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, but reintroduced during the 1969–70 season, the winners in that year were Sidcup.

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.

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. 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 Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue1890-91R.N.C., GreenwichThanet WanderersRectory Field, Blackheath, London1891-92Blackheath "A"Chatham GarrisonRectory Field, Blackheath, London1892-93Queen'sSidcupCharlton1893-94Chatham Garrison8–7Queen'sPlumstead1894-95Duke of Wellington's Regiment5–0Queen'sCharlton1895-96Royal EngineersQueen'sCatford1896-97Park HouseRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London1897-98Park HouseRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London1898-99Park HouseDuke of Wellington's RegimentBerlin Road, Catford1899-1900Catford BridgeR.N.C., GreenwichCatford1900-01R.N.C., GreenwichCatford BridgeCatford1901-02R.N.C., GreenwichRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London1902-03Catford Bridge13–0Royal Engineers (Chatham)Catford1903-04R.N.C., GreenwichPark HouseRectory Field, Blackheath, London1904-05Catford BridgeR.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London1905-06R.N.C., GreenwichCatford BridgeRectory Field, Blackheath, London1906-07Catford BridgeOld CharltoniansCatford1907-08R.N.C., Greenwich18–3Old CharltoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London1908-09R.N.C., Greenwich18–0Royal Engineers1909-10Catford Bridge17–8Guy's HospitalRectory Field, Blackheath, London1910-11Catford Bridge5–0R.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London1911-12Royal EngineersOld CharltoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London1912-13Royal EngineersGoldsmiths' CollegeCatford1913-14Royal Engineers8–6R.N.C., GreenwichRectory Field, Blackheath, London1914-18(War. No Competition)1919-201920-21(Competition unfinished)1921-22R.N.C., GreenwichRoyal EngineersRectory Field, Blackheath, London1922-23Guy's Hospital "A"Old DunstoniansRectory Field, Blackheath, London1923-24R.N.C., Greenwich1924-251925-26King's Own Royal Regiment (Shorncliffe)19–17Westcombe ParkRectory Field, Blackheath, London1926-27Guy'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 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 Gravesend 12–0 Park House 1990–91 Sidcup 1991–92 Old Colfeians Westcombe ParkDonald 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 Sevenoaks 28–24 Canterbury 1997–98 Westcombe Park Old ColfeiansDonald Biggs Drive, Gravesend, DA12 2TL 1998–99 Westcombe Park 1999-00 Westcombe Park Maidstone 2000–01 Thanet Wanderers 2001–02 Westcombe Park 41–21 Thanet Wanderers Rectory Field, Blackheath, London 2002–03 Blackheath Old Colfeians 2003–04 Westcombe Park 36–0 Blackheath Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent 2004–05 Canterbury Westcombe Park 2005–06 Canterbury Blackheath Knole Paddock, Sevenoaks, Kent 2006–07 Canterbury 41–27 Blackheath William Davey Memorial Ground, Maidstone, Kent 2007–08 Canterbury 28–18 Blackheath Tomlin Ground, Cranbrook, Kent 2008–09 Blackheath Gravesend The Jack Williams Memorial Ground, Aylesford, Kent 2009–10 Gravesend 24–23 Old Elthamians Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, London 2010–11 Gravesend 34–32 Tonbridge Juddians Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent 2011–12 Canterbury 22–14 Westcombe Park Priestfields, Rochester, Kent 2012–13 Blackheath II 43–25 Old Elthamians Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent 2013–14 Gravesend 27–24 Blackheath II Footscray Road, New Eltham, London 2014–15 Tonbridge Juddians 34–17 Old Elthamians II Tomlin Ground, Cranbrook, Kent 2015–16 Westcombe Park 16–12 Blackheath II The Jack Williams Memorial Ground, Aylesford, Kent 2016–17 Tonbridge Juddians 62–3 Sidcup Merton Lane, Canterbury, Kent 2017–18 Sidcup 33–27 Old Elthamians II Footscray Road, New Eltham, London 2018–19 Old Elthamians55-29Sidcup60a Broad Walk, Kidbrooke, London, SE3 8NB2019-20(Competition unfinished)2020-21

Number of wins Blackheath (16) R.N.C., Greenwich (9) Westcombe Park (8) Canterbury (6) Catford Bridge (6) Sidcup (6) Gravesend (4) Royal Engineers (4) Maidstone (3) Park House (3) Askeans (2) Guy's Hospital "A" (2) Old Colfeians (2) Tonbridge Juddians (2) Chatham Garrison (1) Duke of Wellington's Regiment (1) King's Own Regiment (1) Old Elthamians (1) Queen's (1) Sevenoaks (1) Thanet Wanderers (1)

Notes

See also Kent RFU Kent Shield Kent Vase Kent Plate Kent Salver English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links Kent RFU