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Top sides from South Africa and New Zealand set to be announced in biggest World Schools Festival ever
The World Schools Festival have announced the first entrants for the 2023, and with new competition categories added to increase the opportunity to schools and teams to be involved.
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The festival pits the very best rugby schools and academies from around the world against each other to see who is the greatest team on the planet.
The Pattana Sports Resort will once again play Host venue between the 11th – 18th December.
The overwhelming interest in 2022, with the WSF receiving over 28 million views across social media, has led to the Conference (boys) and Girls 10s competitions being added to the existing Champions Cup and Open competitions from 2022.
With the success and interest of the festival in Thailand, rumours are circulating that even more top schools will be taking part, making this the most competitive and elite version of the festival ever.
Each competition will have maximum of 8 teams in each competition leaving a race for spots.
The Champions Cup competition will remain invitation only, but any schools and teams can enter the other 3 competitions to enjoy the WSF Experience of meeting and playing teams from around the world in amazing Thailand.
The creation of a new Girl 10s tournament is a hugely exciting step for the festival.
The neutral venue and easy logistics proved hugely popular with all the teams.
The inaugural Champions Cup was won by the impressive Hamilton Boys’ High School from New Zealand, and confirmed themselves as the champion school of world rugby, and there will be huge interest on the 2023 line-up.
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The first 2 Teams have been announced with the National Champions of Wales and England confirmed.
Welsh Champions, Cardiff & Vale College will return having made a massive impact on the 2022. Having pushed Grey College from South Africa the absolute limit in the semi final, they will be hoping to go one step further in 2023.
Reigning English RFU ACE National Champions, Hartpury College has produced recent Internationals such as Jonny May, Alex Cuthbert, Ross Moriarty and Louis Rees-Zammit who was one of 5 schoolboy internationals who missed out being part of Hartpury’s squad for the WSF 2018.
The December date will give them the opportunity to have all the squad available for selection.
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Hartpury College are also the 1st team confirmed and announced in the new Girls 10s competition, and only enhances Hartpury’s reputation for developing the game from U18s through the senior level for both men and women.
@rugbypass Spot the difference 🥶 #rugby #rugbyboys #wsf2022 ? original sound – Uzito✌🏽
In the Open Trophy, holders, Odyssey XV will return to defend the Trophy they won in 2022. Once again the Squad is open for players from around the world to apply for selection. The Squad was brilliantly cultivated and blended together under Director of Rugby, Simon Lewis and the Coaching team of Wessel du Plessis and new England U20s Head Coach, Mark Mapletoft.
The 2023 is already shaping up, with announcements imminent in all the competitions, and promises to embody the true spirit of rugby, promoting the traditional values of the sport by gathering some of the most promising schoolboy talent the game has to offer.
What teams could be included in the World Schools Festival 2023?
Given the success of last year’s event, even more top schools from around the world have been rumoured to be included in the latest iteration.
From New Zealand, Kelston Boy’s are heavily linked to be making a trip to Thailand after their incredibly strong showing in 1st XV rugby in 2022. With stars like Xavier Tito Harris now dominating sevens rugby, will there be new stars to emerge?
From South Africa, many of the top sides have been rumoured to be included this year, with Grey College the forerunner alongside another of the big six schools. With Grey College playing so dominantly this year, many will be keen to see if they can get revenge on Hamilton Boys.
In England, many of the top schools have shown significant interest in being included this year. In 2022, Millfield, Trinity and Sedbergh battled it out against the very best schools in the world in Thailand.
There have been hints that Clifton College, Harrow School and others from England have expressed an interest to be involved in the tournament in all formats.
@rugbypass This team were something else 🔥 #rugby #rugbyboys #rpns7s ? original sound – trenn
For further information or any questions about the WSF, contact us at www.worldschoolsfestival.com
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments