North Midlands Shield

The North Midlands Shield is an annual rugby union knock-out cup club competition organized by the North Midlands Rugby Football Union and was first contested during the 2001-02 season with Ledbury being the first ever winners, defeating Old Saltleians in the final held at Finstall Park in Bromsgrove.[1] It is currently open for clubs ranked in tier 7-8 of the English rugby union system that fall under the North Midlands RFU umbrella, including sides based in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. A tier 9 side, Shropshire based Oswestry, who play in Cheshire (South), also take part. In 2014 the North Midlands RFU introduced a 'Plate' competition for sides eliminated in the early stages of the Shield.[2] It is one of three men's club competitions in the region along with the North Midlands Cup (for tier 5-6 sides) and the North Midlands Vase (for tier 9-10 sides).[3]

North Midlands Shield
SportRugby Union
Instituted2001 (2001)
Number of teams19
Country England
HoldersMalvern (1st title) (2017–18)
Most titlesBridgnorth, Kidderminster Carolians (3 titles)
WebsiteNorth Midlands RFU

The current format is as a knock-out cup with a preliminary round, first round, quarter-final, semi-final and final which is held at a neutral venue in May (currently Heathbrook, home of Dudley Kingswinford RFC) along with the cup and vase finals. Due to the disjointed numbers of teams several teams have play in the preliminary round. Teams that lose in either the preliminary or first round stage then contest the plate while winners go on to contest the cup proper.

North Midlands Shield winners
North Midlands Shield Winners[4]
Season Shield Winner Score Shield Runners–up Plate Winner[a 1] Score Plate Runners–up Venue
2001-02[1]Ledbury13-5Old SaltleiansFinstall Park, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
2002-03[5]Solihull13-7[a 2]Old YardleiansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2003-04[6]Old Yardleians27-8Aston Old EdwardiansHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2004-05[7][8]Solihull48-28Old DixoniansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2005-06[9]Kidderminster Carolians24-18Old HalesoniansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2006-07[10][11]Old Halesonians15-0Aston Old EdwardiansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2007-08[12][13]Camp HillBournvilleStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2008-09[14]Bournville34-17Aston Old EdwardiansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2009-10[15]Old SaltleiansDroitwichStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2010-11[16]Droitwich29-13Aston Old EdwardiansStourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2011-12[17]Droitwich27-16VeseyansHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2012-13[18]Bridgnorth10-6DroitwichHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2013-14[19]Bridgnorth30-8Stourbridge LionsHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2014-15[20]Bridgnorth18-13Kidderminster CaroliansOld Saltleians29-15WoodrushHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2015-16[21]Kidderminster Carolians32-15Old SaltleiansOld Yardleians27-20DroitwichHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2016-17[22]Kidderminster Carolians23-16VeseyansOld Saltleians26-19HarborneHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2017-18Malvern53-12Old SaltleiansDroitwich19-7ShrewsburyHeathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands

Number of wins

Notes
  1. Plate competition introduced for 2014-15 season for teams that were knocked out of the first round of the North Midlands Shield.[2]
  2. North Midlands RFU website has Worcester Wanderers as the winners of the 2003 competition yet Worcester News state Solihull win. This is backed up in other online new sources so it must be a mistake by the North Midlands RFU.

See also

References
  1. "3/1/03 - Southam visit Ledbury RFC". Hereford Times. 3 January 2003.
  2. "North Midlands Cup draws made". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  3. "NORTH MIDLANDS CUP COMPETITIONS". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  4. "NM SHIELD PREVIOUS WINNERS". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  5. "Sols march on to double joy". Worcester News. 11 May 2003.
  6. "RUGBY UNION: Robbo record". Birmingham Evening Mail. 11 May 2004. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  7. "Dixonians RFC: History". Dixonians RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  8. "RUGBY UNION: Solihull double". Birmingham Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2005.
  9. "Kidderminster Carolians". Worcester News. Retrieved 11 May 2006.
  10. "Sport in Brief". The Telegraph. 15 May 2007.
  11. "Rugby Union: Shield semi-final between Kings Norton and Bournville". The Birmingham Post. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  12. "Camp Hill: History". Camp Hill RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  13. "Rugby Union: Shield semi-final between Kings Norton and Bournville". The Birmingham Post. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  14. "Award-winning vets Bournville Hippos enter Sevens festival". The Birmingham Post. 12 May 2009. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  15. "North Midlands Finals". Aston Old Edwardians RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  16. "North Midlands Shield Final". Aston Old Edwardians RFC. 15 May 2011.
  17. "DRFC 27-16 Veseyans". Droitwich RFC. 13 May 2012.
  18. "Bridgnorth Won The North Mids Shield!". Bridgnorth RFC. 13 May 2013.
  19. "Bridgnorth and Bredon Star win silverware at county finals day". North Midlands RFU. 11 May 2014.
  20. "NORTH MIDS CU 2014/15 Season". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  21. "Bees win North Midlands Cup in tense final". North Midlands RFU. 8 May 2016.
  22. "Kidderminster retain North Mids Shield". North Midlands RFU. 7 May 2017.
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