The 1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup was the 27th edition of England's top rugby union club competition. Saracens won the competition, for the first time by defeating Wasps, who lost in the final for the third time. The first two rounds were unsponsored and by the third round Tetley's Brewery took over the sponsorship; the previous nine years had been sponsored by Pilkington. The final was held at Twickenham Stadium.
Draw and results First round (13 September) Team One Team Two ScoreAspatria Stockton 23-13Barking Swanage & Wareham 26-18Basingstoke Weston-super-Mare 10-39Birmingham/Solihull Westleigh 22-10Bridgwater Metropolitan Police 18-30Broadstreet Walsall 25-17Camberley Barnstaple 38-16Cheltenham Okehampton 138-0Coney Hill Preston Grasshoppers 5-16Haywards Heath Plymouth 26-25Henley Cambridge 64-12Hornets Havant 28-72Launceston Bicester 58-6Lewes Wimbledon 12-11Lichfield Manchester 10-28Longton Widnes 22-38Maidenhead Amersham & Chiltern 14-36Matson Bishop Stortford 8-3North Walsham Esher 19-18Northern Derby 49-3Norwich Bracknell 14-25Nuneaton Sedgley Park 11-7Old Coventrians Huddersfield 13-35Olney St Ives 18-20Sandal Chester 30-22Scunthorpe Doncaster 6-23Selley Oak Syston 31-19Sevenoaks Cheshunt 32-13Sheffield Old Northamptons 38-14Sherborne Clifton 19-30St Benedict’s Wigton 9-24Staines Redruth 35-25Sunderland Kendal 8-27Sutton & Epsom Banbury 23-25Tabard Harlow 23-0Taunton Canterbury 34-12Tynedale Hinckley 32-8Vagabonds (IOM) Old Brodleians 18-15Vale of Lune Ampthill 27-25Whitchurch Stourbridge 28-35Winchester Ruislip 20-0Winnington Park Stoke 64-12 Cheltenham's 138 – 0 win over Okehampton was a record score for the competition.
Second round (4 October) Team One Team Two ScoreAspatria Widnes 27-18Birmingham/Solihull Otley 9-10Bracknell Metropolitan Police 35-14Broadstreet Huddersfield 41-3Cheltenham Sevenoaks 20-18Havant Matson 19-10Haywards Heath Launceston 20-22Henley Camberley 3-16Kendal Harrogate 9-5Lewes North Walsham 10-42London Welsh Clifton 65-17Lydney Amersham & Chiltern 67-0Morley Selly Oak 41-5Northern Tynedale 5-22Nottingham Doncaster 20-24Preston Grasshoppers Manchester 8-33Rugby Vagabonds (IOM) 46-0Sandal Nuneaton 22-16Sheffield Vale of Lune 42-20St Ives Barking 6-53Staines Banbury 32-12Stourbridge Taunton 69-5Tabard Rosslyn Park 0-31Weston-super-Mare Newbury 17-36Wharfedale Wigton 35-10Winchester Reading 12-26Winnington Park Liverpool St Helens 24-26Worcester Leeds 28-11
Third round (1 November) Team One Team Two ScoreBarking Exeter 13-17Bedford Staines 76-15Blackheath Sandal 32-3Broadstreet Bracknell 15-21Camberley Kendal 32-20Coventry Sheffield 83-19Doncaster Tynedale 24-11Fylde Aspatria 48-5Havant Rugby 22-32London Welsh Waterloo 36-34Lydney London Scottish 3-45Moseley Liverpool St Helens 79-10North Walsham Rosslyn Park 11-27Orrell Newbury 16-26Otley Manchester 24-25Rotherham Launceston 67-15Stourbridge Reading 24-58Wakefield Morley 53-14West Hartlepool Cheltenham 41-5Wharfedale Worcester 8-29
Fourth round (3 & 4 January) Team One Team Two ScoreBath London Scottish 24-23Blackheath Saracens 31-59Bracknell Rotherham 3-26Camberley Newbury 10-11Coventry Leicester 14-50Fylde Rosslyn Park 20-5London Welsh Gloucester 18-34Manchester London Irish 13-36Moseley Sale 11-18Newcastle Exeter 34-10Northampton Bedford 31-26Richmond Doncaster 58-8Rugby Reading 26-17Wasps Harlequins 31-26West Hartlepool Wakefield 23-13Worcester Bristol 14-12
Fifth round (24 January) Team One Team Two ScoreBath Richmond 17-29 aetLondon Irish Rotherham 27-14Northampton Gloucester 30-11Sale Newbury 38-11Saracens Leicester 14-13Wasps Fylde 34 -8West Hartlepool Rugby 42-11Worcester Newcastle 0-10
Quarter-finals (28 February & 1 March) Team One Team Two Score London Irish Wasps 7-41Northampton Newcastle 17-7Richmond Saracens 30-36West Hartlepool Sale 21-36
Semi-finals (28 March) Team One Team Two ScoreNorthampton Saracens 10 – 25Wasps Sale 15 – 9
Final
15 Gavin Johnson 14 Brendon Daniel 13 Philippe Sella 12 Steve Ravenscroft 11 Ryan Constable 10 Michael Lynagh 9 Kyran Bracken 8 Tony Diprose (c) 7 Francois Pienaar (player/coach) 6 Ben Sturnham 5 Danny Grewcock 4 Paddy Johns 3 Paul Wallace 2 George Chuter 1 Roberto Diego GrauReplacements: 16 Marcus Olsen 17 Andy Lee 18 Matt Singer 19 Richard Wallace 20 David Brain 21 Greg Botterman 22 Alex BennettPlayer Coach: Francois Pienaar 15 Gareth Rees 14 Shane Roiser 13 Mark Denney 12 Rob Henderson 11 Laurence Scrase 10 Alex King 9 Mike Friday 8 Joe Worsley 7 Paul Volley 6 Lawrence Dallaglio (c) 5 Simon Shaw 4 Mark Weedon 3 Will Green 2 Simon Mitchell 1 Darren MolloyReplacements: 16 Andy Gomarsall 17 Paul Sampson 18 Ian Dunston 19 Trevor Leota 20 Adam Black 21 Buster White 22 Andy ReedCoach: Nigel Melville
See also Anglo-Welsh Cup
References