The National Schools Sevens is a rugby union sevens tournament held in association with Rosslyn Park F.C. has evolved into the world's largest rugby tournament with some 7,000 boys aged 13 - 19 competing annually. The event was first held in 1939, and has been held every year since, becoming one of the oldest continuous tournaments for schools. Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby football in which only seven players per side feature. ... Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ...

Format

The play for the first 4 days is centred around Wimbledon Common where there are 24 pitches but the last day (Open and Girls Tournaments' last few knockout rounds) is held at Rosslyn Park. Each Tournament has a similar format of Group matches on the first day with possibly a knockout round or two. The second day is for the knockout rounds, which culminate in the relevant Final. The Junior Tournament and the Preparatory Tournament (both under 13s) start on the Monday, the Festival (one term rugby schools) starts Tuesday, the Colts (under 16s) Wednesday, and the Girls Tournament and Open Tournament (both under 18s) start on Thursday.

History

Originally it was a knock-out competition for English public schools but as interest grew it was extended to include grammar, comprehensive and preparatory schools. The format was also changed into pool groups so that no U16 or girls side played fewer than three matches and no U18 boys side fewer than four. Almost all the founding 16 schools compete to this day and, although it remains an invitation event, no eligible school would be refused entry upon application. In 1956 the Preparatory Schools competition was started for IAPS schools and in 1973 the Juniors (U13s) were held for the first time. In March 1997, a new competition was introduced for the U16s and it has been the policy during the past few years to invite schools from overseas who may be touring the UK to play in the tournament. Each year the number of schools applying increases. In 1998 the first girls (U18) competition was inaugurated, and a recent popular inclusion has been a sevens challenge match between Old Boys RFCs, the first of which was between Ampleforth and Millfield, who between them have won the senior tournaments a remarkable 21 times. Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire is the largest private Catholic mixed boarding school in the UK, and it is occasionally referred to as the Catholic Eton, a soubriqet also attached at different times to Beaumont (no longer open) and Stonyhurst College (both Jesuit schools) and which was Cardinal Newmans... Millfield is a distinctive Independent school in Street, Somerset, England. ...

A rugby nursery for international players

A significant number of English and Welsh Internationals tasted competitive rugby for the first time at the tournament. Eight of the England squad who were victorious at the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens at Murrayfield and most of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad had played for their schools at Rosslyn Park. Many senior rugby coaches and captains of industry in the UK have played in the tournament. Gareth Edwards was a member of the 1966 winning Millfield team. In 1967 Keith Jarrett played for Monmouth School and, just a month later, scored 19 points for Wales against England. Rob Andrew and Rory Underwood played in the same Barnard Castle side, whilst more recently Simon Danielli, victorious with Cheltenham College in the 1998 Festival, was ever present in Scotland's 2003 world cup campaign and James Simpson-Daniel (Sedbergh, Open Winners in 1999) continues to impress on the international stage. World Cup winner Iain Balshaw shone in this tournament for Stonyhurst College who had a remarkable season in 1996 winning all of the tournaments in which they eneterd. The inaugural 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in April 1993. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge during the tournament, with the 2003 Rugby World Cup logo. ... Gareth Edwards, born 12 July 1947 in Pontardawe, Wales, is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who plays scrum-half, considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. ... Millfield is a distinctive Independent school in Street, Somerset, England. ... Keith Jarrett (born May 18, 1945 in Newport, Wales) was a Welsh Rugby player during the late 1960s. ... Monmouth School is a public school for boys in Monmouth, South Wales. ... Christopher Robert Andrew (born 18 February 1963) nicknamed Squeaky, is a former rugby union footballer and currently the Director of Rugby of Newcastle Falcons. ... Rory Underwood (born June 19, 1963) is a former rugby union footballer who played wing for Leicester Tigers and Bedford, who represented England and the British Lions internationally, and a former Royal Air Force pilot. ... Barnard Castle School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Barnard Castle, County Durham. ... Born September 8, 1979 in Edinburgh. ... Cheltenham College is an English public school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ... James Simpson-Daniel (born 30 May 1982) is a rugby union player who is a Utility Back and plays for Gloucester. ... For the school in Canada, see Sedbergh School, Québec Sedbergh School is a co-educational boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria for ages 13-18. ... Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic English Jesuit independent boarding school near Clitheroe, Lancashire, England. ...

Recent tournaments

In recent years Millfield have enjoyed the most success in the 'Open' although in 2004, Ivybridge Community College pipped them in the final, just 14 years after the school took up the sport. After Ben Gollings (currently world record points scorer on the IRB 7s circuit) took his Canford side to success in the 1997 Festival, the other of the main senior tournaments, the trophy was won either by Wellington or Cheltenham until Colstons win in 2006. The 2003 final seemed certain to be a record five on the trot for Wellington with their impressive international line-up but Cheltenham turned round a 0-12 half time score to win. Millfield is a distinctive Independent school in Street, Somerset, England. ... Ivybridge Community College is a large and successful Specialist Sports College that has recently been awarded a second Specialism in Science and Mathematics. ... Ben Gollings (born 13 May 1980 in Launceston, Cornwall) is a rugby union footballer who plays fullback for Tasman and England Sevens. ... Canford School is a full boarding coeducational public school with a significant minority of day pupils, in Merley, Wimborne Minster, Dorset. ... Cheltenham College is an English public school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ...

Colston's Collegiate School, Bristol made history in 2007 by becoming the first school ever to win both the open(U18 Boys) and the Girls (U18) tournaments. Colstons Collegiate School is an independent co-educational school in Bristol, England. ... View from Cumberland Basin of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London and between the cities of Bath, Gloucester and Newport. ...

There were 1,150 matches in 2006 and the results are regularly updated every few minutes on the official website during the tournament.[1]