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St Joseph’s College National Schools’ Rugby Festival – Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October
The St Joseph's College National Schools Festival takes place next weekend and promises to be a fantastic weekend of rugby. The festival brings together the best of schoolboy rugby, with 16 schools from across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales participating from both state and independent sectors.
The annual festival, now in its 27th year, takes place over the first weekend of half term and with a strong line up of sides competing for this year’s title it could be one of the closest in recent times. This year’s competition is made up from the following sides: Millfield, Dulwich, John Fisher, RGS High Wycombe, RGS Newcastle, Old Swinford Hospital, Whitchurch School (Wales), Portsmouth Grammar School, Belfast Rugby Academy (Ireland), Solihull School, Brighton College, Merchiston Castle (Scotland), Abingdon, Bedford School, Stamford School and of course the hosts St Josephs College.
With the sides entered into this year’s tournament, it bodes as being one of the strongest and most competitive seen for a number of years, and given some of the sides results already the festival has a chance to showcase some of the best school boy rugby around.
St Joseph’s are looking to repeat the feat of 3 years ago in 2010, when the home team won the tournament. The squad has a number of returning 6th Formers and is formed by a core of representative players helping to guide the boys around the park in what is expected to be the best festival to date.
With the returning head coach Peter Engledow installing his Southern Hemisphere style onto a squad of talented players, the First XV at St Jo’s are expecting to go as far as they can this year. Their build up started with a pre season tour to South Africa and continued through the early part of the season, with a strong win over Stortford High School, an upcoming fixture with a potent Bedford Academy side and a pre-festival camp for final preparations.
With such a high standard of competition from the top rugby-playing schools across the nation as well as the array of stalls, refreshments and children’s activities, players and spectators are guaranteed a great weekend!
Te Visit the Competition Microsite click Here>>>>>
