Champion Schools
The Champion Schools tournament (known as the Carnegie Champion Schools due to sponsorship) is a full contact knock-out rugby league football competition open to every secondary school in England, Scotland and Wales and is the largest rugby league tournament in the World "RFL-13-05-07" The competition is operated by the Rugby Football League (RFL) and the English Schools Rugby League (ESRL). There are competitions for boys and girls in school year groups 7-11, pupil ages 11–16. The competition began in 1981 and was re-launched in 2002 by the RFL in partnership with English Schools Rugby League. The ESRL credit the Champion Schools tournament with having "rejuvenated schools rugby". The RFL believe "this competition has played a vital role in introducing Rugby League to an ever increasing number of young people throughout the United Kingdom". The Champion Schools tournament is the largest knock-out rugby league tournament in the world. Most of the finals were held at RAF Uxbridge up until 2009, in 2010 and 2011 at Hillingdon sports and athletics complex. Then in 2012, to avoid a clash with the London Olympics, the finals moved north to Odsal Stadium, Bradford and then since 2013 at Richmond athletic stadium (home of London Scottish RFU). The Year 7 boys finalists however have maintained the privilege of playing the curtain raiser at Wembley ahead of the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final. The Year 7 boys finals have also in the past been played at the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham. National finalists from all age groups parade around Wembley in their school uniforms and watch the Challenge Cup Final as guests of the Rugby Football League. Rules In the event of a drawn match in a knock-out round before the final, the team that has scored the most tries will be declared the winner. If both teams have scored an equal number of tries the visiting team will progress in the competition. If a final is drawn, the trophy will be shared by both teams with each having it for 6 months. Boys All boys games are played at 13-a-side. Year 7 and 8 competition matches are played with two-halves of 25 minutes duration. Years 9, 10 and 11 play for 30-minute halves. Size 4 balls are used for year 7 and 8 games. Size 5 balls are used for years 9, 10 and 11. Girls Girls play 9-a-side rugby league. The girls matches at years 7, 8, 9 and 10 are played with 20 minutes for each half. All girls competitions use a size 4 ball. No conversion attempts are made, the games are tries only. Kicking is allowed in general play, for example punts and grubber kicks, but secondary kicking, such as dribbling, is not. Passive scrums consisting of 5 players per team are used. One-on-one tackles are not permitted. History The present Champion Schools competitions began in 1981. Before that, Regional Champion School Competitions were held. Many of the Yorkshire Schools' competition records have been lost but the Lancashire Schools' (North West Counties)