Leicestershire County Cup

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 (a parent club of the much later Leicester Lions). 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]

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

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][5] 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 - another parent club of Leicester Lions. This new competition was first known as the 'Westleigh Cup' and was won by Stoneygate.[6] 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).[7]

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).[8] There is also a Leicestershire Bowl competition for lower ranked clubs (tier 8 and below) that are not taking part in the County Cup.[9]

Leicestershire County Cup winners
Leicestershire County Cup Finals
Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue
1889-90South Wigston
1890-91Leicester Swifts
1891-92Leicester Crusaders
1892-93Leicester Crusaders
1893-94Burfield Rangers
1894-95Leicester A
1895-96Leicester A
1896-97[10]Belgrave St PetersLeicester A
1897-98Leicester A
1898-99Leicester A
1899-00Stoneygate
1900-01South Wigston
1901-02Leicester A
1902-03Belgrave
1903-04Granville
1904-05Lutterworth
1905-06Belgrave
1906-07Belgrave
1907-08Oadby
1908-09Medway Athletic
1909-10Oadby
1910-11Belgrave Premier Works
1911-12Syston Street Old Boys
1913-20No competition due to World War I
1920-21Belgrave
1921-22Aylestone St James
1922-23Aylestone St James
1923-24Oadby
1924-25Belgrave
1925-26Belgrave
1926-27Belgrave
1928-69No competition
1970-71[6][11]StoneygateWigston
1971-72Hinckley
1972-73HinckleyWigston
1973-74[12]WigstonLoughborough[a 1]
1974-75WestleighWigston
1975-76Westleigh
1976-77HinckleyWigston
1977-78Loughborough StudentsWigston
1978-79Hinckley
1979-80[12]WestleighLoughborough
1980-81[13]WestleighOadby Wyggestonians
1981-82Hinckley
1982-83Vipers
1983-84[14]Loughborough StudentsStonegate
1984-85Loughborough Students
1985-86SystonWigston
1986-87[15]StoneygateHinckleyWelford Road, Leicester
1988-89[16]Vipers12-6StoneygateWelford Road, Leicester
1989-90Syston
1990-91Loughborough Students
1991-92[16]VipersHinckley
1992-93Syston
1993-94Loughborough Students
1994-95Syston
1995-96Westleigh
1996-97[17]SystonHinckleyWelford Road, Leicester
1997-98[18]HinckleyBelgraveWelford Road, Leicester
1998-99Loughborough StudentsBelgrave
1999-00[19]Leicester Lions
2000-01[19]Leicester Lions
2001-02South LeicesterSystonWelford Road, Leicester
2002-03N/A[a 2]N/AN/AWelford Road, Leicester
2003-04[19]Leicester LionsHinckleyWelford Road, Leicester
2004-05[21]Market Bosworth10-6Leicester LionsWelford Road, Leicester
2005-06Loughborough Students
2006-07[22]HinckleySouth Leicester
2007-08[23]South Leicester20-18Loughborough StudentsWelford Road, Leicester
2008-09[24]South Leicester10-9HinckleyNorthampton Road, Market Harborough
2009-10[25]Syston30-15South LeicesterWelford Road, Leicester
2010-11[26]South Leicester26-20SystonWelford Road, Leicester
2011-12[27]South Leicester47-29SystonWelford Road, Leicester
2012-13[28]Hinckley24-5LutterworthWelford Road, Leicester
2013-14[29]South Leicester59-30LutterworthWelford Road, Leicester
2014-15[30]South Leicester34-27SystonWelford Road, Leicester
2015-16[31]Melton Mowbray20-18HinckleyWelford Road, Leicester
2016-17[32]Melton Mowbray17-16SystonWelford Road, Leicester
2017-18[33]Syston73-12BelgraveWelford Road, Leicester
2018-19[34]Syston33-27Oadby WyggestoniansWelford Road, Leicester
2019-20

[35]

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