Cumbria Cup

The Cumbria Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Cumbria Rugby Union. It was first introduced during the 1882-83 season, when it was known as the Cumberland Challenge Cup, and the inaugural winners were Aspatria. Originally it was open only to club sides in Cumberland, but in 1974, as a result of the 1972 Local Government Act, Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness merged to form what we now know as Cumbria, and the competition was renamed as the Cumbria Cup, although the Westmorland & Furness Cup continued intermittently up until 2008. It is the most important cup competition in the county ahead of the Cumbria League Cup and Cumbria Shield.

Cumbria Cup

Sport	Rugby Union
Instituted	1882 (Cumberland Challenge Cup) 1974 (Cumbria Cup)
Number of teams	16
Country	England
Holders	Kendal (5th title) (2017-18)
Most titles	Aspatria (32 titles)
Website	Cumbria Rugby Union

The Cumbria Cup is currently open to the top club sides based in Cumbria, typically playing in tier 5 (National League 3 North), tier 6 (North 1 West) and tier 7 (North Lancashire/Cumbria), of the English rugby union league system. The format is a knockout cup with a first round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final to be held at a neutral venue between April-May.[1] Between 2006-14 there was also a Cumbria Plate competition for sides knocked out of the first round of the main cup competition but this has been discontinued in recent years.[2]

Cumbria Cup winners

Cumbria Cup Finals
Season	Winner	Score	Runners–up	Venue
1882-83	Aspatria
1883-84	Whitehaven
1884-85	Aspatria
1885-86	Carlisle
1886-87	Millom
1887-88	Millom
1888-89	Millom
1889-90	Egremont
1890-91[3]	Aspatria	5-0	Penrith	Rugby Ground, Carlisle
1891-92	Aspatria
1892-93	Maryport
1893-94	Maryport
1894-95	Seaton
1895-96	Aspatria
1896-97	Seaton
1897-98	Seaton
1898-99	Aspatria
1900-07	No competition
1907-08	Carlisle
1908-09	Aspatria
1909-10	Carlisle
1910-11	Aspatria
1911-12	Aspatria
1912-13	Blennerhasset
1913-14	Whitehaven
1914-18	No competition due to World War I
1919-20	Workington
1920-21	Workington
1921-22	Egremont
1922-23	Aspatria
1923-24	Workington
1924-25	Workington
1925-26	Workington
1926-27	St Bees
1927-28	Aspatria
1928-29	Aspatria
1929-30	Aspatria
1930-31	Workington
1931-32	Egremont
1932-33	Silloth
1933-34	Cockermouth
1934-35	Silloth
1935-36	Keswick
1936-37	Aspatria
1937-38	Aspatria
1938-39	Cockermouth
1940-45	No competition due to World War II
1946-47	Keswick
1947-48	Keswick
1948-49	Keswick
1949-50	Workington
1950-51	Keswick
1951-52	Keswick
1952-53	Workington
1953-54	Workington
1954-55	Keswick
1955-56	Cockermouth
1956-57	Egremont
1957-58	Egremont
1958-59	Egremont
1959-60[3]	Penrith	6-3	Old Creightonians
1960-61	Carlisle
1961-62	Workington
1962-63	Whitehaven
1963-64	Egremont
1964-65	Wigton
1965-66	Cockermouth
1966-67	Netherhall
1967-68	Egremont
1968-69	Whitehaven
1969-70	Wigton
1970-71	Wigton
1971-72	Wigton
1972-73	Wigton
1973-74	Netherhall
1974-75	Cockermouth
1975-76	Cockermouth
1976-77	Aspatria
1977-78	Aspatria
1978-79	Wigton
1979-80	Aspatria
1980-81	Aspatria
1981-82	Aspatria
1982-83	Aspatria
1983-84	Aspatria
1984-85[4]	Aspatria		Penrith
1985-86	Wigton
1986-87	Aspatria
1987-88	Aspatria
1988-89	Aspatria
1989-90	Aspatria
1990-91	Wigton
1991-92[4]	Aspatria		Penrith
1992-93	Aspatria
1993-94	Wigton
1994-95	Kendal
1995-96	Aspatria
1996-97[5]	Wigton		St Benedict's
1997-98	Kendal
1998-99	Aspatria
1999-00[6]	Penrith	12-11[a 1]	Workington	Rugby Ground, Carisle
2000-01[7]	Workington		Netherhall
2001-02[7]	Workington		Aspatria
2002-03	Wigton		Aspatria
2003-04	Wigton		St Benedict's	Bower Park, Aspatria[8]
2004-05	Penrith		St Benedict's	Bower Park, Aspatria[9]
2005-06[10]	Penrith	31-17	Asparia	Lowmoor Road, Wigton
2006-07[11]	Kendal	21-11	Carlisle	Winters Park, Penrith[12]
2007-08[13]	Kendal	35-25	Aspatria	Winters Park, Penrith[14]
2008-09[15]	Penrith	28-20	Carlisle	Bower Park, Aspatria
2009-10[16]	Penrith	31-20	Carlisle	Lowmoor Road, Wigton
2010-11[17]	Penrith	15-12	Kendal	Davidson Park, Keswick
2011-12[18]	Penrith	27-17[a 2]	Carlisle	Ellis Sports Ground, Workington
2012-13[19]	Aspatria	30-25	Carlisle	Ellis Sports Ground, Workington
2013-14[20]	Wigton	36-24	St Benedict's	Rugby Ground, Carisle
2014-15[21]	St Benedict's	24-23	Penrith	Davidson Park, Keswick[22]
2015-16[23]	St Benedict's	64-29	Whitehaven	Bleach Green, Egremont[24]
2016-17[25]	Carlisle	29-13	St Benedict's	Bower Park, Aspatria
2017-18[26]	Kendal	18-10	Carlisle	Davidson Park, Keswick
2018-19

[27]

Cumbria Plate winners

Cumbria Plate Finals
Season	Winner	Score	Runners–up	Venue
2006-07[28]	Workington	28-10	Keswick	Grassmoor Sports Centre, Cockermouth
2007-08[29]	Millon	13-11	Netherhall	Bleach Green, Egremont
2008-09	Final not held
2009-10[30]	Whitehaven	27-16	Millom
2010-11[31]	St Benedict's	22-5	Egremont
2011-12[32]	Keswick	24-13[a 3]	Silloth	Lowmoor Road, Wigton
2012-13	St Benedict's
2013-14[33][34]	Upper Eden	19-13	Aspatria	Davidson Park, Keswick

[35]

Number of wins

Cup Aspatria (32) Wigton (13) Workington (12) Egremont (8) Penrith (8) Keswick (7) Cockermouth (6) Carlisle (5) Kendal (5) Whitehaven (4) Millom (3) Seaton (3)[a 4] Maryport (2)[a 5] Netherhall (2) Silloth (2) St Benedict's (2) Blennerhasset (1) St Bees (1)

Plate St Benedict's (2) Keswick (1) Millon (1) Upper Eden (1) Whitehaven (1) Workington (1)

Notes

1. The 2000 final score was not clear from the press report available. However, as it was stated it was a low scoring game in which Simon Veitch is stated to have scored 4/5 kicks (penalties) and Penrith won by 1 point, then a 12-11 scoreline is a reasonable conclusion.[6]
2. The 2012 cup final score was not particularly clear in the press report but Penrith are likely to have scored 27 points as two of their second half tries were scored in between the posts while the final try was the result of a line-out, with a successful conversion not mentioned (if it had the final score would have been 29-17).[18]
3. The 2012 final score was not clear from the press report available. The press report mentions all tries and penalties but does not mention any conversions (other than several missed), leading to 24-13 being a reasonable estimation of the final score.[32]
4. Seaton won the cup several times in the 1890s but switched over to Rugby League in 1898-99.[36]
5. Maryport won the cup several times in the 1890s but switched over to Rugby League in 1898-99.[37]

See also

• Cumbria Rugby Union
• Cumbria League Cup
• Cumbria Shield
• Westmorland & Furness Cup

References

1. "Cumbria Cup Draw". Cumbria RU. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
2. "CUMBRIA CUP DRAW". Aspatria RUFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 18 July 2017.
3. "NOT often have Penrith had successful runs in the Cumbria Cup". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 25 December 1999.
4. "NOT often have Penrith had successful runs in the Cumbria Cup". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 8 April 2000.
5. "Honours". St Benedicts RUFC. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
6. "CUP TRIUMPH IS ICING ON CAKE OF A MEMORABLE SEASON". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 29 April 2000.
7. "History". Workington RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 3 July 2017.
8. "Emotional day as Wigton aim for Cup Final glory". News & Start. 23 April 2005.
9. "PENRITH LOOK FOR THIRD RU COUNTY CUP WIN". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 13 April 2005.
10. "WINTERS PARK MEN LAND LEAGUE AND CUP DOUBLE". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 13 May 2006.
11. "CARLISLE ARE REAL HEROES OF STORY". News & Star. 23 April 2007.
12. "Carlisle aim to Stoke up cup final fire". News & Star. 13 April 2007.
13. "Rugby - Kendal retain Cumbria Cup". News Shopper. 26 April 2008.
14. "Holders Kendal ease past Penrith to reach Story Cumbria Cup final". News & Star. 7 April 2008.
15. "Penrith add Cumbria Cup to league title". News & Star. 30 April 2009.
16. "CARLISLE MAKE PENRITH WORK HARD TO RETAIN CUMBRIA CUP". News & Star. 3 May 2010.
17. "Penrith beat Kendal to retain Cumbria Cup". News & Star. 4 May 2011.
18. "Penrith claim fourth consecutive county title Cup winners again!". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 10 May 2012.
19. "Underdogs Aspatria beat Carlisle to win Cumbria Cup". News & Star. 3 April 2013.
20. "County Champions!". Wigton RUFC (Pitchero). 19 April 2014.
21. "ST BENEDICTS 24 PENRITH 23". Penrith RUFC (Pitchero). 25 April 2015.
22. "St. Benedict's will not start as cup final". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 24 April 2015.
23. "St Benedict's romp to win to retain Cumbria Cup". News & Star. 25 May 2016.
24. "Cumbria Cup Final Whitehaven Vs St.Benedict's". Whitehaven RUFC (Pitchero). 10 May 2016.
25. "Carlisle claim Cumbria Cup win over St Benedict's at Aspatria's Bower Park". News & Star. 10 May 2017.
26. "Carlisle lose in close County Cup final match at a damp Keswick". Carlisle RFC (Pitchero). 1 May 2018.
27. "Cumbria Cup - Previous Winners (Word Doc)". Cumbria RU. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
28. "Super Zebras storm back to lift Plate and land historic double". News & Star. 3 May 2007.
29. "Millom seal Netherhall's Plate fate". News & Star. 8 May 2008.
30. "Champions Whitehaven beat Millom to win Cumbria Plate". News & Star. 17 May 2010. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
31. "St Benedict's complete Shield and Plate double". News & Star. 11 May 2011.
32. "Cumbrian Plate glory for Keswick". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 13 April 2012.
33. "Eden save their best until last". Cumberland & Westmorland Herald. 2 May 2014.
34. "Upper Eden 19 13 Aspatria". Upper Eden RUFC (Pitchero). 29 April 2014.
35. "Cumbria Plate - Previous Winners (Word Doc)". Cumbria RU. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
36. "SEATON RANGERS ARLFC CLUB HISTORY". Seaton Rangers ARLFC. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
37. "History 3". Maryport ARLFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 2 July 2017.

External links

• Cumbria RU