Durham County RFU Senior Cup

Last updated
Durham County RFU Senior Cup
SportRugby Union
Instituted1880;144 years ago (1880)
Number of teams4
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Holders Durham City (20th title) (2023-24)
Most titles Hartlepool Rovers (45 titles)
Website Durham County RFU

The Durham County RFU Senior Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Durham County Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1880-81 season, with the inaugural winners being Sunderland Rovers (a forerunner to Sunderland RFC) who defeated Houghton 3 tries to 0 in the final. [1] [a 1]

Contents

During the 1880s the competition used the archaic rugby union points systems of games being scored by goals, which were seen as more important than tries back then. It was only if both teams had not scored any goals, that tries would then be used to determine games, with the highest number winning. By the 1890s this system was changed to one which we are more familiar with today, using tries, conversions, drop goals (and later penalties). [3] Today, the Durham Senior Cup remains the most important rugby union cup competition for club sides in County Durham, ahead of the Intermediate Cup, Junior Cup and Plate competitions.

The Senior Cup is currently open to club sides based in County Durham and occasionally, Tyne and Wear, who play between tier 3 (National League 1) and tier 5 (North Premier) of the English rugby union league system, although higher ranked clubs tend to field reserve sides due to the demands of league rugby. The current format is a knockout cup with a semi-finals and a final to be held at the ground of one of the finalists. [4] Previously the cup final was held at a pre-determined venue but this has changed in recent seasons.

Durham County RFU Senior Cup winners

Durham County RFU Senior Cup Finals
SeasonWinnerScore [a 2] Runners–upVenue
1880-81 Sunderland Rovers 0(3)-0(0) Houghton The Blue House Field, Sunderland [5]
1881-82Houghton0(1)-0(0)Westoe
1882-83 North Durham 1(1)-0(0) Ryton
1883-84 Hartlepool Rovers 0(2)-0(1) North Durham
1884-85 Durham City 1(4)-0(0) Sunderland Rovers
1885-86No competition
1886-87 Hartlepool Rovers 2(3)-0(0) Humbledon
1887-88 Durham City 1(0)-0(0) Hartlepool Rovers
1888-89 Hartlepool Rovers 1(3)-0(0) Durham City
1889-90 Hartlepool Rovers 6(2)-1(0) Hartlepool Rangers
1890-91 Hartlepool Rovers 2(1)-0(2) Houghton
1891-92 Tudhoe 2-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1892-93 Tudhoe W-O [a 3] Hartlepool Rovers
1893-94 Hartlepool Rovers 15-3 Tudhoe Wood Terrace, South Shields
1894-95 Westoe 3-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1895-96 Hartlepool Rovers 7-0 Westoe
1896-97 Hartlepool Rovers 12-0 Sunderland
1897-98 Tudhoe 6-0 Hartlepool Rovers
1898-99 Tudhoe 9-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1899-1900 West Hartlepool 6-3 Tudhoe Wood Terrace, South Shields
1900-01 Westoe 6-0 West Hartlepool Brewery Field, Spennymoor
1901-02 West Hartlepool 12-0 Hartlepool Rovers Hollow Drift, Durham
1902-03 Sunderland 8-5 West Hartlepool Wood Terrace, South Shields
1903-04 West Hartlepool 9-3 Sunderland Wood Terrace, South Shields
1904-05 Hartlepool Rovers 19-4 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1905-06 Hartlepool Rovers 21-5 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1906-07 Hartlepool Rovers 8-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1907-08 Hartlepool Rovers 8-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1908-09 Hartlepool Rovers 9-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1909-10 Durham City 3-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1910-11 Hartlepool Rovers 25-3 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1911-12 Hartlepool Rovers 9-3 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1912-13 Hartlepool Rovers 11-0 North Durham Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1913-14 Westoe 9-0 Winlaton Vulcans
1915-19No competition due to World War I
1919-20 Hartlepool Rovers 19-8 North Durham
1920-21 Durham City 9-6 Hartlepool Rovers
1921-22 Hartlepool Rovers 21-8 Durham City
1922-23 Hartlepool Rovers 23-13 Ryton Wood Terrace, South Shields
1923-24 Hartlepool Rovers 15-7 Ryton Wood Terrace, South Shields
1924-25 Hartlepool Rovers 43-5 Winlaton Vulcans
1925-26 Hartlepool Rovers 6-5 Blaydon Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1926-27 Ryton 10-5 Sunderland Eastwood Gardens, Gateshead [6]
1927-28 Sunderland 17-8 Durham City
1928-29 Durham City 9-3 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1929-30 Hartlepool Rovers 11-3 North Durham Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1930-31 Sunderland 14-9 Durham City Crow Trees, Swalwell
1931-32 Durham City 22-3 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1932-33 Durham City 13-5 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1933-34 Durham City 13-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1934-35 Hartlepool Rovers 8-6 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1935-36 Durham City 10-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1936-37 Westoe 7-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1937-38 North Durham 4-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1938-39 Hartlepool Rovers 6-5 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1939-45No competition due to World War II
1946-47 Hartlepool Rovers 16-8 Billingham
1947-48 Hartlepool Rovers 14-0 Sunderland
1948-49 West Hartlepool 11-0 [a 4] Westoe
1949-50 Westoe 6-0 Sunderland
1950-51 Westoe 8-0 Billingham
1951-52 West Hartlepool 11-6 [a 5] Westoe
1952-53 Durham City 11-9 Hartlepool Rovers
1953-54 Hartlepool Rovers 5-3 Westoe
1954-55 West Hartlepool 8-3 Westoe
1955-56 Westoe 8-0 Gateshead Fell
1956-57 Durham City 9-3 Westoe
1957-58 Durham City 9-5 Billingham
1958-59 Sunderland 6-3 Durham City
1959-60 Hartlepool Rovers 22-9 Blaydon
1960-61 Hartlepool Rovers 28-6 Durham City
1961-62 Durham City 9-0 Hartlepool Rovers
1962-63 Durham City 9-3 Blaydon New Friarage, Hartlepool
1963-64 Durham City 20-6 Stockton Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1964-65 Durham City 17-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1965-66 Durham City 8-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland
1966-67 Durham City 17-9 Hartlepool Rovers
1967-68 Hartlepool Rovers 17-10 Durham City
1968-69 Hartlepool Rovers 17-9 Durham City
1969-70 Hartlepool Rovers 19-6 West Hartlepool
1970-71 West Hartlepool 14-3 Durham City
1971-72 West Hartlepool 4-0 Durham City
1972-73 Hartlepool Rovers 14-0 Blaydon
1973-74 Hartlepool Rovers 13-4 West Hartlepool
1974-75 Hartlepool Rovers 3-0 Blaydon
1975-76 Hartlepool Rovers 23-8 Durham City
1976-77 Hartlepool Rovers 38-6 Durham University
1977-78 Hartlepool Rovers 16-6 Blaydon
1978-79 Hartlepool Rovers 11-6 Westoe
1979-80 Hartlepool Rovers 4-3 West Hartlepool
1980-81 Hartlepool Rovers 15-6 West Hartlepool
1981-82 West Hartlepool 12-10 Hartlepool Rovers
1982-83 West Hartlepool 32-12 Durham City
1983-84 West Hartlepool 16-13 Hartlepool Rovers
1984-85 West Hartlepool 35-6 Westoe
1985-86 West Hartlepool 33-6 Gateshead Fell
1986-87 Hartlepool Rovers 15-12 West Hartlepool
1987-88 Durham City 18-9 Stockton
1988-89 West Hartlepool 19-6 Hartlepool Rovers
1989-90 Hartlepool Rovers 13-6 Durham City
1990-91 Stockton 10-7 Gateshead Fell
1991-92 Hartlepool Rovers 7-0 Blaydon
1992-93 Stockton 24-13 Hartlepool Rovers
1993-94 Stockton 16-14 Hartlepool Rovers
1994-95 Stockton 19-0 Horden
1995-96 Blaydon 22-3 Darlington
1996-97 Stockton 50-11 Sunderland
1997-98 Darlington Mowden Park 23-10 West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. New Friarage, Hartlepool
1998-99 Darlington Mowden Park 37-15 Blaydon
1999-2000 Darlington Mowden Park 26-9 Darlington
2000-01 Darlington 33-19 Blaydon
2001-02 Darlington 34-22 Darlington Mowden Park
2002-03 Darlington Mowden Park 48-16 Westoe
2003-04 [7] Blaydon 28-20 Darlington Hollow Drift, Durham
2004-05 Darlington 48-16 Westoe
2005-06 Blaydon W-O [a 6] Westoe Main Road, Ryton
2006-07 Darlington Mowden Park 52-15 Blaydon
2007-08 Westoe 36-33 Darlington
2008-09No competition
2009-10 Blaydon N/A [a 7]
2010-11Competition not completed
2011-12Competition not completed
2012-13 Blaydon W-O [a 8] Darlington Mowden Park
2013-14 [8] Billingham 42-22 Westoe Hollow Drift, Durham
2014-15 [9] West Hartlepool 20-3 Westoe Hollow Drift, Durham
2015-16 [10] Darlington Mowden Park 65-10 Billingham Greenwood Road, Billingham
2016-17 [11] Darlington Mowden Park 64-5 West Hartlepool Northern Echo Arena, Darlington
2017-23Competition suspended
2023-24Durham City32-10ConsettConsett

[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Number of wins

Notes

  1. The HHTandN website rather confusingly has both Sunderland and Houghton listed as winners at various parts of the site. A subsequent visit to the Sunderland RFC website revealed that Sunderland were in fact the first Durham Senior Cup winners. [2]
  2. Note that up until 1890-91, the old rugby union points system was used, where results were judged on first who scored the most goals, and then on tries. For these years the goals come first with the tries following in brackets. For example the score 1(1)-0(1) would stand for team one scoring 1 goal and 1 try, while team two has scored no goals and one try, making team one the victor. [3]
  3. Tudoe won the 1892-93 final via walkover.
  4. The 1948-49 final was originally a 0-0 draw prompting a replay which West Hartlepool won 11-0 over Westoe.
  5. The 1951-52 final was originally a 0-0 draw prompting a replay which West Hartlepool won 11-0 over Westoe.
  6. Blaydon won the 2005-06 final via walkover after Westoe withdrew from the replay, with the sides having originally played out a 30-30 draw.
  7. The 2009-10 Senior Cup was awarded to Blaydon after an enquiry.
  8. Blaydon won the 2012-13 final via walkover after Darlington Mowden Park withdrew.
  9. Westoe are currently known as South Shields Westoe.
  10. Sunderland's cup wins includes 1 by Sunderland Rovers, an early incarnation of the modern club.

See also

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References

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  3. 1 2 "Goals, Tries, Minor Points and Rouges". Rugby Data. 26 February 2018.
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  8. "Westoe RFC lose to Billingham in cup final". SportsByte Sunderland. 9 May 2014.
  9. "Durham County Cup win completes family circle for West Hartlepool's Iain Dixon". Chronicle Live. 3 May 2015.
  10. "Mowden romp to cup win". The Northern Echo. 30 April 2016.
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  13. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 1891 to 1920". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  14. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 1920 to 1950". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  15. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 1950 to 1980". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  16. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 1980 to 2010". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  17. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 2010 to current". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.