Cheshire RFU Plate

The Cheshire Plate is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Cheshire Rugby Football Union. It was introduced in 1981 for teams that were eliminated from the preliminary and 1st rounds of the Cheshire Cup, with Old Instonians being the first ever winners.[1] Initially the secondary competition in the region, in recent years the Plate has become stand-alone competition open to club sides based in either Cheshire, Merseyside or the Isle of Man that are ranked at tier 8 (South Lancs/Cheshire 2) and 9 (South Lancs/Cheshire 3) of the English league system – although some teams that compete are invited come from outside the official league structure. It is currently the fourth most important club competition organised by the Cheshire RFU behind the Cheshire Bowl (3rd), Cheshire Vase (2nd) and Cheshire Cup (1st).

Cheshire Plate

Sport	Rugby Union
Instituted	1981
Number of teams	7
Country	England
Holders	Ellesmere Port (1st title) (2016–17)
Most titles	Oldershaw (4 titles)
Website	Cheshire RFU

The present format is as a knock-out cup with a quarter-final, semi-final and final which is held at a neutral venue during the latter stages of the season (March–May). At present Cheshire Plate finals are held on the same date and same venue as the more prestigious Cheshire Cup final.

Cheshire Plate winners

Cheshire Plate Finals
Season	Winner	Score	Runners–up	Venue
1980–81[2]	Old Instonians		Port Sunlight	Upper Park, Birkenhead[1]
1981–82[3]	Macclesfield	22–14	Winnington Park	Memorial Ground, Wilmslow[4]
1982–83[5]	New Brighton	23–9	Mid Cheshire College	Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead[6]
1983–84[7]	Chester	17–7	Crewe & Nantwich	Memorial Ground, Wilmslow[8]
1984–85[9]	Sandbach	11–9	Macclesfield	Memorial Ground, Wilmslow[10]
1985–86[11]	Port Sunlight		Oldershaw
1986–87[12]	Davenport		Port Sunlight
1987–88[13][14]	Mid Cheshire College	23–7	Oldershaw	Hare Lane, Chester
1988–89[15][16]	Ashton-on-Mersey	13–0	Helsby	Hare Lane, Chester
1989–90[17][18]	Port Sunlight	11–9	Old Anselmians
1990–91[19]	Oldershaw		Crewe & Nantwich	Hare Lane, Chester
1991–92[20]	New Brighton		Wilmslow	Memorial Ground, Wilmslow
1992–93[21]	Oldershaw		Congleton	Hare Lane, Chester
1993–94[22]	Macclesfield		Wallasey	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
1994–95[23]	Wilmslow		Birkenhead Park	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
1995–96[24]	Crewe & Nantwich	20–15	Wirral	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
1996–97[25]	Old Anselmians	20–13	Caldy	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
1997–98[26]	Altrincham Kersal		Prenton	Burrows Hill, Winnington
1998–99[27]	Stockport		Prenton	Hare Lane, Chester
1999-00[28]	Runcorn	14–11	Crewe & Nantwich	Hare Lane, Chester
2000–01[29]	Runcorn		Caldy	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
2001–02[30]	Runcorn	22–20	Ellesmere Port	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
2002–03[31]	Wirral	8–6	Old Anselmians
2003–04[32]	Crewe & Nantwich	27–13	Ellesmere Port	The Memorial Ground, Stockport
2004–05[33]	Northwich	26–3	Oxton Parkonians	Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge[34]
2005–06[35]	Sale FC	45–10	Marple
2006–07[36]	Wallasey	29–19	Crewe & Nantwich	Upper Park, Birkenhead
2007–08[37]	Wallasey	17–12	Crewe & Nantwich	Burrows Hill, Winnington
2008–09[38]	Ashton-on-Mersey	22–21	Oldershaw	Burrows Hill, Winnington
2009–10[39]	Holmes Chapel	10–3	Prenton	Hartsfield, Moreton
2010–11[40]	Crewe & Nantwich	39–7	Prenton	Crouchley Lane, Lymm
2011–12[41]	Southern Nomads	18–13	Prenton	Hartsfield, Moreton
2012–13[42]	Wallasey	22–14	Southern Nomads	Bradwell Road, Sandbach
2013–14[43]	Southern Nomads	24–17	Oxton Parkonians	Burrows Hill, Winnington
2014–15[44]	Oldershaw	32–15	Oxton Parkonians	Burrows Hill, Winnington
2015–16[45]	Oldershaw	20–17	Ellesmere Park	Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge
2016–17[46]	Port Sunlight	26–8	Oldershaw	Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge[47]
2017–18[48]	Ellesmere Port	43–0	Southern Nomads	Paton Field, Thurstaston
2018–19	Oldershaw	11–5	Ellesmere Port	Hartsfield, Moreton

Number of wins

• Oldershaw (5)
• Crewe & Nantwich (3)
• Port Sunlight (3)
• Runcorn (3)
• Wallasey (3)
• Ashton-on-Mersey (2)
• Macclesfield (2)
• New Brighton (2)
• Northwich (2)[a 1]
• Southern Nomads (2)
• Altrincham Kersal (1)
• Anselmians (1)
• Chester (1)
• Davenport (1)
• Ellesmere Port (1)
• Holmes Chapel (1)
• Old Instonians (1)
• Sale FC (1)
• Sandbach (1)
• Stockport (1)
• Wilmslow (1)
• Wirral (1)

Notes

1. Northwich also won the competition back when they were known as Mid Cheshire College.

See also

• Cheshire RFU
• Cheshire Cup
• Cheshire Vase
• Cheshire Bowl
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. "1981 PLATE FINAL" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
2. "COMMITTEES REPORT 1980-81" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
3. "COMMITTEES REPORT 1981-82" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
4. "1982 PLATE FINAL" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
5. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1983" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
6. "1983 PLATE FINAL" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
7. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 29 JUNE 1984" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
8. "1984 PLATE FINAL" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
9. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 29 JUNE 1985" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
10. "1985 PLATE FINAL" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
11. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 29 JUNE 1986" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
12. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 26 JUNE 1987" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
13. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 10 JUNE 1988" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
14. "GIROBANK CHESHIRE CUP 1987–88 Final" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
15. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1989" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
16. "GIROBANK CHESHIRE CUP 1988–89 Final" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
17. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1990" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
18. "NEWS LETTER SEASON 1990 – 1991" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
19. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1991" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
20. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1992" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
21. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 20 JUNE 1993" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
22. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 13 JUNE 1994" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
23. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 12 JUNE 1995" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
24. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 12 JUNE 1996" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
25. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 12 JUNE 1997" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
26. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 16 JUNE 1998" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
27. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 10 JUNE 1999" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
28. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 16 JUNE 2000" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
29. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 10 JUNE 2001" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
30. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 16 JUNE 2002" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
31. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 16 JUNE 2002". Sandbach RUFC. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
32. "ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JUNE 2004" (PDF). Cheshire RFU. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
33. "Late try drama earns cup success". Liverpool Echo. 3 May 2005.
34. "Ellesmere Port 21, Northwich 29". The Chester Chronicle. 11 May 2003.
35. "Marple's Plate woes". Manchester Evening News. 19 April 2006.
36. "Rugby Union: Mixed final fortunes". Daily Post (Liverpool). 9 May 2007.
37. "Wallasey at double". Liverpool Echo. 6 May 2008.
38. "Ashton are Cheshire Plate champions". Manchester Evening News. 17 April 2009.
39. "Holmes Chapel 10 – 3 Prenton". Holmes Chapel RFC (Pitchero). 9 May 2010.
40. "Crewe and Nantwich RUFC win to lift the Cheshire Plate Cup in Lymm". The Redshift Radio. 11 August 2011.
41. "CHESHIRE PLATE CHAMPIONS!". Southern Nomads RFC. 23 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
42. "Wallasey too strong for Nomads". Manx Radio. 30 March 2013.
43. "Southern Nomads lift rugby's Cheshire Plate". IGM Today. 21 April 2014.
44. "Cheshire Vase, Bowl & Plate Final Results". Cheshire RFU. 7 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
45. "Oldershaw retain Cheshire Plate in dramatic style". Oldershaw RFC. 28 March 2016.
46. "Easter Weekend – Cheshire Competitions results". Cheshire RFU. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
47. "THIS WEEK AT WIRRAL". Wirral Rugby Club. 12 April 2017.
48. "Ellesmere Port RUFC claim Cheshire Plate honours". Chester Standard. 1 April 2018.

External links

• Cheshire RFU