Kent Cup

Last updated

Kent Challenge Cup
SportRugby Union
Instituted1890;130 years ago (1890)
Number of teams21
CountryEngland
Holders Old Elthamians (1st title) (2018–19)
Most titles Blackheath (16 titles)
Website Kent RFU

The Kent Rugby Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Kent Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1890-91 season, with the inaugural winners being R.N.C., Greenwich. It was discontinued after the 1926-27 season, [1] but reintroduced during the 1969–70 season, the winners in that year were Sidcup.

Contents

The cup cost fifty-two guineas (around £50 in 1890-91) and does not become the property of the winners, being a perpetual challenge cup. [2]

In 1952, during the period the competition had been discontinued, Kent Rugby Football Union provided the Kent Rugby Challenge Cup to Gravesend Rugby Football Club, for presentation to the winners of the North Kent Seven-a-Side Rugby Tournament, an annual tournament organised and run by the club from 1935 until 1972.

The Kent Rugby Challenge Cup competition, now more generally referred to as the Kent Cup competition, is the most important rugby union cup competition in Kent, ahead of the Kent Shield, Kent Vase, Kent Plate and Kent Salver.

The Kent Cup is currently open to the first teams of club sides based in Kent that play in tier 5 (National League 3 London & SE) and tier 6 (London 1 South) of the English rugby union league system, along with the 2nd teams of local clubs that play in tier 3 (National League 1) and tier 4 (National League 2 South). The format is a knockout cup with a first round, second round, semi-finals and a final, typically to be held at a pre-determined ground at the end of April on the same date and venue as the Shield, Vase, Plate and Salver finals. [3] Teams that are knocked out of the first round join the teams knocked out of the first round of the Kent Shield to compete for the Kent Plate.

Kent Challenge Cup winners

Kent Challenge Cup Finals
SeasonWinnerScoreRunners–upVenue
1890-91R.N.C., Greenwich Thanet Wanderers Rectory Field, Blackheath, London
1891-92 Blackheath "A"Chatham GarrisonRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1892-93Queen'sSidcupCharlton
1893-94Chatham Garrison8–7Queen'sPlumstead
1894-95Duke of Wellington's Regiment5–0Queen'sCharlton
1895-96Royal EngineersQueen'sCatford
1896-97Park HouseRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1897-98Park HouseRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1898-99Park HouseDuke of Wellington's RegimentBerlin Road, Catford
1899-1900Catford BridgeR.N.C., GreenwichCatford
1900-01R.N.C., GreenwichCatford BridgeCatford
1901-02R.N.C., GreenwichRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1902-03Catford Bridge13–0Royal Engineers (Chatham)Catford
1903-04R.N.C., GreenwichPark HouseRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1904-05Catford BridgeR.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1905-06R.N.C., GreenwichCatford BridgeRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1906-07Catford BridgeOld CharltoniansCatford
1907-08R.N.C., Greenwich18–3Old CharltoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1908-09R.N.C., Greenwich18–0Royal Engineers
1909-10Catford Bridge17–8Guy's HospitalRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1910-11Catford Bridge5–0R.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1911-12Royal EngineersOld CharltoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1912-13Royal EngineersGoldsmiths' CollegeCatford
1913-14Royal Engineers8–6R.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1914-18(War. No Competition)
1919-20
1920-21(Competition unfinished)
1921-22R.N.C., GreenwichRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1922-23Guy's Hospital "A"Old DunstoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1923-24R.N.C., Greenwich
1924-25
1925-26King's Own Royal Regiment (Shorncliffe)19–17Westcombe ParkRectory Field, Blackheath, London
1926-27Guy's Hospital "A"
1969-70Sidcup
1970–71 Sidcup
1971–72 Blackheath
1972–73 Sidcup
1973–74 Maidstone
1974–75 Canterbury
1975–76 Sidcup
1976–77 [4] Blackheath 10–3 Old Dunstonian
1977–78 Blackheath
1978–79 Maidstone
1979–80 Blackheath
1980–81 Blackheath
1981–82 Blackheath
1982–83 Blackheath
1983–84 Blackheath
1984–85 Blackheath
1985–86 Blackheath
1986–87 Blackheath
1987–88 Maidstone
1988–89 Askeans
1989–90 [5] Gravesend 12–0 Park House
1990–91 Sidcup
1991–92 Old Colfeians Westcombe Park Donald Biggs Drive, Gravesend, DA12 2TL
1992–93 Westcombe Park
1993–94 Old Colfeians Charlton ParkMote Park, Willow Way, Maidstone, ME15 7RN
1994–95 Westcombe Park
1995–96 Blackheath
1996–97 [6] Sevenoaks 28–24 Canterbury
1997–98 Westcombe Park Old Colfeians Donald Biggs Drive, Gravesend, DA12 2TL
1998–99 Westcombe Park
1999-00 [7] Westcombe Park Maidstone
2000–01 Thanet Wanderers
2001–02 [8] Westcombe Park 41–21 Thanet Wanderers Rectory Field, Blackheath, London
2002–03 Blackheath Old Colfeians
2003–04 [9] Westcombe Park 36–0 Blackheath Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent
2004–05 Canterbury Westcombe Park
2005–06 Canterbury Blackheath Knole Paddock, Sevenoaks, Kent [10]
2006–07 [11] Canterbury 41–27 Blackheath William Davey Memorial Ground, Maidstone, Kent
2007–08 [12] Canterbury 28–18 Blackheath Tomlin Ground, Cranbrook, Kent
2008–09 Blackheath Gravesend The Jack Williams Memorial Ground, Aylesford, Kent
2009–10 [13] Gravesend 24–23 Old Elthamians Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, London
2010–11 [14] Gravesend 34–32 Tonbridge Juddians Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent [15]
2011–12 [16] Canterbury 22–14 Westcombe Park Priestfields, Rochester, Kent
2012–13 [17] Blackheath II 43–25 Old Elthamians Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent
2013–14 [18] Gravesend 27–24 Blackheath II Footscray Road, New Eltham, London
2014–15 [19] Tonbridge Juddians 34–17 Old Elthamians IITomlin Ground, Cranbrook, Kent
2015–16 [20] Westcombe Park 16–12 Blackheath II The Jack Williams Memorial Ground, Aylesford, Kent
2016–17 [21] Tonbridge Juddians 62–3 Sidcup Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent
2017–18 [22] Sidcup 33–27 Old Elthamians II Footscray Road, New Eltham, London
2018–19 Old Elthamians 55-29 Sidcup 60a Broad Walk, Kidbrooke, London, SE3 8NB
2019-20(Competition unfinished)
2020-21

Number of wins

Notes

  1. ↑ Blackheath's Kent Cup victories include wins by both the 1st and 2nd teams.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Jordan, J. P. (1949). History of Kent Rugby Football. London: Parnell. pp. 93–95.
  2. ↑ "Park House Football Club". The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 13 May 1899.
  3. ↑ "Kent Cup (Men)". Kent RFU. Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Club History". Old Dunstonian RFC. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Answers to the Rugby Quiz". Gravesend RFC. 10 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Recent history". Sevenoaks Rugby. 21 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Club History". Maidstone Rugby. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Super Combe are Kent champions!". Bucks Free Press. 28 March 2002.
  9. ↑ "Blackheath booted out of Kent semis". Croydon Guardian. 22 February 2005.
  10. ↑ "City slickers make rugger history". Kent Online. 12 April 2006.
  11. ↑ "Kent Cup 2007 Match Report". Canterbury RFC. 4 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Fourth straight Kent Cup win for Canterbury". Kent Online. 28 April 2008.
  13. ↑ "Gs clinch Kent Cup and Lordswood win Vase". Kent News. 27 April 2010.
  14. ↑ "TJs pay the penalty as double dream fades". Kent Online. 6 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "Tonbridge Juddians v Gravesend". Sports Images. 1 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Canterbury add Kent Cup to National League 3 London & South East success with win over Westcombe Park". Kent Online. 30 April 2012.
  17. ↑ "Blackheath 43 Old Elthamians 25". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 28 April 2013.
  18. ↑ "Gravesend triumph in Kent Cup final". Gravesend RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2014.
  19. ↑ "Tonbridge Juddians beat Old Ethalmians to the Kent Cup". Kent Live. 28 April 2015.
  20. ↑ "Combe triumph in Kent Cup Final clash with 'Club'". Westcombe Park RFC. 1 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "Rugby: Tonbridge Juddians cruise past Sidcup to win double". Times of Tunbridge Wells. 3 May 2017.
  22. ↑ "Cup woe as Extras fall at the final hurdle". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 29 April 2018.
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