U16 and U18 Open Competition winners crowned
30 Jan 2026Stewart’s Melville College U16 and Strathallan School U18 won the pilot Open Competition titles
The U16 Open competition culminated at the Boys School Cup Finals at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Saturday 14 January where Stewart’s Melville College were crowned champions in a double header against Merchiston Castle School.
While both Edinburgh sides put in solid performances, a powerful defensive effort from Stewart’s Melville gave them the upper hand to win 21-12 at the national stadium.
They were the only undefeated side throughout the campaign, winning all seven of their matches to claim the U16 Open Competition title.
Merchiston Castle School versus Strathallan School brought the curtain down on the U18 Open Competition in a scintillating showdown in the capital on Thursday 22 January.
Strathallan School, who were sitting third on the table going into their final fixture, managed to take a narrow 7-10 lead going into half-time.
The visitors came into their own in the second half, scoring two tries in the last ten minutes to secure a bonus point win and overtake George Watson’s on the table to claim the U18 Open Competition title.
The Open Competition has been designed to create meaningful fixtures for the best school and club programmes in the country, created off the back of a 2024 Scottish Rugby Under-18 pathway review recommendation.
It aligns with one of the emerging Rugby Development strategy aims – to strengthen links between performance and club rugby.
Following the success of the 2025/26 competition, Scottish Rugby is conducting a review of the current format of the competition. The outcome will be communicated in due course.
