The top eight rugby schools in the world will face each other in December, but which schools?
The World Schools Festival returns in 2022, with the best rugby schools in the world taking each other on. Could this signal a seismic shift in the world’s view of school rugby?
The World Schools Festival will take place from the 11th to the 18th of December this year, with eight of the top rugby schools from across the world invited to take part.
There are only eight invitational places available in the main cup competition, and it is known that the best of the best in terms of rugby schools are taking part.
Whilst there are limited places in the cup competition, there will also be an Open Challenge competition ran at the same time that is available for any school to enter.
The Pattana Sports Resort, in Thailand, will host the 2022 edition of the World Schools Festival. Set on over a thousand acres of land and just a short distance from Bangkok airport, the venue boasts numerous world-class facilities. This will serve as the hub for the world class competition.
In the past, the festival has served as a key barometer on who the best rugby team in the world is. The 2019 edition of the tournament helped to further elevate the status of South African schools, with Grey College recording dominant wins over Christchurch Boys.
The 2022 World Schools Festival will undoubtedly feature some of the rugby schools from New Zealand and South Africa. So the question is, which teams will be invited this year?
England
There is a plethora of English rugby schools that could be invited to the World School Festival this December. Millfield, Sedbergh, Wellington and Harrow appear to be the clear choices. Millfield school completed a sensational unbeaten season in 2021, beating their main rivals Sedbergh in a titanic final game of the season.
@rugbypass Millfield seem unstoppable 🔥 #rugby #rugbyboys ? original sound – AB7
Many claim that Millfield are now the strongest school in England after their impressive season, so a World Schools Festival debut would make sense for the team in red, green and blue.
NextGenXV have also recently ranked the Somerset-based school as number one in their world rankings, adding yet another layer of prestige to the school.
Sedbergh now look to be one of the favourites to win The Schools Championship, a new schools rugby competition in England, after a convincing opening win over Whitgift. Could the men in brown be making the visit to Thailand to take on the best teams in the world?
Clifton College recently announced themselves as top contenders after their surprise win over Millfield. It would be no surprise to see a school of that calibre at an event this big.
Ireland
The Emerald Isles boast some of the best schoolboy rugby sides in the world. Blackrock, St Michael’s College and Presentation Brothers are just some of the schools that spring to mind when you think of the calibre on show.
With Blackrock scheduled to take on Sedbergh in October, it proves to be a real opportunity for both these sides to show who is the best in this part of the world.
Blackrock College claimed the 70th Leinster Senior Schools title in April of this year, cementing their status as one of the top rugby schools in Ireland.
In recent years, St Michael’s College have proved themselves as one of the top sides in the game. With NextGenXV ranking them at 14th in the world in 2022, it’s possible we may see this team in Thailand in December.
New Zealand
New Zealand school’s rugby has always been linked to the World Schools Festival. We can be certain to see some of the best rugby teams in the world take part in the event this time around.
Recently crowned Champions of 1st XV Rugby, Hamilton Boys have been highly linked to have some sort of involvement in the festival this year. Hamilton narrowly beat top team Napier Boys in the final of Super 8 last week. To have both of these sides take on the best of the best from around the world, would be a true privilege to watch.
Kelston Boys from Auckland have benefited greatly from some of their superstar players this season. Talents such as Xavier Tito-Harris would steal the show at the World Schools Festival if they were to be involved.
@rugbypass A future rugby star 🔥 #rugby #rugbyboys ? original sound – Craze
Other New Zealand rugby schools such as Rotorua Boys’ High are also having a great season, after their hugely impressive win over Hastings earlier in the season.
Australia
There has been plenty of talk about some of the top rugby schools in Australia being invited to the World Schools Festival in 2022. With so many top schools to consider, and only eight spots in the main competition available, it shows us just how high the standard will be.
Nudgee College is one of the clear choices to be invited to the event, with their profile as high as ever after their unbeaten season in 2021.
Barker College from New South Wales are the team on everyone’s lips after their impressive 25-0 win over Nudgee this month. It would feel right for a school in such great form to take part in a festival this big. Ranked second in the world this year by NextGenXV, any rugby fan would be desperate to see this side involved in some form or another.
Joey’s is another school that nobody would be surprised to see involved. Joey’s are arguably the leading rugby program historically in Australia and with over 100 Under 18 internationals produced, it shows why.
Their dominance in competition is hardly a surprise to many with another 100 per cent record securing maximum points and having an average points difference of 11 showcases their results against extremely strong opponents.
South Africa
There are so many schools from South Africa that could be invited to The World Schools Festival this year; Grey College, Paul Roos, Paarl Gim, Paarl Boys – the list is endless.
The narrative has remained that South African schools rugby is the best in the world since the nation’s strong showing in the 2019 edition of the festival. Buzz about the exploits of the likes of Jurenzo Julius has been ever-increasing this season.
@rugbypass Generational player 🔥 #rugby #rugbyboys ? sunet original – byxbi1
Any of the potential schools that will be invited from the rainbow nation will surely play a key role in the outcome of the festival.
With only eight places available in the cup of this festival, it’s going to be difficult for many schools to secure an invite to this prestigious festival.
One thing is for sure, however. The winner can call themselves the best rugby school in the world.
Schools interested in taking part in the WSF can get in contact here – https://worldschoolsfestival.com/contact/
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
16 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
16 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
16 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
16 Go to comments