Misplaced Pages

Durham County RFU Senior Cup

Sport	Rugby Union
Instituted	1880; 145 years ago (1880)
Number of teams	4
Country	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.

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). 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. Previously the cup final was held at a pre-determined venue but this has changed in recent seasons.

Durham County RFU Senior Cup winners

Number of wins

• Hartlepool Rovers (45)
• Durham City (19)
• West Hartlepool (15)
• Westoe (8)
• Darlington Mowden Park (7)
• Blaydon (5)
• Stockton (5)
• Sunderland (5)
• Tudhoe (4)
• Darlington (3)
• North Durham (2)
• Billingham (1)
• Houghton (1)
• Ryton (1)

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. 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. 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

• Durham County RFU
• Intermediate Cup
• Junior Cup
• Plate
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. "1111 - the Senior Cup : History and Records". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
2. "History". Sunderland RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 8 February 2018.
3. ^ "Goals, Tries, Minor Points and Rouges". Rugby Data. 26 February 2018.
4. "Senior County Cup 2018 /2019 Season". Durham County RFU. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
5. "Beginnings". Sunderland AFC. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
6. One Among Many: The story of Sunderland Rugby Football Club RFC. Keith Gregson. 28 September 2011. ISBN 9781907685187. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
7. "Blaydon enjoy a Hollow victory". Chronicle Live. 27 April 2004.
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.
11. "Mowden Park 64-5 West Hartlepool". Darlington Mowden Park RFC (Pitchero). 17 May 2017.
12. "The Senior Cup Winners & Runners Up 1880 to 1891". HHTandN. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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.

External links

• Durham County RFU

v t e Rugby union in England
Governing body	Rugby Football Union Rugby Football Union for Women (merged into the RFU)
National teams	Men's England England A 7's U-21 U-20 U-18 British & Irish Lions England Counties XV Women's Women's 7's
International competitions	Men's World Cup Six Nations Rugby World Cup Sevens Sevens World Series Sevens Grand Prix Series Commonwealth Games Women's World Cup Six Nations World Series Sevens
Competition divisions	Men's Premiership Championship National Leagues London and SE Division Northern Division Midland Division South West Division United Hospitals Cup Women's Premiership Women's Rugby
European competitions	European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup
National competitions	Premiership Rugby Premiership Cup RFU Championship Championship Cup National League 1 National League 2 East National League 2 North National League 2 West RFU Intermediate Cup RFU Senior Vase RFU Junior Vase Premiership Rugby Sevens Series Women's Premiership Premier 15s
London and South East competitions	Regional 1 South East Regional 1 South Central Regional 2 Anglia Regional 2 South Central Regional 2 South East Regional 2 Thames London 1 North London 2 North East London 2 North West London 2 South East London 2 South West London 3 North West London 3 South East London 3 South West Counties 2 Eastern Counties London 3 Essex Eastern Counties 1 Eastern Counties 2 Eastern Counties 3 Counties 2 Essex Counties 2 Hampshire Counties 3 Hampshire Counties 4 Hampshire Hampshire Cups Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex Herts/Middlesex 2 Hertfordshire Cups Middlesex Cups Counties 3 Kent Counties 4 Kent Counties 5 Kent Kent Cups Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex Counties 2 Surrey Counties 3 Surrey Counties 4 Surrey Counties 5 Surrey Surrey Cups Counties 2 Sussex Sussex 1 Sussex Cups
Midland competitions	Regional 1 Midlands Regional 2 North Midlands Regional 2 West Midlands Regional 2 East Midlands Counties 1 Midlands West (North) Counties 1 Midlands West (South) Midlands 2 East (North) Midlands 2 East (South) Midlands 3 West (North) Midlands 3 West (South) Midlands 3 East (North) Midlands 3 East (South) Midlands 4 West (North) Midlands 4 West (South) Midlands 4 East (North) Midlands 4 East (South) Midlands 5 West (South) Leicestershire Cups North Midlands Cups Staffordshire Cups Warwickshire Cups
Northern competitions	Regional 1 North East Regional 1 North West Regional 2 North Regional 2 North East Regional 2 North West North 1 East North 1 West North 2 West Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire Lancs/Cheshire 1 Lancs/Cheshire 2 Cheshire Cups Lancashire Cups Counties 1 Cumbria Cumbria Cups Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland Durham Cups Northumberland Cups Counties 1 Yorkshire Counties 2 Yorkshire Counties 3 Yorkshire Counties 4 Yorkshire Yorkshire Cups
South West competitions	Regional 1 South West Regional 2 Severn Regional 2 South West Counties 1 Southern North Counties 1 Southern South Counties 1 Western North Counties 1 Western West Counties 2 Cornwall Counties 3 Cornwall Cornwall Cups Counties 2 Devon Counties 3 Devon East Counties 3 Devon West Devon Cups Gloucester Premier Gloucester 1 Gloucester 2 North Gloucester 2 South Gloucestershire Cups Counties 2 Somerset Somerset 1 Somerset 2 North Somerset 2 South Somerset 3 North Somerset 3 South Somerset Cups Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier Oxfordshire Cups Dorset & Wilts 1 North Dorset & Wilts 1 South Dorset & Wilts 2 North Dorset & Wilts 2 South Dorset & Wilts 3 North
County competitions	Division 1 Division 2 Division 3
Discontinued competitions	Anglo-Welsh Cup Cornwall/Devon League Divisional Championship National League 2 South North Premier RFU Knockout Cup South West 1 East
Related articles	International players Clubs Churchill Cup Calcutta Cup Millennium Trophy Ella-Mobbs Trophy Hillary Shield
Other	English rugby union system Timeline of rugby union on UK television

• Recurring sporting events established in 1880
• 1880 establishments in England
• Rugby union cup competitions in England
• Rugby union in County Durham