Medallion Shield

The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland currently enter, with no entries from schools situated in the three Ulster counties within the Republic of Ireland.

The competition has been contested continuously since its inception in 1910 and, in that time, fourteen different schools have secured at least a shared win of the shield. Teams entering the Medallion Shield are composed of boys who are under 15 years of age at the start of the school year. Entry in 2012-13 stood at 38 schools.

Royal Belfast Academical Institution have won the most titles, having 37 Won Outright titles and 3 shared.

The 2024 competition resulted in a final between Sullivan Upper and Royal Belfast Academical Institution with RBAI winning 36–10.RBAI have now won the competition 37 times outright and shared it 3 times.

Foundation and growth

It was reported in 1909 that discussions had taken place between Belfast Royal Academy, Campbell College, Methodist College and Royal Belfast Academical Institution about setting up a rugby junior competition for pupils with an age qualification given as under fifteen years of age on 1 November.^[1] The success of the Leinster Schools Junior Cup which had started that year had prompted these discussions. Henry McIntosh, the Headmaster of Methodist College and respected rugby coach, was the main driving force behind the idea.^{[citation needed]}

In 1910 Methodist College and Royal Belfast Academical Institution proceeded with the competition and for the first five years only these two schools competed.^[2] The third school to join was Royal School Dungannon in 1915.^[3] Bangor Grammar School entered for the first time in 1916, with Ballymena Academy and Coleraine Academical Institution following in 1917.^[4]

In 1977 the organising committee of Belfast Royal Academy, Methodist College Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Royal School Dungannon ceded control of the competition to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.^{[citation needed]}

Trophy

Initially without a trophy, a medal was presented to the winning captain at the conclusion of the second final in 1911.^[5] The original Medallion Shield was presented by the Governors of Methodist College with the medal mounted on the shield. When the original shield was filled with the names of winners, the Governors also provided a replacement shield. The original shield is on exhibit and can be viewed at the Methodist College Heritage Centre.^[6]

Venue of finals

All finals since 1973 had been played at Ravenhill. In 2014 the final was staged at the Queen's University Arena because of the ongoing development work at Ravenhill. Prior to 1973, the most commonly used venues were the North of Ireland grounds on the Ormeau Road in Belfast and the former Royal Belfast Academical Institution grounds at Orangefield, Belfast.

Future international players

Over the years a selection of players who went on to win international caps appeared in the Medallion Shield final. One future international appeared in the first ever final in 1910 with James B O'Neill a member of the victorious Methodist College team.^[2] He would win one cap for Ireland in 1920.^[7]

Further examples of future international players include:

• Arthur Coates Douglas played for Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the 1917 final, won 5 caps for Ireland.^[8][9]
• Dick Milliken captained the Bangor Grammar School team to victory in 1966 appeared 14 times for Ireland and 4 British & Irish Lion appearances.
• Niall Malone played for Methodist College Belfast in the 1986 final, won 3 caps for Ireland.
• Jonny Bell played for Coleraine Academical Institution in the 1989 final, won 36 caps for Ireland.
• David Irwin played for Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the 1974 final, and was capped 25 times for Ireland and toured with the British Lions in 1983.

Format

Until 2004 the Medallion Shield was competed for through an open draw, and since then a seeding system has been employed to determine the point at which a school enters the competition.^[10]

A Medallion Plate competition for first round losers was introduced in 1986.^{[citation needed]}

The competition took on a new format in 2005 with further minor changes made since.^[10] Each team is assigned to a seeding group which determines the stage at which that team joins the competition. Each stage is run on a single tie knock-out basis, with replays for drawn games when necessary.

The structure since the 2009–10 season is as follows:

• Stage 1. Weakest twelve teams enter for round 1. If necessary, a preliminary round will be played to establish these twelve teams. The six winners progress to round 2. The losers enter the Medallion Trophy together with the losers of the round 2 fixtures. The matches are determined by an open draw.
• Stage 2. A further ten teams enter together with the six winners from round 1. The matches in round 2 are determined by an open draw. The eight winners progress to round 3. The eight losers join the six losers from round 1 and any preliminary round losers and compete for the Medallion Trophy.
• Stage 3. A further eight teams enter together with the eight winners from round 2. The matches in round 3 are determined by an open draw. The eight winners progress to round 4. The eight losers contest for the Medallion Bowl.
• Stage 4. The top eight seeded teams join the remaining eight winners from round 3. The matches in round 4 are determined by an open draw. The winners proceed to the quarter-finals, semi finals and final. The eight losers in round 4 play for the Medallion Plate.

Performance by school

(Table incomplete; one finalist missing - 1934)

^† denotes a shared win
^‡ Annadale Grammar School became Wellington College in a merger in 1990.

Finals

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Medallion Plate

1980s

• 1986 Ballymena Academy 15-0 Rainey Endowed School^[86]
• 1987 Larne Grammar School 10-8 Coleraine Academical Institution^[87]
• 1988 (???? v Belfast High School)^{[citation needed]}
• 1989 Royal School Dungannon 21-0 Sullivan Upper School^[88]

1990s

• 1990 Campbell College 15-6 Coleraine Boys' Secondary School^[89]
• 1991 Wallace High School 14-0 Antrim Grammar School
• 1992 Ballyclare High School 7-6 Royal School Dungannon^[90]
• 1993 Bangor Grammar School 19-5 Antrim Grammar School
• 1994 Omagh Academy 10-5 Portadown College
• 1995 Ballymena Academy 22-6 Foyle College
• 1996 Rainey Endowed School 15-0 Portadown College
• 1997 Ballyclare High School 20-15 Foyle and Londonderry College^[91]
• 1998 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 30-7 Larne Grammar School^[92]
• 1999 Ballyclare High School 19-12 Larne Grammar School^[93]

2000s

• 2000 Rainey Endowed School 13-6 Grosvenor Grammar School^[94]
• 2001 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 22-7 Dalriada School
• 2002 Campbell College 17-12 Portadown College^[67]
• 2003 Ballyclare High School 20-17 Portora Royal School^[95][96]
• 2004 Wallace High School 27-22 Coleraine Academical Institution^[69]
• 2005 Campbell College 17-10 The Royal School, Armagh^[10][97]
• 2006 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 28-5 Sullivan Upper School^[70]
• 2007 The Royal School, Armagh 10-5 Ballymena Academy^[98]
• 2008 Belfast Royal Academy 22-0 Foyle and Londonderry College
• 2009 Wallace High School 37-22 Sullivan Upper School

2010s

• 2010 Dromore High School 12-12 Limavady Grammar School^[99]
• 2011 Methodist College Belfast 26-10 Ballymena Academy^[100]
• 2012 Ballymena Academy 34-10 Dalriada School^[101]
• 2013 Methodist College Belfast 63-3 Down High School^[102]
• 2014 Coleraine Academical Institution 24-21 Banbridge Academy
• 2015 Ballymena Academy 17-5 Down High School^[103]
• 2016 Sullivan Upper School 12-10 Campbell College
• 2017 Belfast Royal Academy 0-17 Sullivan Upper School
• 2018 The Royal School, Armagh 25 - 0 Sullivan Upper School
• 2019 Grosvenor Grammar School 8 - 7 Rainey Endowed School

2020s

• 2020 Methodist College Belfast 0-0 Dromore High School (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
• 2022 Sullivan Upper School 22-12 Rainey Endowed School
• 2023 Methodist College 22-5 Royal School Dungannon
• 2024
• 2025 Down High School 32-13 Rainey Endowed School
• 2026 Campbell College 24-15 Ballymena Academy

Medallion Bowl

Wins by School

Medallion Trophy

Sources

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External links

• Ulster rugby