The North Midlands Shield is an annual rugby union knock-out cup club competition organized by the North Midlands Rugby Football Union and was first contested during the 2001–02 season with Ledbury being the first ever winners, defeating Old Saltleians in the final held at Finstall Park in Bromsgrove. It is currently open for clubs ranked in tier 7-8 of the English rugby union system that fall under the North Midlands RFU umbrella, including sides based in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. A tier 9 side, Shropshire based Oswestry, who play in Cheshire (South), also take part. In 2014 the North Midlands RFU introduced a 'Plate' competition for sides eliminated in the early stages of the Shield. It is one of three men's club competitions in the region along with the North Midlands Cup (for tier 5-6 sides) and the North Midlands Vase (for tier 9-10 sides).
The current format is as a knock-out cup with a preliminary round, first round, quarter-final, semi-final and final which is held at a neutral venue in May (2021-22’s Final was held at Worcester RFC) along with the cup and vase finals. Due to the disjointed numbers of teams, teams that lose in either the preliminary or first round stage then contest the shield plate while winners go on to contest the shield.
North Midlands Shield winners North Midlands Shield Winners Season Shield Winner Score Shield Runners–up Plate Winner Score Plate Runners–up Venue 2001-02 Ledbury 13-5 Old Saltleians Finstall Park, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire 2002-03 Solihull 13-7 Old Yardleians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2003-04 Old Yardleians 27-8 Aston Old Edwardians Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2004-05 Solihull 48-28 Old Dixonians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2005-06 Kidderminster Carolians 24-18 Old Halesonians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2006-07 Old Halesonians 15-0 Aston Old Edwardians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2007-08 Camp Hill Bournville Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2008-09 Bournville 34-17 Aston Old Edwardians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2009-10 Old Saltleians Droitwich Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2010-11 Droitwich 29-13 Aston Old Edwardians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands 2011-12 Droitwich 27-16 Veseyans Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2012-13 Bridgnorth 10-6 Droitwich Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2013-14 Bridgnorth 30-8 Stourbridge Lions Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2014-15 Bridgnorth 18-13 Kidderminster Carolians Old Saltleians 29-15 Woodrush Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2015-16 Kidderminster Carolians 32-15 Old Saltleians Old Yardleians 27-20 Droitwich Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2016-17 Kidderminster Carolians 23-16 Veseyans Old Saltleians 26-19 Harborne Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2017-18 Malvern 53-12 Old Saltleians Droitwich 19-7 Shrewsbury Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands 2021-22 Moseley Oak 19-17 Evesham Edwardians 38-34 Shrewsbury Worcester RFC, Worcester, Worcestershire
Number of wins
Shield Kidderminster Carolians (3) Bridgnorth (3) Droitwich (2) Solihull (2) Bournville (1) Camp Hill (1) Ledbury (1) Malvern (1) Moseley Oak (1) Old Halesonians (1) Old Saltleians (1) Old Yardleians (1)
Plate Old Saltleians (2) Droitwich (1) Edwardians (1) Old Yardleians (1)
Notes
See also North Midlands RFU North Midlands Cup North Midlands Vase English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links North Midlands RFU