Sedbergh School edged past Merchiston Castle School by 14-10 in the U18 Cup Final to cap an impressive return to the Tynedale RFC School Rugby Festival.

Morpeth RFC were the surprise winners in a competitive U15 competition & Sedbergh completed a successful trip east by taking home the U18 Plate.

Twenty-teams from across England and Scotland descended on Corbridge on Sunday to compete in the 17th edition of the Tynedale RFC School Rugby Festival.

The tournament also marked the unveiling of the new-look clubhouse at Tynedale RFC following the December flood which left the club homeless for six months.

Local interest was strong too. Tynedale RFC competed well in the U15 competition against some premier school teams. They picked up an impressive 10-0 win over Hill House School from Doncaster, but went on to finish 5th overall.

In the U18 Cup, Sedbergh started the day with a resounding 26-0 win over Giggleswick School & followed it up with 10-5 & 12-0 wins over Fettes College of Edinburgh and Berkhamsted School of Hertfordshire respectively.

They met an exceptional Merchiston Castle team, themselves four-time winners at Tynedale, who eased through their group with wins over Norwich School (14-0), Durham School (7-15) & Queen Ethelburgas College (5-21).

The final was a real showcase game, with two highly skilled teams competing well. Sedbergh outscored their Scottish opponents by two tries to one in the final.

The Cumbrians’ 2nd XV won a tightly contested U18 Plate with three victories from their five games. They finished top of the Pool with 7 points from 5 games, just three more than Austin Friars, Morpeth RFC & Hill House School who finished joint-bottom with 4.

In the U15 Cup, Morpeth RFC enjoyed an exceptional day with a clean sweep over Durham School (15-7), Berkhamsted School (15-5) & Hill House School (24-0). Their fate was sealed with a comfortable 26-5 win over hosts Tynedale.

Presenting the Trophies, Northumberland Rugby Union President Malcolm Jarvie congratulated the teams on an excellent day of Rugby. Alongside Newcastle Falcons Hooker Scott Lawson, the two introduced Will Hill & Sam Stewart the Captains of Sedbergh School 1st & 2nd XV’s and James Blackett from Morpeth RFC U15 before announcing Tyler Thomas of Merchiston Castle as the player of the Festival.

The tournament was excellently organised by the team at Sky High Sports. A sincere thanks must go to them, but also to the team of volunteers who helped keep the day running smoothly.

Next years festival will take place on Sunday 3rd September 2017 & will once again be open to School 1st XV’s and U15 XV’s.

Please visit www.tynedaleschoolsfestival.co.uk for more information.