Live Rugby: Gordon’s School U18 Invitational 7s | Draw & Preview

This Sunday Gordon’s School host their annual U18 Invitational 7s, with thirteen teams gathering at Gordon’s for a day of intense competition.

Some of the biggest names in all of schools rugby will be involved, and you will be able to catch all the action from the main 3G Pitch, including the Cup and Plate finals, LIVE here on NextGenXV through the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.

Starting in 2022, the Gordon’s School U18 Invitational 7s has quickly established itself as a key one on the calendar on the road to the Howden Rosslyn Park National School 7s, and with the reigning Rosslyn Park champions, Millfield, in the draw it looks like this is going to be one of the biggest tests around.

Gordon’s themselves are reigning champions of this tournament, they also picked up a maiden ACE title back in December, they will be challenging again. Likewise Wellington College, whose U16s won the U16 version of this tournament just a couple of weeks ago, how they would love to make that a double and add to their victory in the inaugural tournament back in 2022.

Brighton College will also be in action, they were winners here in 2023 and will surely be among the big contenders here on Sunday, while Bishop Wordsworth’s are reigning Plate champions, a trophy won by Mill Hill the year before, both would love to go one better this time and take home the Cup.

This year also sees the addition of both a Shield and Bowl competition, allowing further sides to keep playing later into the day.

The thirteen sides are split into two groups of four teams and one group of five teams, with the winners of each pool progressing to a Cup Round Robin Pool, those in second to a Plate Pool, those in third to a Shield Pool, and those in fourth to a Bowl Pool.

As reigning champions and hosts, Gordon’s are drawn in Pool A, where they will face strong competition from reigning Plate champions Bishop Wordsworth. Alongside them are an Ipswich side that has quietly been very impressive this season, though they will be coming off the back of a Continental Tyres U18 Schools Plate semi final. Also heading over from the East are New Hall, who will be itching for some 7s action.

Pool B is brutal, containing two of the most successful schools in school 7s history in the form of Millfield and Wellington College, their live game against one another at 1pm is going to be unmissable. As mentioned, Millfield arrive as reigning Rosslyn Park champions, Wellington as former U18 champions here, they are going to be hard to stop. The toughness of this group continues though, Mill Hill are an exceptional side and will firmly believe that they can do some serious damage in this group and indeed across the competition as a whole. Maidstone Grammar have had a fantastic season too, and will be throwing everything at this.

Over in Pool C things aren’t much easier, 2023 champions Brighton College are certainly one of the headline acts but they face some real competition as well. Not last from Worth, who hard one of their greatest ever fifteen-a-side seasons and will doubtless be a superb 7s outfit as well. Trinity’s recent exploits are well known, and they finished off their fifteen-a-side season with some strong performances, while Finborough were also excellent in periods last term and will be a very handy 7s side. Likewise Marlborough College, who always have a sense of flair and fun to add on to their 7s quality.

Gordon’s School U18 Invitational 7s Draw

Overall then, it’s a strong draw across the groups, with some exceptional teams in amongst it all. It should make for an incredibly competitive tournament, and with the clock ticking until Rosslyn Park that competition is going to be ramped up to the max. Statements can be made now that last into the pool stages there.

It’s set to be an awesome day of 7s!

Gordon’s School U18 Invitational 7s Schedule

3G Pitch (LIVE)

10:00 New Hall v Ipswich

10:20 Worth v Finborough

10:40 Maidstone Grammar v Millfield

11:00 Gordon’s v Ipswich

11:20 Brighton College v Worth

11:40 Millfield v Mill Hill

12:00 Brighton College v Trinity

12:20 Gordon’s v New Hall

12:40 Finborough v Trinity

13:00 Millfield v Wellington College

13:20 Trinity v Worth

14:00 Shield 3^rd A v 3^rd B

14:20 Cup 1^st A v 1^st B

14:40 Shield 3^rd B v 3^rd C

15:00 Plate 2^nd B v 2^nd C

15:20 Bowl 4^th C v 4^th A

15:40 Cup 1^st C v 1^st A

Pitch 1

10:00 Gordon’s v Bishop Wordsworth

10:20 Marlborough College v Trinity

10:40 Mill Hill v Wellington College

11:00 Bishop Wordsworth v New Hall

11:20 Finborough v Marlborough College

11:40 Maidstone Grammar v Wellington College

12:00 Worth v Marlborough College

12:20 Ipswich v Bishop Wordsworth

12:40 Marlborough College v Brighton College

13:00 Mil Hill v Maidstone Grammar

13:20 Finborough v Brighton College

14:00 Bowl 4^th A v 4^th B

14:20 Plate 2^nd A v 2^nd B

14:40 Bowl 4^th B v 4^th C

15:00 Cup 1^st B v 1^st C

15:20 Shield 3^rd C v 2rd A

15:40 Plate 2^nd C v 2^nd A

Roll of Honour*

2024: Cup – Gordon’s, Plate – Bishop Wordsworth’s

2023: Cup – Brighton College, Plate – Mill Hill

2022: Cup – Wellington College, Plate – Felsted

*2025 is the inaugural year of the Shield