Scottish Rugby Schools' Cup

The Scottish Rugby Schools' Cup is the annual Scottish schools' rugby union cup competition.[1] Competitions are held at under-18 and under-16 age group levels and are organised by Scottish Rugby.[1] The finals are held at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.[1]

The competitions have had many different formats over the years. For season 2024–25 there are four competitions for each age group, the Cup, Shield, Plate and Bowl.[1] The main cup competitions involve a straight knock-out format.[2] In 2013-14 a new shield competition was introduced for those teams eliminated in the preliminary and first rounds of the cup competitions.[1]

The fixtures and results are regularly posted on the Scottish Rugby website and in the mainstream media. Previous sponsors include the Bank of Scotland, Bell Lawrie White and Brewin Dolphin.

Champions

Key
† Match tied - cup shared

U18 Cup

The inaugural competition took place in the 1983–84 season.[3]

Prior to the 1997–98 season, most private schools did not participate in the U18 Cup.

Season Champions Final Runners-up
1983–84 North Berwick High School 6 – 0 Marr College[3]
1984–85 Galashiels Academy 21 – 9 Dunblane High School[4]
1985–86 Galashiels Academy 10 – 0 Dunblane High School[5]
1986–87 Kelso High School Dunblane High School[3]
1987–88 Galashiels Academy St Aloysius' College[3]
1988–89 St Aloysius' College 16 – 0 Galashiels Academy[6]
1989–90 St Aloysius' College 19 – 15 Galashiels Academy[7]
1990–91 Galashiels Academy St Aloysius' College[3]
1991–92 Marr College 8 – 6 St Aloysius' College[8]
1992–93 St Aloysius' College[3] Unknown
1993–94 Marr College 16 – 12 St Aloysius' College[9]
1994–95 St Aloysius' College 42 – 17 Queen Victoria School[3]
1995–96 St Aloysius' College 13 – 12 Peebles High School[citation needed]
1996–97 Galashiels Academy 8 – 7 High School of Dundee[10]
1997–98 Merchiston Castle School 27 – 8 Edinburgh Academy[11]
1998–99 Stewart's Melville College 8 – 3 Merchiston Castle School[12]
1999–00 Merchiston Castle School 22 – 8 Dollar Academy[13]
2000–01 Merchiston Castle School 10 – 5 Fettes College[14]
2001–02 Merchiston Castle School 44 – 21 George Watson's College[15]
2002–03 Dollar Academy 19 – 13 Stewart's Melville College[16]
2003–04 Dollar Academy 27 – 14 High School of Dundee[17]
2004–05 Dollar Academy 13 – 10 High School of Dundee[18]
2005–06 Stewart's Melville College 32 – 0 Robert Gordon's College[19]
2006–07 Bell Baxter High School 20 – 8 Dollar Academy[20]
2007–08 Merchiston Castle School 15 – 3 George Watson's College[21]
2008–09 Fettes College 39 – 28 Stewart's Melville College[22]
2009–10 Edinburgh Academy 13 – 11 Stewart's Melville College[23]
2010–11 Stewart's Melville College 19 – 10 Edinburgh Academy[24]
2011–12 Edinburgh Academy 12 – 11 George Watson's College[25]
2012–13 George Watson's College 22 – 17 Merchiston Castle School[26]
2013–14 George Watson's College 31 – 17 High School of Dundee[27]
2014–15 George Watson's College 23 – 17 Merchiston Castle School[28]
2015–16 George Watson's College 30 – 27 Dollar Academy[29]
2016–17 Stewart's Melville College 36 – 32 Dollar Academy[30]
2017–18 Strathallan School 52 – 8 Glenalmond College[31]
2018–19 Merchiston Castle School 40 – 7 St Aloysius' College[32]
2019–20 Stewart's Melville College 24 – 14 George Watson's College[33]
2020–21 No competition (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2021–22 Merchiston Castle School 20 – 7 Stewart's Melville College[34]
2022–23 Merchiston Castle School 19 – 7 Edinburgh Academy[35]
2023–24 George Watson's College 42 – 21 Stewart's Melville College[36]
2024–25 Stewart's Melville College 28 – 24 Merchiston Castle School[37]

Summary of champions

# Team Champions Years as champions Runners-up Years as runners-up
1 Merchiston Castle School 8 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23 4 1998–99, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2024–25
2 Stewart's Melville College 6 1998–99, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2024–25 5 2002–03, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2021–22, 2023–24
3 St Aloysius' College 5 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2018–19
George Watson's College 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2023–24 4 2001–02, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2019–20
Galashiels Academy 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1996–97 2 1988–89, 1989–90
6 Dollar Academy 3 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05 4 1999–00, 2006–07, 2015–16, 2016–17
7 Edinburgh Academy 2 2009–10, 2011–12 3 1997–98, 2010–11, 2022–23
Marr College 1991–92, 1993–94 1 1983–84
9 Fettes College 1 2008–09 2000–01
North Berwick High School 1983–84 —
Kelso High School 1986–87
Bell Baxter High School 2006–07
Strathallan School 2017–18

U15/U16 Cup

The inaugural competition took place in the 2004–05 season.[38]

Season Champions Final Runners-up
2004–05 North Berwick High School 21 – 10 Galashiels Academy[39][permanent dead link‍]
2005–06 Galashiels Academy 22 – 17 Robert Gordon's College[40]
2006–07 George Watson's College 12 – 5 Edinburgh Academy[41]
2007–08 George Watson's College 7 – 5 George Heriot's School[42][permanent dead link‍]
2008–09 Edinburgh Academy 29 – 21 George Watson's College[43]
2009–10 Hutchesons' Grammar School 10 – 8 Stewart's Melville College[44][dead link‍]

From season 2010–11 the competition evolved from the U15 Cup into the U16 Cup.

Season Winner Score Runner-up
2010-11 Edinburgh Academy 36-8 Stewart's Melville College
2011-12 George Watson's College 38-0 Dollar Academy[45]
2012-13 Merchiston Castle School 10-5 Strathallan School[46]
2013-14 George Watson's College 19-8 St Aloysius' College[47]
2014-15 Merchiston Castle School 25-24 Dollar Academy[48]
2015-16 George Watson's College/Strathallan School 5-5 —[49][50]
2016-17 St Aloysius' College 10-3 Strathallan School[51]
2017-18 George Watson's College 64-19 Stewart's Melville College[52]
2018-19 George Watson's College 15-5 High School of Dundee[53]
2019-20 Merchiston Castle School 41-5 Dollar Academy[54]
2020-21 No competition (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2021-22 George Watson's College 47-26 Dollar Academy[34]
2022-23 Stewart's Melville College 43-24 Strathallan School[35]
2023-24 George Watson's College 26-21 Stewart's Melville College[36]
2024-25 George Watson's College 34-10 Stewart's Melville College[37]


Scotland internationalists

Several full Scotland internationalists have played in the Schools' Cup, including:

References

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  2. ^ "State School Entry Surge for Cup Competition". Scottish Rugby. 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
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  4. ^ "Different sports for different sorts?". Southern Reporter. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
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  7. ^ "College retain trophy". The Herald. 22 March 1990. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  8. ^ Ian McLauchlan, ed. (1992). The Official Scottish Rugby Union Annual 1992-1993. Mainstream Publishing. pp. 36–37. ISBN 1851584846.
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