The second-oldest rugby competition in the world is back, with Round 1 of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Cup kicking off this week. Twenty-four schools will battle it out in the opening round of the group stages, all vying for glory in the prestigious tournament.
This year marks a significant milestone as Danske Bank celebrates its 20th anniversary of partnering with Ulster Rugby to support schools' rugby across the province.
RBAI, the defending champions, will be looking to extend their dominance after securing back-to-back titles in last season's thrilling final against Ballymena Academy.
The competition's group stages have already been drawn, and three schools - Grosvenor Academy, Bangor Academy, and Lurgan College - recently secured their places in the tournament through qualifying matches that took place last week.
Each team will play three matches within their respective groups, with the six group winners and four best-placed runners-up advancing to the knockout stages of the Schools' Cup and Subsidiary Shield. These teams will be joined by the six Tier 1 schools: Ballymena Academy, Campbell College Belfast, Methodist College Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Sullivan Upper School, and Wallace High School. The remaining teams will compete in knockout competitions for the Schools' Trophy and Schools' Bowl.
The competition will come to a close in the traditional St. Patrick's Day final at Kingspan Stadium.
The fixtures for this week are as follows:
Group A
Regent House v Down HS, Wednesday 23 October, KO 7.15pm, CIYMS
Ballyclare HS v Lurgan College, Saturday 26 October, KO 10.15am, Ballyclare High School
Group B
Grosvenor GS v Dromore HS, Saturday 26 October, 10.15am, Grosvenor Grammar School
Bangor GS v Rainey ES, Saturday 26 October, 10.30am, Bangor Grammar School
Group C
Enniskillen Royal GS v Coleraine GS, Saturday 26 October, KO 10.30am, Enniskillen
Foyle College v Bangor Academy, Saturday 26 October, KO 11.00am, Foyle College
Group D
RS Dungannon v Banbridge Academy, Wednesday 23 October, KO 2.30pm, Royal School Dungannon
Omagh Academy v Dalriada School, Wednesday 23 October, KO 3.00pm, Omagh Academy
Group E
Cambridge House v RS Armagh, Saturday 26 October, KO 10.30am, Cambridge House School
Limavady Grammar and Larne Grammar have already had their first game, with Limavady beating Larne, 26-14.
Group F
Belfast Royal Academy v Portadown College, Saturday 26 October, KO 10.30am, Belfast Royal Academy
Friends’ School v Antrim GS, Saturday 26 October, KO 10.30am, Friends' School
We wish all schools in the competition the very best of luck!