Hill House School of Doncaster is positioning itself for a top-ten finish in the 2026 SOCS Daily Mail Schools Trophy following a perfect start to the season, achieving five wins in as many matches. The competition, which includes over 150 teams, has seen the Yorkshire school emerge as a strong contender.
Hill House has been systematically building its rugby program since 2019, doubling the number of fixtures across age groups from Under-9s upwards. This investment has yielded results, with their U15 team having previously won a national bowl knock-out competition. Currently, approximately 20 players from the school are involved in academy rugby.
The team, captained by Will Nicholls, began their winning streak with a 38-32 victory over Hymers College. Subsequent wins against Ashville, Pocklington, Worksop, and Harrogate have solidified their position. Director of rugby Chris Rose expressed optimism about the team's potential, stating, "The potential of this group is truly exciting as we look forward to the second half of the term. The school has always played rugby but we have grown the programme significantly in the last few years."
Hill House faces a challenging schedule for the remainder of the season, with upcoming fixtures against Ripon GS, Scarborough College, Prince Henry’s GS, and Ampleforth.
Meanwhile, RGS Guildford is also experiencing its most successful campaign in the Trophy. Head coach Ben Dudley's team has become the first to secure six consecutive wins this season, adhering to the team's philosophy of collective effort. This achievement puts them in contention for a top-ten finish, a milestone they have never reached in the 14-year history of the competition, with their previous best being 19th place in the 2022-23 season.
Last season, RGS Guildford experienced a challenging start, losing five of their first six matches, all by narrow margins. These close defeats highlighted areas for improvement in game management, ultimately leading them to the semi-finals of the national plate competition.
This season, RGS Guildford has maintained its momentum since a summer tour of South Africa. An opening victory against St Judd, 33-10, set the tone, and they have remained undefeated, including significant wins over perennial contenders St Paul’s, 24-10, and Epsom College.
Dudley described their performance against St Paul’s as their best to date, characterized by sustained defensive pressure. The match against Epsom, who finished eighth last year, saw RGS Guildford overcome a 14-0 half-time deficit to secure a 21-17 victory.
Dudley emphasized the team's depth and commitment, noting, "We’ve lots of lads doing their job. We have a talented, committed squad with lots of players stepping up." The scoring has been distributed across the squad, with 17 different players contributing tries. Vice-captain Jola Akin-Olugbade leads the team with five tries, followed by twin brother Kiki Akin-Olugbade, Henry Tabberner, and Jamie Nkrumah, each with three.
The Daily Mail Schools Trophy, organized on a merit-table basis, will resume after the half-term break. The current table is narrowly led by Haberdashers’ Monmouth, followed by former champions Clifton College.
This weekend, Monmouth will play Solihull on Saturday, November 7, while Clifton College hosts Wellington College in a matchup between past champions.
The Daily Mail Schools Trophy is a partnership with SOCS.