The 2024 Sedbergh 10s takes place this Sunday and Monday, the grand finale to the schools rugby season and one of its most prestigious titles.
Kirkham Grammar School are looking to make it three Sedbergh 10s triumphs on the spin, to add to their St Joseph’s Festival triumph in October and to help heal some of the wounds from the heartbreak of their last-gasp Continental Tyres Schools Cup final defeat.
They will have their work cut out though, some of the finest teams in the land will be gathering in the Cumbrian hills and it is set to be an outstanding spectacle of rugby.
Sponsored this year by Meade King Robinson, the Sedbergh 10s is about more than just the pure competitiveness and spectacle of the rugby though, it is a celebration of what the game is all about. With a big formal dinner to kick off proceedings on Saturday night, through shared events, meals, and down time over the weekend, it is all about the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship that this wonderful game can offer and that is epitomised by the schools itself.
School rugby is about the memories and friendships that are made, and at the Sedbergh 10s some of the great memories are made. Just two days on from the climax of the Howden Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s it is the absolute high-point of the school season.
More importantly, it is the final action of the season as well, of schools rugby careers for those in their U6th. Many sides will play exclusively Upper 6th sides – either all weekend or in their final game.
Sixteen teams will be in action, playing ten-a-side rugby over 12 minute halves. The sixteen are split into four groups of four teams each, with the top two from each group progressing to Monday’s Cup groups, from which the winners meet in the Cup final, and the bottom two progressing to Monday’s Plate groups, from which the winners meet in the Plate final.
There are three pitches in action, and all the action from Pitches One and Two will be live streamed here on NextGenXV through the NextGenXV YouTube channel. The Live Streams for Day 1 are also embedded below, while you can also find the Live Stream links for Day 2 later in the article.
Sedbergh 10s Draw:
Group 1: Sedbergh, RGS High Wycombe, QEGS Wakefield, Dulwich College
Group 2: Ipswich, Stamford, Barnard Castle, Hampton
Group 3: Brighton College, Hurstpierpoint College, King’s Macclesfield, Cokethorpe
Group 4: Kirkham Grammar, Seaford College, KES Bath, Felsted
Sedbergh have not given themselves an easy draw, Dulwich College have been flying in the short format this season, including a run to the semis at the Seaford 10s. Alongside them are two schools rugby legends, QEGS Wakefield, who meet Sedbergh in the opening game of the weekend LIVE at 10.30am on Sunday, and RGS High Wycombe, the 2016 champions who have reached the finals of both the Seaford 10s and the St Joseph’s Festival and would love to go one better at Sedbergh. The hosts are flying too though, their 7s form has been sensational and that ought to translate nicely to 10s. For the first time in a long time as well they should have near enough a full squad – could the hosts claim a first title since 2019 after back to back finals defeats to Kirkham? It would be a remarkable sixth final on the bounce.
In Group 2 Ipswich are going to be a side to watch, they have enjoyed their best ever season – including a defeat of Sedbergh back before Christmas. They will be among the early favourites, not least having won the Seaford 10s. Alongside them are real heavyweights though, schools legends Barnard Castle, who have surprisingly never won here and would love to change that, a Hampton side that likewise would love to get over the line here, and a Stamford side that has been superb this year, and who picked up the U18 Vase title at the Howden Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s – they could be a dark horse.
Group 3 is stacked, Brighton College are one of the most consistent sides at the Sedbergh 10s and yet somehow have never quite secured the title. They will have a huge chance this year, with a side that plays some fantastic rugby. Alongside those two are Cokethorpe, who would dearly love to spring a surprise or two, and could, as well as a King’s Macclesfield side that has been brilliant for the last couple of years and could be another of those dark horses. Talking of dark horses, Hurstpierpoint College. Hurstpierpoint have enjoyed one of their greatest seasons this year and could well mount a serious challenge, they won the Plate last year but would love to much more. Their clash with Brighton College at 11.05am LIVE on Pitch 2 on Sunday could be absolutely spectacular.
Group 4 is similarly stacked, and features the reigning champions, Kirkham Grammar School. Twice before has this tournament been won three times in a row, by Filton College from 2011 to 2013, and by Sedbergh from 2017 to 2019, how Kirkham would love to join that exclusive club. To do so they must first emerge from this group, which includes a KES Bath side that is playing some lovely rugby, as well as a Felsted side that recently won the Continental Tyres Schools Vase and could mount a strong challenge. Completing the group are Seaford College, who were outstanding at their own 10s back in January and will feel that they can put a strong case together to challenge at Sedbergh.
So on the field it looks set to be an absolute cracker, one of the great weekends on the calendar. However what makes it even greater is the off field, it is one of the great events in schools rugby. It brings people together like to other competition, and leaves memories that last long beyond schooldays.
As ever, it will be a very, very, special weekend of schools rugby at the Sedbergh 10s.
Day 1 Live Stream Schedule (Pitch 1)
10.30 Sedbergh v QEGS Wakefield (Group 1)
11.05 Barnard Castle v Hampton (Group 2)
11.40 Kirkham GS v Seaford College (Group 4)
13.30 Dulwich College v Sedbergh (Group 1)
14.05 Hurstpierpoint College v King’s Macclesfield (Group 3)
14.40 Sedbergh v RGS High Wycombe (Group 1)
15.15 Ipswich v Barnard Castle (Group 2)
15.50 Cokethorpe v Hurstpierpoint College (Group 3)
Day 1 Live Stream Schedule (Pitch 2)
10.30 RGS High Wycombe v Dulwich College (Group 1)
11.05 Brighton College v Hurstpierpoint College (Group 3)
11.40 KES Bath v Felsted (Group 4)
13.30 Stamford v Barnard Castle (Group 2)
14.05 Cokethorpe v Brighton College (Group 3)
14.40 Felsted v Kirkham GS (Group 4)
15.15 Hampton v Stamford (Group 2)
15.50 Kirkham GS v KES Bath (Group 4)
Day 1 Non-Live Schedule (Pitch 3)
10.30 Ipswich v Stamford (Group 2)
11.05 King’s Macclesfield v Cokethorpe (Group 3)
11.40 QEGS Wakefield v RGS High Wycombe (Group 1)
13.30 Hampton v Ipswich (Group 2)
14.05 Seaford College v KES Bath (Group 4)
14.40 Dulwich College v QEGS Wakefield (Group 1)
15.15 Brighton College v King’s Macclesfield (Group 3)
15.50 Felsted v Seaford College (Group 4)
Day 2 Live Stream Links:
Roll of Honour:
| Year | Trophy | Runner Up | Plate |
| 1998 | Millfield | King’s Canterbury | Bristol GS |
| 1999 | Millfield | Sedbergh | Lancaster RGS |
| 2000 | Sedbergh | Kirkham GS | Manchester GS |
| 2001 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 | Millfield | Merchiston Castle | Brighton College |
| 2003 | Kirkham GS | Brighton College | Manchester GS |
| 2004 | Sedbergh | Millfield | Brighton College |
| 2005 | King’s Macclesfield | RGS High Wycombe | QEGS Wakefield |
| 2006 | Millfield | Llandovery College | Manchester GS |
| 2007 | Sedbergh | RGS High Wycombe | Manchester GS |
| 2008 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2009 | Millfield | Filton College | Old Swinford Hospital |
| 2010 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2011 | Filton College | Barnard Castle | King’s Macclesfield |
| 2012 | Filton College | Edinburgh Academy | Barnard Castle |
| 2013 | Filton College | Sedbergh | Millfield |
| 2014 | Millfield | RGS High Wycombe | Brighton College |
| 2015 | Sedbergh | RGS High Wycombe | Brighton College |
| 2016 | RGS High Wycombe | Sedbergh | QEGS Wakefield |
| 2017 | Sedbergh | Millfield | Stamford |
| 2018 | Sedbergh | Brighton College | St Peter’s, York |
| 2019 | Sedbergh | Kirkham GS | Llandovery College |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Kirkham GS | Sedbergh | RGS High Wycombe |
| 2023 | Kirkham GS | Sedbergh | Hurstpierpoint |
Player of the Tournament
| Year | Player | School |
| 2001 | David Tibbot | Brighton College |
| 2002 | Christopher Briers | Kirkham GS |
| 2003 | Kiba Richards | Brighton College |
| 2004 | Hamish Smales, William Maddock | Sedbergh & QEGS Wakefield |
| 2005 | David Williams | King’s Macclesfield |
| 2006 | Tom James | Llandovery College |
| 2007 | Dan Willis | Old Swinford Hospital |
| 2008 | N/A | N/A |
| 2009 | Oli Lindsey-Hague | Millfield |
| 2010 | N/A | N/A |
| 2011 | Guy van den Dries | Barnard Castle |
| 2012 | Augvy Slowik | Filton College |
| 2013 | Nick Carpenter | Filton College |
| 2014 | Callum Sheedy | Millfield |
| 2015 | Ali Crossdale | Sedbergh |
| 2016 | Kieran Bungaroo | Brighton College |
| 2017 | Josh Hodge | Sedbergh |
| 2018 | Jon Searle | Brighton College |
| 2019 | Theo Manihera | Sedbergh |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | Charlie Clare | Brighton College |
| 2023 | Seb Kelly | Kirkham GS |
Day 2 Live Stream Schedule (Pitch 1) TBA
09.30
10.05
10.40
11.15
12.00
12.35
13.10
13.45
15.00 Cup Final
Day 2 Live Stream Schedule (Pitch 2) TBA
09.30
10.05
10.40
11.15
12.00
12.35
13.10
13.45
14.45 Plate Final
Day 2 Non-Live Schedule (Pitch 3) TBA
09.30
10.05
10.40
11.15
12.00
12.35
13.10
13.45