Millfield to participate in this year’s World Schools Festival of rugby in Thailand

Millfield have been announced as one of the first two schools to be participating in this year’s World Schools Festival of rugby, which is due to take place in Thailand from 12-17 December this year. 

Millfield, and South African school Grey College, will be joined by six other top schools from across the globe to compete in a cup-style competition, including Sedbergh School, Hamilton Boys' High School and St Michael's College. A new-format Open Trophy competition will be played alongside, allowing for invitational teams to be selected with young players from around the world, giving them international exposure and a chance to play with people from different cultures and backgrounds.    

The World Schools Festival will be a continuation of Millfield’s aims to promote and showcase schools rugby. Alongside the festival, Millfield have recently teamed up with Sedbergh School, Wellington College and Whitgift School to launch The School’s Championship, a four-team domestic competition which is seeking to exhibit the free-flowing quality of schools rugby. They also recently hosted the UK’s first RugbySafe festival in conjunction with the RFU, which sought to gather research to reduce head injuries in schools rugby. 

The Pattana Sports Resort, located just outside of Bangkok, Thailand, was selected as the venue for the festival to ensure a neutral location, with schools travelling from both hemispheres to take part. 

Millfield will go into the event ranked as the number one rugby school in the world for 2022 in the NextGenXV global rankings, having posted an unbeaten 2021-2022 season, comprised of 17 wins and one draw. 

Millfield Director of Rugby, John Mallett, said: “Rugby is not only about competing hard on the field, but also making friendships for life off the field. We are very excited to be playing in a new competition and format alongside some of the very best rugby playing schools in the world. It is truly a unique and ground-breaking tournament, and will definitely showcase school's rugby." 

The festival promises to embody the true spirit of rugby, promoting the traditional values of the sport by gathering some of the most promising schoolboy talent the game has to offer, with plans in place to promote rugby in Thailand as well.