Some of the best youngsters will be showcased in what is always one of the highlights of the year in English rugby when the Continental Tyres Schools finals take place next week.
The main event, of course, will be at the Allianz Stadium on Thursday March 19 when Whitgift School will take on Northampton School for Boys in the U15 Cup final before the latter then faces Epsom College in the U18 Cup final.
As part of the four-tier structure that has proved so successful, the finals of the other three competitions in both age groups – the Bowl, the Vase and the Plate – will be held at Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing.
RFU executive director of rugby development Steve Grainger said: “The schools cup finals are a massive highlight for us; two days of rugby action, first at the Trailfinders then the Allianz.
“It’s a culmination of a huge amount of time, effort and energy for both the players and for the teachers in schools right across the country.
“We’ve seen a really high quality, right from the opening rounds.
“It’s intense, there are a huge number of schools that enter the competition and the quality of the rugby is so high, you are inevitably watching some stars of the future in these tournaments.”
An increase in the playing numbers show how Rugby continues to grow at youth level, with the number of age grade players up by six per cent year on year to 181,543 and girls’ registrations seeing a huge 14 per cent increase to 25,130.
The RFU’s work to get new schools into rugby saw 1,800 schools and colleges receive T1 Rugby flatpacks last year, with another 1,050 due to receive one this season.
The T1 Rugby series has so far reached 400 schools or colleges around the country, with a 50/50 gender spilt in participants and 60 per cent of pupils playing rugby for the first time.
One pleasing aspect of this year’s Continental Tyres Schools finals is the variety of schools that will be on show across the two days.
Grainger said: “This year it’s a 50/50 split between the state sector and the independent sector, which is fantastic to see.
“We should never forget that some of those youngsters at some of those independent schools have moved there in their teenage years and many of those will have started in the state sector.
“It’s fantastic to see, as well, the geographic balance this year – this is definitely not just from the south-east ribbon that people would assume, so it means we’re in for a great set of finals.”
The Continental Tyres Schools Cup is a vital part of the age-grade rugby landscape, with schools’ rugby often where players fall in love with the game for the first time. Catch all the latest highlights and updates from the competition by following @CommunityRugby.