News
- Harrow School beat Epsom College 48-26 to clinch the title after seven wins
- Their victory kept Clifton College who won eight in nine in second place
- Harrow School have two players who have England's under-18's side
Harrow School are the 2022 SOCS Daily Mail Schools Trophy champions having gone unbeaten to win this national title for the first time.
A 48-26 success at Epsom College clinched the title after a run of seven wins in a competition, which attracted a record 136 teams this year.
The Trophy, sponsored by SOCS, the school management system company, was launched in 2013 to decide the champion school from established fixtures played over the autumn term.
Harrow’s win over Epsom kept Clifton College, who won eight from nine matches, in second place, Trinity School from Croydon were third and former champions Sedbergh fourth.
Head of rugby James Melville said: “The boys have worked extremely hard throughout this term to achieve a magnificent set of results against some very strong teams.”
Harrow’s confidence steadily increased during a term where they started by toppling former champions Wellington and two other strong London teams in Dulwich and Whitgift.
Harrow had an unbeaten season with seven straight wins to pip Clifton College to the trophy
“The win away against Wellington, thanks to a combination of clinical attack and dogged defence, set the tone for the rest of the year,” Melville said.
Harrow finished by beating Tonbridge, Eton, Bedford and Epsom following the half-term break.
Melville singled out two players who have both made the England under-18 squad in captain and centre Cameron Ellis and No 8 Kepu Tuipulotu.
Harrow have two England under-18 players in the squad - Cameron Ellis and Kepu Tuipulotu
Tuipulotu provided the individual highlight by scoring three tries in the win over Whitgift.
Second-placed Clifton collected their eighth win by beating Bromsgrove, 25-5, but lost out on the title when losing earlier in the campaign to Lancashire-based Kirkham.
Third-placed Trinity led the table at one stage but their seven wins fell just short of Harrow’s mark. Sedbergh, twice previous holders, played 10 games but, ultimately, were undone when beaten by Staffordshire-based Denstone.
