Medallion Shield

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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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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:

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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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; two finalists missing - 1934, 1937)

Performance table
School Titles Shared titles Runners-up Total finals Last title Last final
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 38 3 16 57 2025 2025
Methodist College Belfast 36 3 19 58 2019 2019
Coleraine Academical Institution 8 1 12 21 2000 2000
Campbell College 5 1 5 10 2022 2022
Belfast Royal Academy 4 2 10 16 1979 1994
Royal School Dungannon 3 0 10 13 1994 1994
Regent House, Newtownards 3 0 5 8 1998 2008
Bangor Grammar School 3 0 4 7 1985 1986
Ballymena Academy 2 2 7 11 2018 2022
Sullivan Upper School 2 0 1 2 2011 2024
Rainey Endowed School 1 0 2 3 1977 1993
Ballyclare High School 1 0 0 1 1990 1990
The Royal School, Armagh 1 0 0 1 2017 2017
Annadale Grammar School 0 3 1 4 1967 1967
Wallace High School 0 1 4 5 2010 2016
Belfast Boys' Model School 0 0 1 1 N/A 1964
Belfast High School 0 0 1 1 N/A 1980
Foyle College 0 0 1 1 N/A 1939
Larne Grammar School 0 0 1 1 N/A 1955
Limavady Grammar School 0 0 1 1 N/A 2011
Friends' School Lisburn 0 0 2 2 N/A 2025

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

Finals

1910s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1910 NIFC Ormeau Methodist College 11 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [2]
1911 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 32 0 Methodist College [5]
1912 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 6 5 Methodist College [11]
1913 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 15 3 Methodist College [12]
1914 NIFC Ormeau Methodist College 10 9 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [13]
1915 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 25 5 Methodist College [14]
1916 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 42 0 Methodist College [15]
1917 NIFC Ormeau Royal Belfast Academical Institution 27 0 Royal School Dungannon [8]
1918 Royal School Dungannon 16 3 Methodist College
1919 Royal School Dungannon 8 0 Methodist College

1920s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1920 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 29 0 Royal School Dungannon
1921 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 42 3 Royal School Dungannon [16]
1922 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 26 0 Methodist College [17]
1923 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 16 0 Royal School Dungannon [18]
1924 Methodist College 3 0 Royal School Dungannon [19]
1925 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 20 0 Royal School Dungannon [20]
1926 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 14 0 Methodist College [21]
1927 Methodist College 3 0 Ballymena Academy [22]
1928 Methodist College 25 0 Bangor Grammar School [23]
1929 Methodist College 12 3 Royal School Dungannon [24]

1930s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1930 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 32 0 Bangor Grammar School [25]
1931 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 12 0 Methodist College [26][27]
1932 Methodist College 15 3 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [28]
1933 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 28 0 Royal School Dungannon [29]
1934 Methodist College
1935 Coleraine Academical Institution 10 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [30]
1936 Bangor Grammar School 5 3 Methodist College [31]
1937 Coleraine Academical Institution
1938 Coleraine Academical Institution 27 0 Royal School Dungannon [32]
1939 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 11 0 Foyle College [33]

1940s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1940 Methodist College 9 0 Coleraine Academical Institution [34]
1941 Methodist College 8 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1942 RBAI Orangefield Royal Belfast Academical Institution 6 0 Coleraine Academical Institution [35]
1943 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 25 3 Coleraine Academical Institution
1944 Ballymena Coleraine Academical Institution 6 0 Methodist College Belfast [36]
1945 Methodist College 6 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1946 Methodist College 9 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1947 RBAI Orangefield Methodist College 6 3 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [37]
1948 Methodist College 8 3 Coleraine Academical Institution
1949 Methodist College 6 3 Coleraine Academical Institution [38]

1950s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1950 Coleraine Academical Institution 3 0 Methodist College [39][40]
1951 Ballymena Academy &
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
3 3 TROPHY SHARED Replay - Game 1: 0-0[41][42]
1952 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3 0 Methodist College
1953 Royal Belfast Academical Institution Methodist College
1954 Annadale Grammar School &
Methodist College
TROPHY SHARED
1955 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 14 3 Larne Grammar School [43]
1956 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3 0 Belfast Royal Academy Replay - Game 1: 3-3
1957 Methodist College 3 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1958 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 14 0 Belfast Royal Academy [44][45]
1959 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 5 3 Coleraine Academical Institution [46]

1960s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1960 Annadale Grammar School &
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
0 0 TROPHY SHARED
1961 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 6 0 Annadale Grammar School [47]
1962 Methodist College 8 0 Belfast Royal Academy [48]
1963 Coleraine Academical Institution 8 0 Ballymena Academy [49]
1964 Methodist College 3 0 Belfast Boys' Model School [50][51]
1965 Belfast Royal Academy 9 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [52]
1966 Bangor Grammar School 5 3 Rainey Endowed School
1967 Annadale Grammar School &
Belfast Royal Academy
0 0 TROPHY SHARED [53]
1968 Belfast Royal Academy 9 3 Coleraine Academical Institution
1969 Ballymena Academy &
Belfast Royal Academy
5 5 TROPHY SHARED [54]

1970s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1970 Ballyclare Ballymena Academy 9 6 Methodist College
1971 Methodist College 8 3 Regent House, Newtownards
1972 Methodist College &
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
14 14 TROPHY SHARED
1973 Ravenhill Methodist College 6 3 Belfast Royal Academy [55]
1974 Ravenhill Methodist College 16 4 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [56]
1975 Hyde Park Mallusk Coleraine Academical Institution 7 4 Regent House, Newtownards [57]
1976 Regent House, Newtownards 6 3 Bangor Grammar School
1977 Rainey Endowed School 10 6 Methodist College
1978 Ballymena RFC Belfast Royal Academy 7 3 Coleraine Academical Institution
1979 Ravenhill Belfast Royal Academy 9 4 Royal Belfast Academical Institution

1980s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1980 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 15 0 Belfast High School
1981 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 8 6 Belfast Royal Academy
1982 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 14 3 Campbell College
1983 Ravenhill Methodist College 10 8 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [58]
1984 Ravenhill Campbell College 6 4 Belfast Royal Academy [59]
1985 Ravenhill Bangor Grammar School 11 6 Campbell College [60]
1986 Ravenhill Methodist College 7 4 Bangor Grammar School [61]
1987 Ravenhill Regent House, Newtownards 11 3 Belfast Royal Academy
1988 Ravenhill Methodist College 3 0 Coleraine Academical Institution
1989 Ravenhill Coleraine Academical Institution 10 3 Belfast Royal Academy

1990s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
1990 Ravenhill Ballyclare High School 8 4 Coleraine Academical Institution
1991 Ravenhill Methodist College 20 0 Royal School Dungannon
1992 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 30 3 Belfast Royal Academy
1993 Ravenhill Campbell College 15 10 Rainey Endowed School
1994 Ravenhill Royal School Dungannon 17 13 Belfast Royal Academy [62]
1995 Ravenhill Methodist College 21 11 Campbell College [63]
1996 Ravenhill Methodist College 12 6 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [64]
1997 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 17 7 Methodist College [65]
1998 Ravenhill Regent House, Newtownards 21 15 Coleraine Academical Institution
1999 Ravenhill Methodist College 18 12 Coleraine Academical Institution

2000s

Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes
2000 Ravenhill Methodist College &
Coleraine Academical Institution
18 18 TROPHY SHARED
2001 Ravenhill Methodist College 15 10 Ballymena Academy
2002 Ravenhill Sullivan Upper School 10 8 Regent House, Newtownards [66]
2003 Ravenhill Methodist College 21 3 Wallace High School, Lisburn [67]
2004 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 11 6 Methodist College [68]
2005 Ravenhill Methodist College 18 15 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [10]
2006 Ravenhill Methodist College 25 9 Ballymena Academy [69]
2007 Ravenhill Methodist College 15 10 Regent House, Newtownards [70]
2008 Ravenhill Royal Belfast Academical Institution 22 21 Regent House, Newtownards [71]
2009 Ravenhill Methodist College 12 10 Campbell College [72]

2010s

Year Location Winner Runner-up Notes
2010 Ravenhill Campbell College &
Wallace High School
10 10 TROPHY SHARED [73]
2011 Ravenhill Sullivan Upper School 17 0 Limavady Grammar School [74]
2012 Ravenhill Methodist College Belfast 10 7 Wallace High School
2013 Ravenhill Campbell College 17 0 Wallace High School [75]
2014 Queen's University Royal Belfast Academical Institution 12 10 Ballymena Academy [76]
2015 Ravenhill Stadium Royal Belfast Academical Institution 13 5 Wallace High School [77]
2016 Ravenhill Stadium Royal Belfast Academical Institution 22 8 Wallace High School
2017 Ravenhill Stadium The Royal School, Armagh 10 6 Friends' School, Lisburn [78]
2018 Ravenhill Stadium Ballymena Academy 10 8 Campbell College [79]
2019 Ravenhill Stadium Methodist College 17 12 Ballymena Academy [80]

2020s

Year Location Winner Runner-up Notes
2020 Ravenhill Stadium Campbell College 20 15 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
2021 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Upper Malone Campbell College 23 5 Ballymena Academy [81]
2023 Ravenhill Stadium Royal Belfast Academical Institution 10 7 Ballymena Academy [82]
2024 Ravenhill Stadium Royal Belfast Academical Institution 36 10 Sullivan Upper School [83]
2025 Ravenhill Stadium Royal Belfast Academical Institution 38 7 Friends' School Lisburn [84]

Medallion Plate

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Medallion Bowl

2000s

2010s

2020s

Royal School Armagh 14-3 Enniskillen Royal Grammar School

Medallion Trophy

2010s

2020s

Sources

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Ulster Rugby Links

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