Rugby School claimed the U18 Boys Vase on a thrilling Day 2 at the 2023 Rosslyn Park National School 7s.
It was a poignant victory for the founders of the game, who this year celebrate 200 years since that beginning of the sport back in 1823 and will be hosting a very special U18 International 7s tournament this weekend.
U18 Boys Vase
Rugby School won this Vase competition after an absolutely fantastic first day of play but they simply built and built as this second day went on topping their Day 2 Pool ahead of Marlborough College, Monmouth, and Monkton Combe, before facing Solihill in the quarter finals, who had topped their Pool ahead of King’s Macclesfield, Radley College, and Ipswich in an epic Pool D.
King’s Macclesfield still made it out of that group though and into the quarter finals after finishing as the best of the runners up, and duly beat Group G winners Malvern College 22-17 in that quarter final.
Rugby made it through with a 19-14 dogged victory over Solihull, and they would face Dubai’s Jumeriah English Speaking College, one of the stars of this year’s tournament, who had beaten a strong Tonbridge side 26-17 in their quarter – a Tonbridge side that had topped their Pool ahead of reigning champions Stowe, and New Zealand’s Nelson College, who had been much fancied around the grounds.
Bromsgrove won the other quarter final, beating St Edward’s Oxford, what a two days they had, 22-5 to set up a semi against King’s Macclesfield. King’s Macclesfield had been one of the star teams on Day 1, and though they had only qualified for the knockouts as a best runner up, their quality was undeniable and so it proved as they reached the final in a gutsy 17-14 victory over Bromsgrove.
That set up the final against Rugby, who beat JESS 17-5 in their semi final. Rugby had saved their very best for the final though, putting in a stunning display for a 36-12 victory that had the RE1 pitch absolutely packed around the sidelines to witness a glorious 14 minutes of action.
King’s Macclesfield deserve huge credit, such has been their year as a whole, but it was Rugby School in this year of years, the bicentenary, that ultimately proved the best of the bunch in a quite brilliant Vase tournament.
U18 Boys Bowl
Last year’s champions Stowe still had plenty to shout about themselves, they may have finished up runners up in their Day 2 Group to Tonbridge but it sent them to the Bowl and from there they were simply irrespressible.
They topped their Pool ahead of Marlborough College and RGS Newcastle, before putting in a top performance against a superb Blundell’s side, that were awesome to get past South West rivals Bryanston and Sherborne, in the final for a 26-12 victory ad back to back silverware at the Rosslyn Park National School 7s.
View all the results from the Boys U18 Vase Competition »
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U14 Girls Cup
Back to Back for Stowe, but in the U14 Girls Cup it was the inaugural competition, and what a competition it proved to be. Hill House claimed the title and will go down in history as the first ever winners of the U14 Girls Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s after a brilliant final that saw them score three fantastic tries against Kings of Wessex in the final.
It was a gruelling one for Hill House, too, they had been in the only five team group of the competition and had come through that unscathed before a semi final victory over Plasmawr to send them into the final against Kings of Wessex, who had looked formidable in victory over JESS and Bryn Celynnog.
In the final it was touch and go for some time, but Hill House had the pace and the tenacity to just clinch it 15-5 after the toughest and most brilliant of days in the U14 Girls, where sheer joy and ambition was at the heart of the action.
U14 Boys
The U14 Boys Cup also kicked off on Tuesday, with 48 groups quickly whittled down to just 24 teams in the Cup and 24 teams in the Plate after an absolutely epic day of action.
Reigning Champions Sedbergh made it through to the Cup, joining Hampton and Bro Morgannwg in the Day 2 Pool, winners of the Day 2 Pools will quality for the Quarter Final knockouts.
Group B meanwhile saw Cheltenham College, King’s Worcester, and Stowe qualify, while Group C contains RGS High Wycombe, Trinity, and the Rugby School side whose U18s won the Vase. Group D is an exciting one for Day 2 with Eton College, Prior Park College, and Rhydywaun all qualifying.
King’s Macclesfield, so impressive at U18 level, are looking food and U14 level too and are paired with Oundle and Glantaf. Meanwhile Group F is formidable, Millfield, Wellington College, and Whitchurch High, a group of death if ever there was one.
Group G meanwhile sees Radley College, a Harrow side that is ticking along well, and QEGS Wakefield all together, while in Group H look out for Scotland’s George Watson’s College alongside Kirkham Grammar and Hymers College.
Over in The Plate, Uppingham Rodillian and NSB are all together, NSB celebrating a great result in the Schools Cup with their U15s. B sees Hereford Cathedral, Stanwell, and Bishop’s Stortford line up, while in Plate C it’s Dame Allan’s, Wrekin College, and Bryn Celynnog, and D sees John Fisher and Aylesbury Grammar up against near neighbours to Rosslyn Park, KCS Wimbledon.
In Plate Group E are Dulwich College, Taunton, and St Peter’s Gloucester, with St Joseph’s, Epsom College, and Denstone College in Plate F, and Tonyrefail alongside Bedford and Barnard Castle in Plate G, Plate Group H sees Gordon’s alongside RGS Newcastle and another exciting Oakham side.
U16 Boys Cup
The U16 Boys Cup kicks off on Wednesday, one of the hardest tests of the entire week, with 216 teams taking part. Wednesday’s action will quickly see that 216 whittled down to just 28 teams by the close of the day’s play.
Only the group winners and the two best runners up from across all the groups will qualify for the elimination round, an all or nothing shootout that will either see sides head through to Thursday’s U16 Boys Cup 8thRound Pools or head home after a hard day’s rugby.
Harrow are the reigning champions, they are in a tricky Group A alongside Collegiate, Dunottar, and a George Watson’s College side that have become one of the real stars of the Rosslyn Park National School 7s across the age groups.
Eton College defeated in last year’s final by Harrow, they are at the opposite side of the draw, Group BBB – the, staggering, 54th group of the U16 tournament. Joining them there are Hurstpierpoint College, Monkton Combe, and RGS Worcester in another very tasty group.
The same is true of all 54 Groups, it is a stunningly challenging competition and one of the real highlights of the week at the Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s.
Watch live coverage of DAY 3 and full DAY 2 coverage on our video page »