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. 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.
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. Bangor Grammar School entered for the first time in 1916, with Ballymena Academy and Coleraine Academical Institution following in 1917.
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.
Trophy
Initially without a trophy, a medal was presented to the winning captain at the conclusion of the second final in 1911. 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.
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. He would win one cap for Ireland in 1920.
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. 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.
A Medallion Plate competition for first round losers was introduced in 1986.
The competition took on a new format in 2005 with further minor changes made since. 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)
+ Performance table School Titles Shared titles Runners-up Total finals Last title Last final Royal Belfast Academical Institution383165720252025 Methodist College Belfast363205920192019 Coleraine Academical Institution8112212000†2000 Campbell College 5151020222022 Belfast Royal Academy42101619791994 Royal School Dungannon30101319941994 Regent House, Newtownards305819982008 Bangor Grammar School304719851986 Ballymena Academy2271120182022 Sullivan Upper School202320112026 Rainey Endowed School102319771993 Ballyclare High School100119901990 The Royal School, Armagh100120172017 Wallace High School114620262026 Annadale Grammar School‡03141967†1967 Belfast Boys' Model School0011N/A1964 Belfast High School0011N/A1980 Foyle College0011N/A1939 Larne Grammar School0011N/A1955 Limavady Grammar School0011N/A2011 Friends' School Lisburn0022N/A2025 † denotes a shared win ‡ Annadale Grammar School became Wellington College in a merger in 1990.
Finals
1910s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1910NIFC OrmeauMethodist College110Royal Belfast Academical Institution1911NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution320Methodist College1912NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution65Methodist College1913NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution153Methodist College1914NIFC OrmeauMethodist College109Royal Belfast Academical Institution1915NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution255Methodist College1916NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution420Methodist College1917NIFC OrmeauRoyal Belfast Academical Institution270Royal School Dungannon1918Royal School Dungannon163Methodist College1919Royal School Dungannon80Methodist College
1920s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1920Royal Belfast Academical Institution290Royal School Dungannon1921Royal Belfast Academical Institution423Royal School Dungannon1922Royal Belfast Academical Institution260Methodist College1923Royal Belfast Academical Institution160Royal School Dungannon1924Methodist College30Royal School Dungannon1925Royal Belfast Academical Institution200Royal School Dungannon1926Royal Belfast Academical Institution140Methodist College1927Methodist College30Ballymena Academy1928Methodist College250Bangor Grammar School1929Methodist College123Royal School Dungannon
1930s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1930Royal Belfast Academical Institution320Bangor Grammar School1931Royal Belfast Academical Institution120Methodist College1932Methodist College153Royal Belfast Academical Institution1933Royal Belfast Academical Institution280Royal School Dungannon1934Methodist College 1935Coleraine Academical Institution100Royal Belfast Academical Institution1936Bangor Grammar School53Methodist College1937ColeraineColeraine Academical Institution83Methodist College1938Coleraine Academical Institution270Royal School Dungannon1939Royal Belfast Academical Institution110Foyle College
1940s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1940Methodist College90Coleraine Academical Institution1941Methodist College80Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1942RBAI OrangefieldRoyal Belfast Academical Institution60Coleraine Academical Institution1943Royal Belfast Academical Institution253Coleraine Academical Institution 1944BallymenaColeraine Academical Institution60Methodist College Belfast1945Methodist College60Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1946Methodist College90Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1947RBAI OrangefieldMethodist College63Royal Belfast Academical Institution1948Methodist College83Coleraine Academical Institution 1949Methodist College63Coleraine Academical Institution
1950s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1950Coleraine Academical Institution30Methodist College1951Ballymena Academy &Royal Belfast Academical Institution33TROPHY SHAREDReplay - Game 1: 0-01952Royal Belfast Academical Institution30Methodist College 1953Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionMethodist College 1954Annadale Grammar School & Methodist CollegeTROPHY SHARED 1955Royal Belfast Academical Institution143Larne Grammar School1956Royal Belfast Academical Institution30Belfast Royal AcademyReplay - Game 1: 3-31957Methodist College30Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1958Royal Belfast Academical Institution140Belfast Royal Academy1959Royal Belfast Academical Institution53Coleraine Academical Institution
1960s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1960Annadale Grammar School &Royal Belfast Academical Institution00TROPHY SHARED1961Royal Belfast Academical Institution60Annadale Grammar School1962Methodist College80Belfast Royal Academy1963Coleraine Academical Institution80Ballymena Academy1964Methodist College30Belfast Boys' Model School1965Belfast Royal Academy90Royal Belfast Academical Institution1966Bangor Grammar School53Rainey Endowed School1967Annadale Grammar School &Belfast Royal Academy00TROPHY SHARED1968Belfast Royal Academy93Coleraine Academical Institution1969Ballymena Academy &Belfast Royal Academy55TROPHY SHARED
1970s
Year Venue Winner Runner-up Notes1970BallyclareBallymena Academy96Methodist College1971Methodist College83Regent House, Newtownards1972Methodist College &Royal Belfast Academical Institution1414TROPHY SHARED 1973RavenhillMethodist College63Belfast Royal Academy1974RavenhillMethodist College164Royal Belfast Academical Institution1975Hyde Park MalluskColeraine Academical Institution74Regent House, Newtownards1976Regent House, Newtownards63Bangor Grammar School 1977Rainey Endowed School106Methodist College1978 Ballymena RFC Belfast Royal Academy73Coleraine Academical Institution 1979RavenhillBelfast Royal Academy94Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1980s