Northampton Saints’ Community team has launched a brand-new competition – the Saints Schools Cup – where hundreds of schools will come together from across the region to compete for the newest piece of silverware in 2023.
Aiming to extend the Club’s offering to local schools and spread the game of rugby further throughout the region, the new Saints Schools Cup will see over 1,000 children from 250 schools across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and North Essex compete across ten regional tournaments – before 20 schools meet for Finals Day at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens to decide the inaugural nominated winners, selected for showing outstanding rugby values throughout the competition.
The new programme will be open to primary school children in Years 5 and 6 and will see local schools compete in a series of tag rugby festivals, showcasing the rugby skills learned in their PE lessons – as part of their regular curriculum or Saints’ other popular school programme, Saints in the Schools – while also being introduced to grassroots club rugby.
And after a successful launch event on the main pitch at the Gardens last month, Saints’ Community Programmes Manager, Ben Lawrence, is already looking forward to next year’s tournaments.
“We were delighted to welcome 20 schools from across the region to cinch Stadium for our launch event,” he said. “It was a fantastic day to kick off what we hope will be an exciting addition to our school programmes.
“The Schools Cup will be a really important series for us; not only will we engage further with the schools we already work with, but we’ll also be bringing out rugby further into the community and reaching more young people in our region.”
Ben Lawrence, Saints’ Community Programmes Manager
“It’s going to give us a chance to link the rugby sessions students are getting in school back to the Club and the stadium here in Northampton, as well as allowing the children to play against our other partner schools in what is likely to be their first taste of a tournament of this kind.
“We’re also delighted to be able to give some of the children the chance to play on the hallowed turf here at the Gardens and create some unforgettable memories – hopefully we’ll see some Saints of the future competing!”
Dates: Saints Schools Cup 2023
REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS
Tuesday 6 June 2023
Corby, Oundle & Thrapston – Stewart & Lloyds RFC
Wednesday 7 June 2023
Wellingborough – Rushden & Higham RFC
Thursday 8 June 2023
Daventry & South Northants – Bugbrooke RFC
Friday 9 June 2023
Northampton – Old Northamptonians RFC
Monday 12 June 2023
Kettering – Kettering RFC
Tuesday 13 June 2023
Cambridgeshire – Shelford RFC
Wednesday 14 June 2023
Suffolk – Ipswich RFC
Milton Keynes – Milton Keynes RUFC
Thursday 15 June 2023
North Essex – Colchester RFC
Peterborough – Peterborough RFC
FINALS DAY
Friday 30 June 2023 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
If you’re interested in getting involved in the Saints Schools Cup in 2023, please fill in the form HERE. Entry to the tournament is FREE for schools taking part in Saints in the Schools in 2022/23 – with entries from new schools subject to a small fee of £25.
For more information on all the school programmes Saints’ Community Team offer, please email [email protected].
*A £25 (+ VAT) non-refundable deposit will be required to secure entry for schools not yet engaged in the Saints in the Schools programme.
