The National Schools Cup (currently known as the Continental Tyres Schools Cup for sponsorship reasons) are a set of annual English schools' rugby union cup competitions, with the U18 Cup being the main competition. The finals of the Cup and Vase competitions are held at Twickenham Stadium, whilst finals for the Plate and Bowl competitions are held at another venue, usually of a Premiership Club. Cup and Vase Semi-finals are also held at a neutral venues. Competitions are held at the U18 and U15 age group levels. At each age level there are several competitions.
All fixtures, results and match reports posted on The Rugby Football Union's website. Up until 2015–16, the Vase was awarded for both age groups in a secondary competition for schools knocked out in the early rounds of the Cup. Since 2016–17, the Cup and Vase competition in both age groups have been separated, with those eliminated in the first round of the Cup going down into the Plate competition, with those eliminated in the first round of the Vase competition going down to the Bowl competition.
Format Games are played in a direct knockout format, with 8 regions of up to 32 teams each depending on the competition. Teams in the Cup and Vase are decided based on previous years results, with stronger teams entering the Cup, and weaker teams entering the Vase. Round 1 losers of the Cup and Vase drop down to the Plate and Bowl respectively. After the 8 regional teams are decided, a set of national Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals follow, with the Final being between a Southern (Southwest and London & South East) region and Northern (North and Midlands) region team.
U18 competitions complete Rounds 1 to 5 and the national Quarter Final before Christmas, with the Semi-Final and Final rounds following in March. At U15 level, Rounds 1 to 4 are completed before Christmas, with Round 5 in January, Quarter-Finals in February, and Semi-Final and Final in March.
List of Cup Finals The U18 Cup commenced in the 1990-91 season, and has been the 1st tier tournament throughout, except for between 2014 and 2020, whereby it was the 2nd tier tournament.
Winners
Year Winner Score Runner-up 1991 King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon 4-3 Bishop Wordsworth's School 1992 Bradford Grammar School 30-2 Mount St Mary's College 1993 Bradford Grammar School 74-17 RGS Guildford 1994 Mount St Mary's College 17-13 RGS Newcastle 1995 Colston's School 23-0 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 1996 Colston's School 20-0 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 1997 Colston's School 23-12 Kirkham Grammar School 1998 Colston's School 21-19 RGS High Wycombe 1999 Colston's School 42-17 RGS High Wycombe 2000 Colston's School 33-0 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 2001 The Campion School 18-0 Durham School 2002 Oakham School 28-23 The Campion School 2003 Oakham School 30-28 Barnard Castle School 2004 Colston's School 48-0 Barnard Castle School 2005 Exeter College, Exeter 25-23 St Peter's School, York 2006 St Peter's High School, Gloucester 26-17 Durham School 2007 Warwick School 24-23 Barnard Castle School 2008 Wellington College, Berkshire 7-3 St Benedict's School, Ealing 2009 Truro College 39-18 St Peter's High School, Gloucester 2010 Whitgift School 34-10 Royal Grammar School, Newcastle 2011 Whitgift School 45-24 Oakham School 2012 Dulwich College 15-8 Old Swinford Hospital 2013 Dulwich College 27-17 Northampton School for Boys 2014 Dulwich College 53-5 Warwick School 2015 Bromsgrove School 30-18 Dulwich College 2016 Bromsgrove School 18-10 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 2017 Warwick School 27-5 Bishop Wordsworth's School 2018 Warwick School 29-7 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 2019 Whitgift School 32-22 Warwick School 2020 Whitgift School & Warwick School Final cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2021 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2022 Trinity School 15-10 Kirkham Grammar School 2023 Oakham School 31-24 Trinity School 2024 Harrow School 29-27 Kirkham Grammar School 2025 Harrow School 22-14 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 2026 Northampton School for Boys 36-20 Epsom College
Results by School
School Winners Runners-up Years won Years Runners-up Colston's School 7 0 1994-95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999-2000, 2003-04 Warwick School 4 2 2006-07, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019-20 (shared) 2013-14, 2018–19 Whitgift School 4 0 2009-10, 2010–11, 2018–19, 2019-20 (shared) Oakham School 3 1 2001-02, 2002-03, 2022-23 2010-11 Dulwich College 3 1 2011-12, 2012–13, 2013-14 2014-15 Harrow School 2 0 2023-24, 2024-25 Bromsgrove School 2 0 2014-15, 2015-16 Bradford Grammar School 2 0 1991-92, 1992-93 Northampton School for Boys 1 1 2025-26 2012-13 Trinity School 1 1 2021-22 2022-23 The Campion School 1 1 2000-01 2001-02 Mount St Mary's College 1 1 1993-94 1991-92 St Peter's High School, Gloucester 1 1 2005-06 2008-09 Truro College 1 0 2008-09 Wellington College, Berkshire 1 0 2007-08 Exeter College, Exeter 1 0 2004-05 King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon 1 0 1990-91 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield 0 6 1994-95, 1995–96, 1999-2000, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2024-25 Barnard Castle School 0 3 2002-03, 2004–05, 2006–07 Kirkham Grammar School 0 3 1996-97, 2021–22, 2023-24 Bishop Wordsworth's School 0 2 1990-91, 2016–17 Durham School 0 2 2000-01, 2005–06 Royal Grammar School, Newcastle 0 2 1993-94, 2009–10 Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe 0 2 1997-98, 1998–99 Epsom College 0 1 2025-26 Old Swinford Hospital School 0 1 2011-12 St Benedict's School, Ealing 0 1 2007-08 St Peter's School, York 0 1 2004-05 Royal Grammar School, Guildford 0 1 1992-93
Other Competitions
U18 Champions Trophy This competition was introduced in the 2014-15 season. This became the 1st tier tournament for the U18 section until its abolishment after the 2019-20 season final.
Year Winner Score Runner-up 2014 Millfield School 31-24 Grammar School at Leeds 2015 Bedford School 28-21 Epsom College 2016 Tonbridge School 17-10 Bedford School 2017 Dulwich College 39-24 Blundell's School 2018 Wellington College 24-16 Epsom College 2019 Wellington College 41-19 Rugby School
The competition was abolished after the 2019-20 season final.
U18 Plate The U18 Plate was introduced in the 2016-17 season, and is for teams that lose in the 1st round of the Cup. It is currently the 2nd tier tournament.
Year Winner Score Runner-up 2017 Reigate Grammar School 20-16 Solihull School 2018 Woodhouse Grove School 36-14 Trinity School 2019 Bloxham School 28-21 Sherborne School 2020 Dean Close School & Bloxham School Final cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2021 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2022 Stowe School 36-22 King's College School, Wimbledon 2023 Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe 27-24 Barnard Castle School 2024 Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Hove 15-7 Uppingham School 2025 Dauntsey's School 55-35 St Anselm's College 2026 Oakham School 38-24 Taunton School
U18 Vase The U18 Vase was introduced in the 1995/96 season, originally as the U18 Plate, before becoming the U18 vase in the 1998/99 season. It was originally meant for teams exiting the first few rounds of the Cup, but since 2016-17, the vase has been for weaker teams, with 1st round losers going into the U18 Bowl. It is currently the 3rd tier tournament.
Year Winner Score Runner-up 1996 John Cleveland College 8-5 Langley Park School for Boys 1997 Bromsgrove School 36-12 Dauntsey's School 1998 Royal Grammar School, Guildford 25-16 Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby 1999 Bablake School 24-14 Bournemouth School 2000 Wallington County Grammar School 16-9 Lymm High School 2001 King Henry VIII School, Coventry 14-5 Stowe School 2002 The Sixth Form School, Solihull 15-13 St Bartholomew's School 2003 Hall Cross Academy 21-12 Coopers' Company and Coborn School 2004 Prince Henry's Grammar School 18-11 St Columba's College 2005 Crossley Heath School 10-3 St Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent 2006 Lymm High School 27-8 London Leisure College 2007 Ermysted's Grammar School 3-0 Wilmslow High School 2008 Sussex Downs College 14-13 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith 2009 John Cleveland College 23-15 Hampton School 2010 Sandbach School 14-3 Norwich School 2011 Solihull School 28-21 St George's College, Weybridge 2012 The Leys School 16-8 Ravens Wood School 2013 Yarm School 17-15 Felsted School 2014 Trent College 17-16 Exeter College 2015 Churcher's College 13-5 SEEVIC College 2016 Northampton School for Boys 17-12 St Ambrose College 2017 Trent College 43-7 The Royal Latin School 2018 Langley School 48-22 Wirral Grammar School for Boys 2019 Samuel Whitbread Academy 43-25 Dauntsey's School 2020 Newcastle School for Boys & Sutton Valence School Final cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2021 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2022 Mount St Mary's College 3-0 Sutton Valence School 2023 Old Swinford Hospital 33-33 Samuel Whitbread Academy 2024 Felsted School 42-19 Ivybridge Community College 2025 The King's School, Gloucester 29-16 King Edward's School, Birmingham 2026 Maidstone Grammar School 22-21 Dame Allan's Schools
U18 Bowl The U18 Bowl was introduced in the 2016-17 season, and is for teams that lose in the 1st round of the Vase. It is currently the 4th tier tournament.
Year Winner Score Runner-up 2017 Old Swinford Hospital 25-13 St Olave's Grammar School 2018 St George's College, Weybridge 36-10 Samuel Whitbread Academy 2019 The King's School, Worcester 34-10 Glyn School 2020 Ampleforth College & Worthing College Final cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2021 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2022 Nottingham High School 29-16 Eastbourne College 2023 Harrogate Grammar School 31-20 St Peter's High School, Gloucester 2024 Richard Hale School 26-17 Richard Huish College 2025 Hayes School 53-26 The King's School, Ely 2026 Hymers College 32-28 Gravesend Grammar School
U15 Cup The U15 Cup was introduced in the 1987-88 season, and was the 1st competition out of the current set competitions.