Sedbergh had full set of England captains

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

- Brendan Gallagher

IT is perhaps no surprise that two of the hottest young prospects in the Premiership are recent pupils at Sedbergh School: Sale’s Cameron Redpath and Josh Hodge who has just moved from Newcastle to Exeter.

Both are set to take theleague by storm and are the latest in a distinguished conveyor belt of rugby talent from the Cumberland School which includes Grand Slam skippers Wavell Wakefield and Will Carling, World Cup winner Will Greenwood, England centre and RFU president John Spencer, former Scotland captains Fred Turner and Mike Biggar, dashers like James Simpson-Daniel and Premiership warhorses such as Phil Dowson and Carl Fearns.

Historically Sedbergh have always been strong, but in recent seasons they have surpassed themselves. Back-to-back winners of the prestigious Rosslyn Park Sevens in 2018 and 2019, they also topped the Daily Mail Merit Table in 2017-18 and again the following year and with just one defeat they were in the running again last season behind eventual winners Cranleigh.

Sedbergh have become the school to beat, the big match of the season for mighty rugby schools such as Millfield and Wellington College.

The 2017-18 side –featuring centre Redpath and full-back Hodge – was considered a particularly fine vintage, going unbeaten in 16 games and clinching the Daily Mail Trophy after the school had finished runners-up on three occasions with an eye popping 52-12 victory over mighty Millfield, one of the most remarkable performances on the schools’ circuit in recent years.