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The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition in Northern Ireland involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. Teams entering the Shield are composed of boys that are under 15 years of age at the start of the school year.

Contents 1 Foundation 2 Trophy 3 Current format 4 Performance by School 5 Finals 5.1 1910s 5.2 1920s 5.3 1930s 5.4 1940s 5.5 1950s 5.6 1960s 5.7 1970s 5.8 1980s 5.9 1990s 5.10 2000s 6 Subsidiary competitions 6.1 Plate 6.1.1 1980s 6.1.2 1990s 6.1.3 2000s 6.2 Bowl 6.3 Trophy 6.4 Sources 6.5 External links

[edit] Foundation

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. The age qualification given was under fifteen years of age on the 1st 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. The third school to join was Royal School Dungannon in 1915, with Belfast Royal Academy joining in 1920.

The Medallion Shield was not administered by the Ulster Branch of the IRFU until 1974. Instead, the first four schools to compete for the shield formed the competition organising committee.^{[citation needed]}

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

Until 2004 the Medallion Shield was competed for through an open draw.

[edit] Trophy

The original Medallion Shield was presented by the Governors of Methodist College. When the original shield was filled, they also provided a replacement. The original Shield is on exhibit and can be viewed at the Methodist College Heritage Centre.^[2]

[edit] Current format

The competition took on a new format in 2005. Further changes have been made and the structure for the 2006-07 season was as follows:

• Stage 1. Weakest teams play through mini-leagues with the three league winners going in to Stage 2. All losing sides enter the Medallion Trophy and play on a knock-out basis.

• Stage 2. Three League winners plus 21 teams based on playing results. Straight knock-out basis. Losers enter the Medallion Bowl.

• Stage 3. Twelve winners from Stage 2 plus four top-seeded teams (Belfast Royal Academy, Coleraine Academical Institution, Methodist College Belfast and Regent House, Newtownards in 2007). Knock-out competition through to the final. Losers of the last-16 ties play in the Medallion Plate on a knock-out basis.

In 2008, Royal Belfast Academical Institution beat Regent House by 22 points to 21 at Ravenhill. Belfast Royal Academy won the Plate, Banbridge Academy won the Bowl and Larne Grammar School won the Trophy.

[edit] Performance by School

(Table incomplete - 5 Finalists missing)

Performance Table

School	Titles	Shared Titles	Runners-Up	Total Finals	Last Title
Methodist College Belfast	33	3	18	54	2007
Royal Belfast Academical Institution	32	3	14	49	2008
Coleraine Academical Institution	8	1	11	20	2000a
Belfast Royal Academy	4	2	10	16	1979
Royal School Dungannon	3	0	10	13	1994
Regent House, Newtownards	3	0	5	8	1998
Bangor Grammar School	3	0	4	7	1985
Campbell College	2	0	3	5	1993
Ballymena Academy	1	2	4	7	1970
Rainey Endowed School	1	0	2	3	1977
Ballyclare High School	1	0	0	1	1990
Sullivan Upper School	1	0	0	1	2002
Annadale Grammar Schoolb	0	3	1	4	1967a
Belfast Boys' Model School	0	0	1	1	N/A
Belfast High School	0	0	1	1	N/A
Foyle College	0	0	1	1	N/A
Larne Grammar School	0	0	1	1	N/A
Wallace High School	0	0	1	1	N/A

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

[edit] Finals

[edit] 1910s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1910	Methodist College	11	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[3]
1911	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	32	0	Methodist College
1912	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	6	5	Methodist College
1913	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	15	3	Methodist College
1914	Methodist College	10	9	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1915	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	25	5	Methodist College
1916	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	40	0	Methodist College
1917	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	27	0	Royal School Dungannon
1918	Royal School Dungannon	16	3	Methodist College
1919	Royal School Dungannon	8	0	Methodist College

[edit] 1920s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1920	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	29	0	Royal School Dungannon
1921	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	42	3	Royal School Dungannon	[4]
1922	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	26	0	Methodist College	[5]
1923	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	16	0	Royal School Dungannon	[6]
1924	Methodist College	3	0	Royal School Dungannon	[7]
1925	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	20	0	Royal School Dungannon	[8]
1926	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	14	0	Methodist College	[9]
1927	Methodist College	3	0	Ballymena Academy	[10]
1928	Methodist College	25	0	Bangor Grammar School	[11]
1929	Methodist College	12	3	Royal School Dungannon	[12]

[edit] 1930s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1930	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	32	0	Bangor Grammar School	[13]
1931	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	12	0	Methodist College	[14]
1932	Methodist College	15	3	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[15]
1933	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	28	0	Royal School Dungannon	[16]
1934	Methodist College
1935	Coleraine Academical Institution	10	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[17]
1936	Bangor Grammar School	5	3	Methodist College	[18]
1937	Coleraine Academical Institution
1938	Coleraine Academical Institution	27	0	Royal School Dungannon	[19]
1939	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	11	0	Foyle College	[20]

[edit] 1940s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1940	Methodist College	9	0	Coleraine Academical Institution	[21]
1941	Methodist College	8	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1942	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1943	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	25	3	Coleraine Academical Institution
1944	Coleraine Academical Institution
1945	Methodist College	6	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1946	Methodist College	9	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1947	Methodist College
1948	Methodist College	8	3	Coleraine Academical Institution
1949	Methodist College	6	3	Coleraine Academical Institution	[22]

[edit] 1950s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1950	Coleraine Academical Institution	3	0	Methodist College	[23]
1951	Ballymena Academy & Royal Belfast Academical Institution	3	3	TROPHY SHARED	Replay - Game 1: 0-0[24]
1952	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	3	0	Methodist College
1953	Royal Belfast Academical Institution			Methodist College
1954	Annadale GS & Methodist College			TROPHY SHARED
1955	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	14	3	Larne Grammar School	[25]
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	[26]
1959	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	5	3	Coleraine Academical Institution	[27]

[edit] 1960s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1960	Annadale GS & Royal Belfast Academical Institution	0	0	TROPHY SHARED
1961	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	6	0	Annadale Grammar School	[28]
1962	Methodist College	8	0	Belfast Royal Academy	[29]
1963	Coleraine Academical Institution	8	0	Ballymena Academy	[30]
1964	Methodist College	3	0	Belfast Boys' Model School	[31]
1965	Belfast Royal Academy	9	0	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[32]
1966	Bangor Grammar School	5	3	Rainey Endowed School
1967	Annadale GS & Belfast Royal Academy	0	0	TROPHY SHARED	[33]
1968	Belfast Royal Academy	9	3	Coleraine Academical Institution
1969	Ballymena Academy & Belfast Royal Academy	5	5	TROPHY SHARED	[34]

[edit] 1970s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1970	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	Methodist College	6	3	Belfast Royal Academy
1974	Methodist College	16	4	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1975	Coleraine Academical Institution	7	4	Regent House, Newtownards
1976	Regent House, Newtownards	6	3	Bangor Grammar School
1977	Rainey Endowed School	10	6	Methodist College
1978	Belfast Royal Academy	7	3	Coleraine Academical Institution
1979	Belfast Royal Academy	9	4	Royal Belfast Academical Institution

[edit] 1980s

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

[edit] 1990s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1990	Ballyclare HS	8	4	Coleraine Academical Institution
1991	Methodist College	20	0	Royal School Dungannon
1992	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	30	3	Belfast Royal Academy
1993	Campbell College	15	10	Rainey Endowed School
1994	Royal School Dungannon	17	13	Belfast Royal Academy	[35]
1995	Methodist College	21	11	Campbell College	[36]
1996	Methodist College	12	6	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[37]
1997	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	17	7	Methodist College	[38]
1998	Regent House, Newtownards	21	15	Coleraine Academical Institution
1999	Methodist College	18	12	Coleraine Academical Institution

[edit] 2000s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
2000	Methodist College & Coleraine Academical Institution	18	18	TROPHY SHARED
2001	Methodist College	15	10	Ballymena Academy
2002	Sullivan Upper, Holywood	10	8	Regent House, Newtownards	[39]
2003	Methodist College	21	3	Wallace High School, Lisburn	[40]
2004	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	11	6	Methodist College	[41]
2005	Methodist College	18	15	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	[42]
2006	Methodist College	25	9	Ballymena Academy	[43]
2007	Methodist College	15	10	Regent House, Newtownards	[44]
2008	Royal Belfast Academical Institution	22	21	Regent House, Newtownards	[45]

[edit] Subsidiary competitions

[edit] Plate

[edit] 1980s

• 1986 Ballymena Academy 15-0 Rainey Endowed School
• 1987
• 1988 Belfast High School
• 1989 Royal School Dungannon 21-0 Sullivan Upper, Holywood

[edit] 1990s

• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993 Bangor Grammar School 19-0 Antrim Grammar School
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997 Ballyclare High School 20-15 Foyle and Londonderry College^[46]
• 1998 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 30-7 Larne Grammar School
• 1999

[edit] 2000s

• 2000
• 2001 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 22-7 Dalriada School
• 2002 Campbell College 17-12 Portadown College
• 2003 Ballyclare High School 20-17 Portora Royal School^[47]
• 2004 Wallace High School 27-22 Coleraine Academical Institution
• 2005 Campbell College 17-10 The Royal School, Armagh^[48]
• 2006 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 28-5 Sullivan Upper, Holywood
• 2007 The Royal School, Armagh 10-5 Ballymena Academy^[49]
• 2008 Belfast Royal Academy 22 - 0 Foyle and Londonderry College

[edit] Bowl

• 2006 Omagh Academy 13-0 Rainey Endowed School
• 2007 Omagh Academy 5-0 Bangor Grammar School^[50]
• 2008 Banbridge Academy 17-8 Belfast High School^[51]

[edit] Trophy

• 2005 Portora Royal School 13-8 Belfast High School
• 2006 Craigavon High School 13-8 Friends School Lisburn
• 2007 Lisneal College 22-17 Downshire High School^[52]
• 2008 Larne Grammar School 13-12 Downshire High School^[53]

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

• Ulster rugby

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