The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster. It is administered by Ulster Rugby.
The most successful club is Queen's University with 24 wins. The current holders are Ballynahinch.
The winners compete with the other three provincial cup winners for the All-Ireland Cup.
Entry requirements
Entry is currently restricted to rugby clubs from Ulster that play in the All-Ireland League.
Performance by club
+ Performance Table Club Winners Runners-Up Total Finals Last TitleQueen's University2419432021-22Instonians2010302023-24North of Ireland1818361972-73Ballymena1411232012-13Dungannon10 7172010-11Collegians 812201982-83Malone 716231991-92C.I.Y.M.S. 6 6121977-78Ballynahinch 7 4 112025-26Bangor 3 5 81985-86Belfast Harlequins 3 2 52007-08Ards 2 0 21986-87City of Armagh 3 1 42019-20Albion 1 5 61888-89City of Derry 1 2 31999-2000Knock 1 2 31910-11Lisburn 1 1 21887-88Banbridge 0 1 1n/aCarrickfergus 0 1 1n/aCivil Service 0 1 1n/aFortwilliam 0 1 1n/aHolywood 0 1 1n/aRainey Old Boys 0 1 1n/a
Finals
1880s
1884-85 NIFC (North of Ireland) 19-4 Lisburn 1885-86 Queen's College 6-0 Albion 1886-87 Queen's College 5-0 NIFC 1887-88 Lisburn 5-0 Albion 1888-89 Albion 4-3 Queen's College
1890s
1889-90 Queen's College 13-0 Albion 1890-91 Queen's College 8-0 Albion 1891-92 Queen's College 6-0 Albion 1892-93 NIFC 3-0 Queen's College (After extra time in Replay) 1893-94 NIFC 11-8 Collegians 1894-95 NIFC 3-0 Collegians 1895-96 NIFC 11-3 Collegians 1896-97 NIFC 9-3 Queen's CollegeBelfast Newsletter 29 March 1897 Page 3 1897-98 NIFC 13-0 Queen's CollegeBelfast Newsletter 28 March 1898 Page 3 1898-99 NIFC 16-3 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 13 March 1899 Page 3
1900s
1899-1900 Queen's College 16-0 HolywoodBelfast Newsletter 2 April 1900 Page 7 1900-01 NIFC 14-0 DungannonBelfast Newsletter 25 March 1901 Page 7 1901-02 NIFC 6-0 MaloneBelfast Newsletter 7 April 1902 Page 5 1902-03 Queen's College 6-0 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 30 March 1903 Page 5 1903-04 Malone 10-3 Queen's College 1904-05 Malone 8-5 Fortwilliam 1905-06 Collegians 8-0 NIFC 1906-07 Malone 13-3 Collegians 1907-08 NIFC 10-0 Knock 1908-09 Queen's University 16-6 NIFC
1910s
1909-10 Collegians 10-6 Queen's University 1910-11 Knock 6-5 NIFC 1911-12 Queen's University 13-0 Malone 1912-13 Collegians 9-3 Knock 1913-14 All Senior Rugby was suspended in early 1914 due to the Home Rule crisis and the Senior Cup was not played.Belfast Newsletter 6 January 1914 1914-1919 Not played due to World War I
1920s
1919-20 NIFC 5-0 Queen's University 1920-21 Queen's University 19-6 NIFC (at Balmoral)Belfast Newsletter 18 April 1921 Page 2 1921-22 Instonians 8-0 Queen's University (at Balmoral)Belfast Newsletter 27 March 1922 Page 9 1922-23 Instonians 19-5 Queen's University (at Balmoral)Belfast Newsletter 26 March 1923 Page 2 1923-24 Queen's University 16-8 Instonians (at Ravenhill)Belfast Newsletter 14 April 1924 Page 3 1924-25 Queen's University 14-3 Instonians (at Ravenhill)Belfast Newsletter 27 April 1925 Page 3 1925-26 Collegians 11-3 Queen's University (at Ravenhill)Belfast Newsletter 8 March 1926 Page 3 1926-27 Instonians 8-3 NIFC (after extra time)Belfast Newsletter 7 March 1927 Page 3 1927-28 Instonians 3-0 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 2 April 1928 Page 3 1928-29 Instonians 23-13 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 8 April 1929 Page 3
1930s
1929-30 NIFC 6-4 Queen's UniversityBelfast Newsletter 31 March 1930 Page 3 1930-31 Instonians 7-3 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 30 March 1931 Page 3 1931-32 Queen's University 10-3 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 21 March 1932 Page 3 1932-33 Queen's University 18-6 MaloneBelfast Newsletter 27 March 1933 Page 4 1933-34 Instonians 11-6 Civil Service 1934-35 NIFC 15-0 Queen's UniversityBelfast Newsletter 25 March 1935 Page 3 1935-36 Queen's University 11-0 NIFC (Replay – Game 1: 0-0)Belfast Newsletter 30 March 1936 Page 4 & 6 April 1936 Page 3 1936-37 Queen's University 5-0 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 12 April 1937 Page 3 1937-38 Instonians 11-6 NIFCNorthern Whig 21 March 1938 Page 5 1938-39 NIFC 20-0 Malone
1940s
1939-1945 Not Played 1945-46 Instonians 6-0 NIFC 1946-47 Queen's University 16-11 Collegians 1947-48 Instonians 12-10 C.I.Y.M.S.Northern Whig 19 April 1948 Page 3 1948-49 Instonians 13-9 Queen's UniversityNorthern Whig 11 April 1949 Page 2
1950s
1949-50 Instonians 11-0 MaloneNorthern Whig 17 April 1950 Page 2 1950-51 Queen's University 15-0 NIFC 1951-52 Collegians 8-3 Queen's University 1952-53 C.I.Y.M.S. 9-6 Collegians 1953-54 Instonians 6-0 Queen's UniversityNorthern Whig 26 April 1954 Page 5 1954-55 NIFC 17-3 Queen's University 1955-56 Instonians 6-3 C.I.Y.M.S. 1956-57 Instonians 6-3 Ballymena 1957-58 Instonians 3-0 Ballymena 1958-59 Queen's University beat C.I.Y.M.S.
1960s
1959-60 Queen's University 14-3 InstoniansBelfast Newsletter 25 April 1960 Page 7 1960-61 Collegians 6-3 BallymenaBelfast Newsletter 24 April 1961 Page 8 1961-62 Collegians 8-0 Queen's UniversityBelfast Newsletter 9 April 1962 Page 9 1962-63 Ballymena 8-0 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 22 April 1963 Page 8 1963-64 Dungannon 6-0 C.I.Y.M.S. 1964-65 Instonians 9-6 MaloneBelfast Newsletter 3 May 1965 Page 12 1965-66 C.I.Y.M.S. 29-6 Queen's UniversityBelfast Newsletter 9 May 1966 Page 11 1966-67 C.I.Y.M.S. 3-0 DungannonIreland's Saturday Night 22 April 1967 Page 2 1967-68 Dungannon 12-6 Instonians 1968-69 NIFC 23-11 Dungannon
1970s
1969-70 Ballymena beat C.I.Y.M.S. 1970-71 Malone 6-3 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 19 April 1971 Page 10 1971-72 C.I.Y.M.S. 22-18 Ballymena 1972-73 NIFC 25-12 Malone 1973-74 C.I.Y.M.S. 16-6 Bangor 1974-75 Ballymena 13-3 C.I.Y.M.S.Belfast Newsletter 28 April 1975 Page 12 1975-76 Dungannon 12-9 InstoniansBelfast Newsletter 26 April 1976 Page 12 1976-77 Ballymena 14-4 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 25 April 1977 Page 12 1977-78 C.I.Y.M.S. 14-12 Ballymena 1978-79 Instonians 9-6 NIFCBelfast Newsletter 23 April 1979 Page 10
1980s
1979-80 Bangor 10-6 InstoniansBelfast Newsletter 21 April 1980 Page 12 1980-81 Queen's University 16-12 CollegiansBelfast Newsletter 20 April 1981 Page 9 1981-82 Bangor 26-7 Carrickfergus 1982-83 Collegians 11-6 City of Derry 1983-84 Malone 19-12 NIFC 1984-85 Ards 19-7 Instonians 1985-86 Bangor beat Malone 1986-87 Ards beat Bangor 1987-88 Malone beat Bangor 1988-89 Ballymena beat Bangor
1990s
1989-90 Ballymena 17-9 Malone 1990-91 Ballymena 13-0 Bangor 1991-92 Malone 13-3 NIFC 1992-93 Dungannon 20-18 Ballymena 1993-94 Dungannon 14-10 InstoniansBelfast Newsletter 25 April 1994 Page 20 1994-95 Dungannon 21-16 Instonians 1995-96 Dungannon 22-10 MaloneMicheal McGeary, "Just so Jeremy", Sunday Life, 12 May 1996 1996-97 Ballymena 20-13 Malone 1997-98 Dungannon beat Malone 1998-99 Instonians beat Malone
2000s
1999-2000 City of Derry beat Dungannon 2000-01 Belfast Harlequins 41-12 Dungannon 2001-02 Dungannon 32-3 Ballynahinch 2002-03 Ballymena 44-3 Dungannon 2003-04 Ballymena 11-3 Ballynahinch 2004-05 Ballymena 22-20 Belfast Harlequins 2005-06 Belfast Harlequins 36-9 Malone 2006-07 Dungannon 27-10 Belfast Harlequins 2007-08 Belfast Harlequins 22-17 Ballymena 2008-09 Ballynahinch 19-0 Ballymena
2010s
2009-10 Queen's University 37-0 Malone 2010-11 Dungannon 25-0 City of Derry 2011-12 Ballymena 17-11 Banbridge 2012-13 Ballymena 25-6 Rainey Old Boys 2013-14 Queen's University 16-10 Ballynahinch 2014-15 Ballynahinch 17-10 Malone 2015-16 Ballynahinch 19-10 BallymenaIN PICTURES: Ballynahinch win First Trust Ulster Senior Cup 2016-17 Ballynahinch 27-10 DungannnonBallynahinch secure treble of First Trust Senior Cup titles 2017-18 Armagh 17-13 Ballymena 2018-19 Armagh 9-7 Ballymena
2020s
2019-20 Armagh 38-34 Ballynahinch 2020-21 Not played due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021-22 Queen's University 40-22 City of ArmaghUlster Rugby 2022-23 Ballynahinch 32-15 Queen's UniversityBelfast Telegraph 2023-24 Instonians 36-26 Queen's UniversityMichael Sadlier, "Instonians end 25-year wait for Senior Cup glory with extra-time win over Queen’s in Final", Belfast Telegraph, 4 May 2024 2024-25 Ballynahinch 50-3 Dungannon"Bank of Ireland Senior Cup Match Report | Ballynahinch 50 – 3 Dungannon", Ulster Rugby, 6 May 2025 2025-26 Ballynahinch 19-14 InstoniansUlster Rugby
See also Connacht Senior Cup Leinster Senior Cup Munster Senior Cup
Sources