Stourport HS and Sixth Form College will play their first competitive match in almost two years when they host Oaklands College, their Saracens’ counterparts, at Sixways on Wednesday (kick-off 3.00pm).
Last season’s competition was cancelled because of COVID-19 but Stourport HS played some friendly matches towards the end of the campaign.
Wednesday’s match will be the first time that the Stourport players have played together in a competitive match in a competition that has now been renamed the RFU ACE – Academies, Colleges and Education – League.
The ACE scheme is targeted at talented Year 12 and Year 13 students who have the aspirations and potential to play at the elite end of the game.
The scheme gives boys the opportunity to combine rugby training on a daily basis at Sixways with academic study at Stourport HS which allows the students to not only gain an excellent education, but also experience high quality rugby training and match opportunities.
Stourport’s other matches in the North Pool are away to Gosforth Academy (Newcastle Falcons) on September 15, home to Bishop Burton College (Yorkshire regional) on September 22, away to City of Oxford College (Wasps) on September 29, home to Brooksby Melton College (Leicester Tigers on October 6 and away to Myerscough College (Sale Sharks) on October 13.
Stourport have bye for the final round of pool matches on October 20.
Stourport HS (clubs in brackets)
15 Billy Emerick (Upton on Severn); 14 George Evans (Claverdon), 13 Will Pugh (Luctonians), 12 Archie Jones (Bridgnorth), 11 Sam Brooks (Shrewsbury), 10 Dan Chambers (Wolverhampton), 9 Jamie Heafield (Kings Norton); 1 Aaron Hackett (Stourbridge), 2 Miles Walters (Wolverhampton), 3 Jack Sanger-Davies (Evesham), 4 Tyler Westwood (Silhillians), 5 Fin Haynes (Claverdon), 6 George Moffit (Shrewsbury), 7 Ethan Allen (Telford Hornets), 8 Ben Godfrey (Birmingham & Solihull).
Replacements 16 Hayden Link (Stourbridge), 17 Ellis Locke (Ledbury), 18 Zac Oswell (Droitwich), 19 Reiss Price (Barkers’ Butts), 20 Jack Condliffe (Luctonians), 21 Mikey Yalland (Bromyard).