has since shown just how good that potential he showed was, starring for Newcastle Falcons in his first year out of school.

That is the sort of standard of this tournament and the platform that it provides, it is a tournament at which teams and individuals can make a mark that stands the test of time. Undoubtedly one of the most prestigious tournaments of all, it is also one of the hardest to win. Sedbergh have found a way more so than anyone, but even they lose out here more often that they lift the Trophy. It takes a great side to come out on top.

That is the challenge, and that is the opportunity for all.

North of England Schools 7s Draw

Birkenhead Park FC Venue Groups:

Birkenhead School Venue Groups:

St Anselm’s College Venue Groups:

Live Schedule (Pitch 1, Birkenhead Park FC)

10.00 Fettes College v Pocklington (A)

10.18 Trent College v Manchester GS (B)

10.36 Sedbergh v Pocklington (A)

10.54 Gosforth Academy v Manchester GS (B)

11.12 Sedbergh v Fettes College (A)

11.30 Manchester GS v Newcastle School for Boys (B)

11.48 Sedbergh v Coleg Llandrillo (A)

12.06 Gosforth Academy v Ellesmere College (B)

12.24 Sedbergh v Repton (A)

12.42 Manchester GS v Ellesmere College (B)

13.40 Salver QF 1

14.00 Salver QF 2

14.20 Salver QF 3

14.40 Salver QF 4

15.00 Trophy QF 1

15.20 Trophy QF 2

15.40 Trophy QF 3

16.00 Trophy QF 4

16.20 Trophy SF 1

16.40 Trophy SF 2

17.10 Salver Final

17.30 Trophy Final

Non-Live Schedule

Pitch 2, Birkenhead Park FC

10.00 Llandrillo v Repton (A)

10.18 Ellesmere v Newcastle School for Boys (B)

10.36 Fettes v Repton (A)

10.54 Trent v Ellesmere (B)

11.12 Pocklington v Llandrillo (A)

11.30 Gosforth Academy v Trent (B)

11.48 Pocklington v Repton (A)

12.06 Trent v Newcastle School for Boys (B)

12.24 Fettes v Llandrillo (A)

12.42 Gosforth Academy v Newcastle School for Boys (B)

13.40 Bowl QF 1

14.00 Bowl QF 2

14.20 Bowl QF 3

14.40 Bowl QF 4

15.00 Bowl SF 1

15.20 Bowl SF 2

15.40 Salver SF 1

16.00 Salver SF 2

16.40 Bowl Final

Pitch 1, Birkenhead School

10.00 Malvern v Bishop Vesey’s GS

10.18 Old Swinford Hospital v Birkenhead

10.36 Malvern v St Andrew’s

10.54 Barnard Castle v Dame Allan’s

11.12 Dean Close v Bradford GS

11.30 Kirkham GS v Hymers

11.48 Malvern v St Peter’s

12.06 Shrewsbury v Bradford GS

12.24 Llandovery v St Peter’s

12.42 Kirkham GS v AKS Lytham

Pitch 2, Birkenhead School

10.00 St Peter’s v St Andrew’s

10.18 Bradford GS v Dame Allan’s

10.36 Llandovery v Bishop Vesey’s GS

10.54 Kirkham GS v Birkenhead

11.12 Bishop Vesey’s GS v St Peter’s

11.30 Birkenhead v AKS Lytham

11.48 Dean Close v Barnard Castle

12.06 Birkenhead v Hymers

12.24 Bishop Vesey’s GS v St Andrew’s

12.42 Old Swinford Hospital v Hymers

Pitch 3, Birkenhead School

10.00 Barnard Castle v Shrewsbury

10.18 Hymers v AKS Lytham

10.36 Dean Close v Shrewsbury

10.54 Old Swinford Hospital v AKS Lytham

11.12 Llandovery v Malvern

11.30 Shrewsbury v Dame Allan’s

11.48 Llandovery v St Andrew’s

12.06 Kirkham GS v Old Swinford Hospital

12.24 Dean Close v Dame Allan’s

12.42 Barnard Castle v Bradford GS

Pitch 1, St Anselm’s College

10.00 RGS Newcastle v Loretto

10.18 St Anselm’s v King’s Worcester

10.36 RGS Newcastle v Scarborough College

10.54 Hill House v King’s Hospital

11.12 Woodhouse Grove v The Grange

11.30 Denstone v King’s Worcester

11.48 RGS Newcastle v King Edward’s

12.06 Ampleforth v The Grange

12.24 Mount St Mary’s v King Edward’s

12.42 Denstone v Hereford Cathedral

Pitch 2, St Anselm’s College

10.00 King Edward’s v Scarborough College

10.18 The Grange v King’s Hospital

10.36 Mount St Mary’s v Loretto

10.54 Denstone College v Wirral GS

11.12 Loretto v King Edward’s

11.30 St Anselm’s v Wirral GS

11.48 Woodhouse Grove v Hill House

12.06 Hereford Cathedral v King’s Worcester

12.24 Loretto v Scarborough College

12.42 Wirral GS v King’s Worcester

Pitch 3, St Anselm’s College

10.00 Hill House v Ampleforth College

10.18 Wirral GS v Hereford Cathedral

10.36 Woodhouse Grove v Ampleforth College

10.54 St Anselm’s v Hereford Cathedral

11.12 Mount St Mary’s v RGS Newcastle

11.30 Ampleforth College v King’s Hospital

11.48 Mount St Mary’s v Scarborough College

12.06 St Anselm’s v Denstone College

12.24 Woodhouse Grove v King’s Hospital

12.42 Hill House v The Grange

Roll of Honour

Bowring Trophy

Boodle & Dunthorne Salver

Bowl

Graeme Marrs Memorial Trophy (Player of the Tournament)