The Leicestershire County Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Leicestershire Rugby Union. It was first introduced in 1890 with the inaugural winners being South Wigston. The competition was known as the Leicestershire League Cup until 1893 when it was changed to Leicestershire Senior Cup. The first competition was open to the top sides in the county apart from the Leicester FC first XV, who were considered too strong and would instead enter an 'A' team up until 1906. Smaller clubs in the county, as well as senior club second sides, played in the Leicestershire Junior Cup which had its inaugural competition three seasons earlier in 1887.
The Senior Cup was discontinued after the 1926-27 season as it lost its appeal with the clubs involved. Clubs would instead take part in the LRU 7-a-side competition which was introduced for the following year. Rather confusingly the winners of this competition would be rewarded with the Rolleston Charity Cup - another Leicestershire club competition, also discontinued that year - while the runners up would receive the Senior Cup. This seven-a-side competition would continue until 1979.
A proper 15-a-side county cup competition would not be introduced until the 1970-71 season when a format was recommended by Westleigh Rugby Club - a parent club of Leicester Lions. This new competition was first known as the 'Westleigh Cup' and was won by Stoneygate. The following season the cup would be known by its present name, the Leicestershire County Cup and up until the 2004-05 season would be a qualification method for clubs in the county for the English National Cup competition (now Anglo-Welsh Cup).
The Leicestershire County Cup is currently the premier county cup competition for club sides based in Leicestershire that typically play in tier 5 (National League 3 Midlands) to tier 7 (Midlands 2 East (North)/Midlands 2 East (South)) of the English rugby union league system - although teams in lower ranked regional leagues have also taken part. The current format is a knock-out competition with a first round, quarter finals, semi finals (held at neutral venues) and final (held at Welford Road). There is also a Leicestershire Bowl competition for lower ranked clubs (tier 8 and below) that are not taking part in the County Cup.
Leicestershire County Cup winners Leicestershire County Cup Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 1889-90 South Wigston 1890-91 Leicester Swifts 1891-92 Leicester Crusaders 1892-93 Leicester Crusaders 1893-94 Burfield Rangers 1894-95 Leicester A 1895-96 Leicester A 1896-97 Belgrave St Peters Leicester A 1897-98 Leicester A 1898-99 Leicester A 1899-1900 Stoneygate 1900-01 South Wigston 1901-02 Leicester A 1902-03 Belgrave 1903-04 Granville 1904-05 Lutterworth 1905-06 Belgrave 1906-07 Belgrave 1907-08 Oadby 1908-09 Medway Athletic 1909-10 Oadby 1910-11 Belgrave Premier Works 1911-12 Syston Street Old Boys 1913-20 No competition due to World War I 1920-21 Belgrave 1921-22 Aylestone St James 1922-23 Aylestone St James 1923-24 Oadby 1924-25 Belgrave 1925-26 Belgrave 1926-27 Belgrave 1928-69 No competition 1970-71 Stoneygate Wigston 1971-72 Hinckley 1972-73 Hinckley Wigston 1973-74 Wigston Loughborough 1974-75 Westleigh Wigston 1975-76 Westleigh 1976-77 Hinckley Wigston 1977-78 Loughborough Students Wigston 1978-79 Hinckley 1979-80 Westleigh Loughborough 1980-81 Westleigh Oadby Wyggestonians 1981-82 Hinckley 1982-83 Vipers 1983-84 Loughborough Students Stonegate 1984-85 Loughborough Students 1985-86 Syston Wigston 1986-87 Stoneygate Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester 1988-89 Vipers 12-6 Stoneygate Welford Road, Leicester 1989-90 Syston 1990-91 Loughborough Students 1991-92 Vipers Hinckley 1992-93 Syston 1993-94 Loughborough Students 1994-95 Syston 1995-96 Westleigh 1996-97 Syston Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester 1997-98 Hinckley Belgrave Welford Road, Leicester 1998-99 Loughborough Students Belgrave 1999-2000 Leicester Lions 2000-01 Leicester Lions 2001-02 South Leicester Syston Welford Road, Leicester 2002-03 N/A N/A N/A Welford Road, Leicester 2003-04 Leicester Lions Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester 2004-05 Market Bosworth 10-6 Leicester Lions Welford Road, Leicester 2005-06 Loughborough Students 2006-07 Hinckley South Leicester 2007-08 South Leicester 20-18 Loughborough Students Welford Road, Leicester 2008-09 South Leicester 10-9 Hinckley Northampton Road, Market Harborough 2009-10 Syston 30-15 South Leicester Welford Road, Leicester 2010-11 South Leicester 26-20 Syston Welford Road, Leicester 2011-12 South Leicester 47-29 Syston Welford Road, Leicester 2012-13 Hinckley 24-5 Lutterworth Welford Road, Leicester 2013-14 South Leicester 59-30 Lutterworth Welford Road, Leicester 2014-15 South Leicester 34-27 Syston Welford Road, Leicester 2015-16 Melton Mowbray 20-18 Hinckley Welford Road, Leicester 2016-17 Melton Mowbray 17-16 Syston Welford Road, Leicester 2017-18 Syston 73-12 Belgrave Welford Road, Leicester 2018-19 Syston 33-27 Oadby Wyggestonians Welford Road, Leicester 2019-20
Number of wins
Syston (9) Hinckley (8) Loughborough Students (7) South Leicester (7) Belgrave (5) Westleigh (5) Leicester A (5) Leicester Lions (3) Oadby Wyggestonian (3) Stoneygate (3) Vipers (3) Aylestone St James (2) Leicester Crusaders (2) Melton Mowbray (2) South Wigston (2) Belgrave Premier Works (1) Burfield Rangers (1) Granville (1) Leicester Swifts (1) Lutterworth (1) Market Bosworth (1) Medway Athletic (1) Wigston (1)
Notes
See also Leicestershire RU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links Leicestershire RFU