Leicestershire County Cup
SportRugby Union
Instituted1890; 134 years ago (1890)
Country England
HoldersSyston (9th title) (2018–19)
Most titlesSyston (9 titles)
WebsiteLeicestershire RFU

The Leicestershire County Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Leicestershire Rugby Union. It was first introduced in 1890 with the inaugural winners being South Wigston. The competition was known as the Leicestershire League Cup until 1893 when it was changed to Leicestershire Senior Cup.[1] The first competition was open to the top sides in the county apart from the Leicester FC first XV, who were considered too strong and would instead enter an 'A' team up until 1906.[2] Smaller clubs in the county, as well as senior club second sides, played in the Leicestershire Junior Cup which had its inaugural competition three seasons earlier in 1887.[3]

The Senior Cup was discontinued after the 1926-27 season as it lost its appeal with the clubs involved. Clubs would instead take part in the LRU 7-a-side competition which was introduced for the following year. Rather confusingly the winners of this competition would be rewarded with the Rolleston Charity Cup - another Leicestershire club competition, also discontinued that year - while the runners up would receive the Senior Cup.[4][3] This seven-a-side competition would continue until 1979.

A proper 15-a-side county cup competition would not be introduced until the 1970-71 season when a format was recommended by Westleigh Rugby Club - a parent club of Leicester Lions. This new competition was first known as the 'Westleigh Cup' and was won by Stoneygate.[5] The following season the cup would be known by its present name, the Leicestershire County Cup and up until the 2004-05 season would be a qualification method for clubs in the county for the English National Cup competition (now Anglo-Welsh Cup).[6]

The Leicestershire County Cup is currently the premier county cup competition for club sides based in Leicestershire that typically play in tier 5 (National League 3 Midlands) to tier 7 (Midlands 2 East (North)/Midlands 2 East (South)) of the English rugby union league system - although teams in lower ranked regional leagues have also taken part. The current format is a knock-out competition with a first round, quarter finals, semi finals (held at neutral venues) and final (held at Welford Road).[7] There is also a Leicestershire Bowl competition for lower ranked clubs (tier 8 and below) that are not taking part in the County Cup.[8]

Leicestershire County Cup winners

Leicestershire County Cup Finals
Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue
1889-90 South Wigston
1890-91 Leicester Swifts
1891-92 Leicester Crusaders
1892-93 Leicester Crusaders
1893-94 Burfield Rangers
1894-95 Leicester A
1895-96 Leicester A
1896-97[9] Belgrave St Peters Leicester A
1897-98 Leicester A
1898-99 Leicester A
1899-1900 Stoneygate
1900-01 South Wigston
1901-02 Leicester A
1902-03 Belgrave
1903-04 Granville
1904-05 Lutterworth
1905-06 Belgrave
1906-07 Belgrave
1907-08 Oadby
1908-09 Medway Athletic
1909-10 Oadby
1910-11 Belgrave Premier Works
1911-12 Syston Street Old Boys
1913-20 No competition due to World War I
1920-21 Belgrave
1921-22 Aylestone St James
1922-23 Aylestone St James
1923-24 Oadby
1924-25 Belgrave
1925-26 Belgrave
1926-27 Belgrave
1928-69 No competition
1970-71[5][10] Stoneygate Wigston
1971-72 Hinckley
1972-73 Hinckley Wigston
1973-74[11] Wigston Loughborough[a 1]
1974-75 Westleigh Wigston
1975-76 Westleigh
1976-77 Hinckley Wigston
1977-78 Loughborough Students Wigston
1978-79 Hinckley
1979-80[11] Westleigh Loughborough
1980-81[12] Westleigh Oadby Wyggestonians
1981-82 Hinckley
1982-83 Vipers
1983-84[13] Loughborough Students Stonegate
1984-85 Loughborough Students
1985-86 Syston Wigston
1986-87[14] Stoneygate Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester
1988-89[15] Vipers 12-6 Stoneygate Welford Road, Leicester
1989-90 Syston
1990-91 Loughborough Students
1991-92[15] Vipers Hinckley
1992-93 Syston
1993-94 Loughborough Students
1994-95 Syston
1995-96 Westleigh
1996-97[16] Syston Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester
1997-98[17] Hinckley Belgrave Welford Road, Leicester
1998-99 Loughborough Students Belgrave
1999-2000[18] Leicester Lions
2000-01[18] Leicester Lions
2001-02 South Leicester Syston Welford Road, Leicester
2002-03 N/A[a 2] N/A N/A Welford Road, Leicester
2003-04[18] Leicester Lions Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester
2004-05[20] Market Bosworth 10-6 Leicester Lions Welford Road, Leicester
2005-06 Loughborough Students
2006-07[21] Hinckley South Leicester
2007-08[22] South Leicester 20-18 Loughborough Students Welford Road, Leicester
2008-09[23] South Leicester 10-9 Hinckley Northampton Road, Market Harborough
2009-10[24] Syston 30-15 South Leicester Welford Road, Leicester
2010-11[25] South Leicester 26-20 Syston Welford Road, Leicester
2011-12[26] South Leicester 47-29 Syston Welford Road, Leicester
2012-13[27] Hinckley 24-5 Lutterworth Welford Road, Leicester
2013-14[28] South Leicester 59-30 Lutterworth Welford Road, Leicester
2014-15[29] South Leicester 34-27 Syston Welford Road, Leicester
2015-16[30] Melton Mowbray 20-18 Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester
2016-17[31] Melton Mowbray 17-16 Syston Welford Road, Leicester
2017-18[32] Syston 73-12 Belgrave Welford Road, Leicester
2018-19[33] Syston 33-27 Oadby Wyggestonians Welford Road, Leicester
2019-20

[34]

Number of wins

Notes

  1. ^ The Leicestershire RFU 1887-1987 book states that Loughborough RFC were losing county club finalists on two occasions - 1973 and 1980. However, in the same book, Wigston RFC are said to have been losing finalists in 1973. It is likely that the year has been confused so I have used the 1973-74 season for Loughborough's first cup final appearance.[11]
  2. ^ Loughborough Students were initially declared winners after beating Market Bosworth 37-23 at Welford Road. However they were later found to have fielded an ineligible player and would be stripped of the title. Market Bosworth would replace them in the 2003–04 Powergen Cup.[19]
  3. ^ Syston RFC results also include 1912 win by Syston Street Old Boys who were an earlier incarnation of the club.
  4. ^ Belgrave RFC results also include 1887 win by Belgrave St Peters who were an earlier name for the club.
  5. ^ If you include wins by Wigston and Westleigh - clubs that merged to form the modern Leicester Lions - then the Lions have 9 wins overall.
  6. ^ Oadby would later merge with Old Wygestonians to form Oadby Wygestonians in 1971.

See also

References

  1. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Year by Year". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 21.
  2. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "1897-1908". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 30.
  3. ^ a b 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Cups and Cup Winners". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. pp. 416, 418.
  4. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "1914-1945". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 49.
  5. ^ a b 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Stoneygate". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 373.
  6. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "1945-1986". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 63.
  7. ^ "Senior Cup Updates". Leicestershire RFU. 23 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Senior County Cup Information". Hinckley RFC. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  9. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Belgrave". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 221.
  10. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Wigston". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 400.
  11. ^ a b c 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Loughborough". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 295.
  12. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Oadby Wyggestonians". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 330.
  13. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Stoneygate". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. p. 374.
  14. ^ "History". Stoneygate RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  15. ^ a b "125 Year Publication Vipers RFC History". Vipers RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  16. ^ "Duncan Jardine Football Programmes > Rugby Union". Duncan Jardine. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  17. ^ "Belgrave v Hinckley - Leicestershire County Cup Final Programme". Rugby Relics. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  18. ^ a b c "History". Leicester Lions RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  19. ^ "About Rugby: Army emerge triumphant". The Telegraph. 3 April 2003.
  20. ^ "Coventry Evening Telegraph". Leicester Tigers. 8 June 2005.
  21. ^ "Coach Massarella plays it so cool". Hinckley Times. 9 October 2007.
  22. ^ "Double celebration for South Leicester". Leicester Tigers. 3 April 2008.
  23. ^ "South Leicester victorious in retaining Leicestershire County Cup". South Leicester RFC (Pitchero). 24 March 2009.
  24. ^ "Syston crowned County champions". Leicester Tigers. 14 April 2010.
  25. ^ "Welford Road hosts County Cup finals". Leicester Tigers. 20 April 2011.
  26. ^ "County Cup night at Welford Road". Leicester Tigers. 13 March 2012.
  27. ^ "Big night for County Cup rivals at Welford Road". Leicester Tigers. 3 April 2013.
  28. ^ "Big night in County Cup contests". Leicester Tigers. 1 May 2014.
  29. ^ "MCounty Cup double at Welford Road". Leicester Tigers. 8 April 2015.
  30. ^ "Melton Crowned County Champions!!". Melton Mowbray RFC (Pitchero). 4 May 2016.
  31. ^ "Melton Are Crowned County Cup Champions". Melton Mowbray RFC (Pitchero). 10 May 2017.
  32. ^ "Big night at Welford Road for County Cup clubs". Leicester Tigers. 8 May 2018.
  33. ^ "County Cup Double Champions!". Leicestershire RU. 8 May 2019.
  34. ^ 'Van' Hopkins, SI (1986). "Cups and Cup Winners". Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987. Leicestershire Rugby Union. pp. 416–419.

External links

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