A huge weekend of schools rugby awaits, with games across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, both fifteen-a-side and a cohort of top seven-a-side competitions.
With February now set in, 7s season is truly upon us. There are some terrific competitions taking place including two LIVE events on Sunday, the Ipswich School 7s at Ealing Trailfinders and the Bristol Grammar School 7s & Netball Festival, all LIVE here on NextGenLive through the NextGenLive YouTube Channel and through the embedded links below.
Ipswich 7s:
Bristol Grammar 7s:
Outside of the live action there is also 7s on Friday and more 7s on Sunday, while on Saturday there are stacks of fifteen-a-side games as well as a few on Friday evening.
So, while the Six Nations might be stealing away the headlines, a glorious weekend of schools rugby awaits!
Friday 6th February
A rare Friday night 7s experience for many this week as Cathedral School, Llandaff host their annual Floodlit 7s at Cardiff University’s sport ground. Eight sides will be in action, including Llandaff’s fellow Welsh sides Newport High School, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg, and the formidable Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf, who won the Welsh national title in 15s before Christmas and are expected to be one of the strongest teams in the UK this 7s season.
Four English sides join the fray as well, Dean Close, Malvern College, Hereford 6th form College, and the outstanding Cheltenham College, who will be big contenders. Cheltenham and Hereford are drawn with Newport and the hosts, Llandaff. Meanwhile Dean Close and Malvern are drawn with Gymraeg and Glantaf, two compelling looking groups.
Elsewhere on Friday, there is fifteen-a-side action at Horsham RFC as Eastbourne College and Hayes meet. Both sides have had plenty of game time since Christmas and will be keen to put in a big performance on what ought to be a special night.
Up on the Wirral, Champ Rugby club Calday RFC are the hosts as Merchant Taylors’ cross the water from the Liverpool side to take on Calday Grange Grammar School. All signs point towards a superb game of rugby and a brilliant evening.
Friday Fixtures
Calday Grange GS v Merchant Taylors’ (Calday RFC)
Cathedral School Llandaff Floodlit 7s
Eastbourne College v Hayes (Horsham RFC)
Saturday 7th February
The fifteen-a-side game is the dominant force on Saturday and there are some awesome fixtures to get the teeth stuck into. In Gloucestershire Sir Thomas Rich’s host RGS High Wycombe, two great names on the schools rugby circuit and two sides that punch so high in the pecking order. Tommies have been outstanding through this season, RGS meanwhile are always one of the toughest sides out there, it should be a cracker.
Up in Birmingham, another great state school side, Old Swinford Hospital, are in action once again and once again they are seriously challenging themselves, welcome Warwick, one of the strongest schools on the scene for the past couple of decades. It’s a massive game and should be a compelling watch. Along the road, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar welcome Haberdashers’ Adams, another game that should be an incredibly competitive occasion.
The North West is again a busy place on Saturday, in Lancashire Lancaster RGS host King’s Macclesfield, two huge names on the schools rugby circuit. King’s Macc have been playing wonderfully well, but LRGS is a tough place to go. As is Kirkham Grammar School, their U17s are in action against Stonyhurst’s U18s, and Stonyhurst will have to be at their best against what is an outstanding Kirkham side – but Stonyhurst’s best is excellent as well.
Over on The Wirral, St Anselm’s College are in action again, after great success for their U16s in midweek, they host a confident Bolton side.
On the other side of the country, Pocklington and Hill House go head to head, two sides that really should be well matched for this one. Meanwhile travelling out of Yorkshire are St Peter’s York’s U17s, they head up to take on RGS Newcastle’s U17s, which should be a compelling game and one that offers a few clues about next year.
Down in the South East, Surrey has a fantastic game as RGS Guildford host Reed’s, RGS are an outstanding side that have been mixing it with some of the best in the business this year, but Reed’s are a strong side too, they have a place in the Continental Tyres Schools Vase semi finals, and they are superbly led by former John Fisher head of rugby Tom Street, with former England star Danny Care as an able deputy. A brilliant game awaits. In London, Street’s old side John Fisher put out a 2nd XV to host Ibstock Place, meanwhile Merchant Taylors’ are in action, hosting Latymer Upper.
Up in Scotland there are a couple of fixtures, Edinburgh Academy head across the country to take on Hutchesons’ Grammar, and it’s also derby day in Glasgow as Glasgow Academy host Glasgow High School, always one to watch.
Saturday Fixtures
Bishop Vesey’s GS v Haberdashers’ Adams
Glasgow Academy v Glasgow HS
Hutcheson’s GS v Edinburgh Academy
John Fisher 2nd XV v Ibstock Place
Kirkham GS U17 v Stonyhurst
Lancaster RGS v King’s Macclesfield
Merchant Taylors’ v Latymer Upper
Old Swinford Hospital v Warwick
Pocklington v Hill House
RGS Guildford v Reed’s
RGS Newcastle U17 v St Peter’s York U17
Sir Thomas Rich’s v RGS High Wycombe
St Anselm’s College v Bolton
Sunday 8th February
On Sunday, it’s all about 7s. NextGenLive will be LIVE at the Ipswich School 7s and the Bristol Grammar School 7s, but that is far from the only action on what is set to feel like the day where 7s season truly kicks off.
The Ipswich School 7s is set to be fiercely competitive. EalingtTrailfinders are the host venue, welcoming twelve teams split into two groups, the group winners meeting in the Cup final. A field compromising the likes of Whitgift, Brighton College, Wellington College, Berkhamsted, St Joseph’s College, and the hosts, Ipswich, to name just a few. It is going to be one of the top tournaments of the season. All the action from Pitch 1 will be LIVE on the NextGenLive YouTube Channel, including the Cup and Plate finals, and you can check out our full preview here: Ipswich School 7s Preview.
Bristol Grammar School meanwhile hosts a real festival of sport on Sunday. There is an U18 Boys 7s competition, an U16 Girls 7s competition, and an U18 Netball Festival. Both the rugby and the netball will be LIVE on the NextGenLive YouTube Channel.
The Boys 7s is busy, with sixteen sides in action, including Millfield, ACE champions Beechen Cliff, the excellent Clifton College and King’s Worcester, and Welsh giants Christ College Brecon to name just a few. Split over four groups, with Cup, Plate, Shield, and Bowl competitions to follow the groups. It’s set to be an incredibly competitive day, one of the key tournaments on the calendar. The Girls competition is a four team competition, with The Crypt, Clifton High, and Bromsgrove joining the hosts, Bristol Grammar. You can check out our full preview of the Bristol Grammar 7s tournament here, including a look at the netball as well: Bristol Grammar 7s Preview.
There is plenty outside of the live action as well, including one of the most prestigious early season 7s tournaments, the South Coast 7s at Portsmouth Grammar School. This year PGS divide the tournament in two, an U18 Boys Cup tournament and an U18 Boys Bowl tournament, there is also an U18 Girls tournament as well.
The Boys Cup includes some real giants of the game including Brighton College, Millfield, Epsom College, Sherborne, and a Seaford College side that has won the Cup in back to back weekend’s to kick off 7s season. It is set to be a huge day. Seaford are in a pool with Sherborne and Epsom, along with RGS Guildford and Bishop Wordsworth’s, meanwhile Brighton College and Millfield have Canford, Gordon’s, and Marlborough College to contend with.
Over in the Bowl competition are the hosts, Portsmouth Grammar, they are joined by KES Southampton, Bryanston, Dauntsey’s, and Wimbledon College, which should be a fantastic pool. The Girls meanwhile see Portsmouth Grammar joined by Marlborough College, Dauntsey’s, Canford, and Bishop Wordsworth’s, some of the finest girls rugby sides around.
Sunday also sees action over in Essex as New Hall host their annual Oliver Osgood Memorial 7s. Fifteen sides are in action, split into three groups of five. New Hall reside in Group A alongside King’s Ely, Victoria College, and the formidable Bedford School, with one place remaining open.
Group B contains Continental Tyres Schools Cup semi finalists Campion, who will be eager to keep up momentum. Joining them are Essex’s strongest side, Felsted, along with Maidstone Grammar, Sevenoaks, and Wymondham High. Meanwhile in Group C are the hosts’ 2nd XV, alongside the Merchiston Festival champions, Finborough, as well as Norwich School, Royal Hospital School, and one as yet announced side.
Sunday is set to be an outstanding day of school 7s!
Sunday Fixtures
Bristol GS 7s (and Netball) – LIVE
Ipswich School 7s – LIVE
Oliver Osgood Memorial 7s at New Hall
South Coast 7s at Portsmouth GS
