Live Rugby: Christ College, Brecon U18 7s | Preview

This Sunday the annual Christ College Brecon U18 7s takes place, with 18 teams gathering in Wales for one of every season’s great 7s tournaments.

The action on the main pitch will all be available LIVE here on NextGenXV, through the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below, with the programme starting at 9.15am on Sunday ahead of a 9.30am kick off.

It is a strong field, as ever, made up of a mix of some of the very best in Wales and some of the top sides in England. That mix of nations makes the Christ College 7s such an important tournament on the road to the Howden Rosslyn Park National School 7s as it is one of the few occasions where top sides from both competitions will meet en mass ahead of Rosslyn Park.

The eighteen-strong field is divided into three groups of three, from which the group winners and the best runner-up from across the groups will qualify for the Cup semi finals. The remining two runners up plus the best two 3^rd placed sides will head to the Plate semi finals, while the remaining third place side and all of the 4^th placed sides from the groups will head to the Bowl semi finals.

Christ College 7s Draw 

Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf won the title las year, beating Blundell’s in the final after a tense 21-19 semi finals victory over Llandovery College. Glantaf will be among the favourites again this year, but will have to be sharp in a tricky group. They are in Group C alongside King’s Worcester, who are proabably enjoying their best season since they won this competition back in 2013. Alongside those two are Coleg Sir Gar, one of Welsh rugby’s real giants, so too Newport High School, one of six new entrants in this year’s competition. Sir Thomas Rich’s are also in this group and have been enjoying a particularly strong term of rugby, while completing the group are the Christ College 2^nd VII, who will be looking to use home advantage to take it to the other 1^st VIIs.

The Christ College 1^st VII, who won the title in 2023, defeat Llandovery College in the final with a brilliant performance, line up in Group A. They claimed the Bowl last year but will be eager to return to 2023’s title challenging ways. The challenge is big though and it comes most formidably in the form of 2019 champions, last year’s semi finalists, and the reigning Howden Rosslyn Park National School 7s champions, Millfield. Joining those two are Welsh giants Cwm Rhymni, and three new entrants to the competition, Malvern College and RGS Worcester of England, who will both be strong, and from Wales, Llandovery College’s 2^nd VII who, given the depth at Llandovery, ought to be a tough outfit too.

Llandovery College’s 1^st VII reside in Group B and will be itching for a title. For the last two years they have been the outstanding fifteen-a-side team in Wales, but here on the 7s field at Christ College they have come close but not quite converted. They last won the title in 2012, since then they have been in four finals, including three in a row from 2019-2023 (2020 and 2021 were lost to Covid) before that gut-wrenching semi final against Glantaf last time around. They are going to be incredibly determined. They have a tough group though, alongside them are last year’s losing finalists, Blundell’s, as well as Clifton College, who missed last year’s tournament but return as one of the favourites. Dean Close will be a tough competitor too, likewise Dyffryn Aman, while Monmouth are always a side that has brilliance within their ranks.

Everything points towards a fantastic day of play, with a quality of field that is the envy of many a tournament. The rugby should be fantastic, the spirit will be superb, it’s set to be an outstanding day at Christ College.

Christ College Brecon U18 7s: Sunday 23^rd February | LIVE on NextGenXV

Schedule:

Roll of Honour (since 2001)