The John Burgess Lancashire Cup is an English Rugby Football Union competition organised by the Lancashire Rugby Football Union and open to all eligible clubs in the Lancashire region including a number of clubs in Cheshire and Merseyside. The men's competition was discontinued at the end of 2013 as there were not enough teams willing to participate (partly due to the increased demands of league rugby) and subsequently reintroduced in 2021.
History
Despite the Lancashire RFU being established in 1881 and having the most successful county team in the country, club rugby union took a long time to catch on in Lancashire. While bitter rivals Yorkshire had an established county club competition (the Yorkshire Cup) from 1878, Lancashire did not have a similar sustained competition until 1971. This lack of competitive rugby perhaps contributing to Lancashire's smaller membership of clubs when compared to its counterpart.
The Lancashire County Rugby Challenge Cup was first introduced in 1893-1894 season. As a consequence of the loss of clubs to Northern Union from 1895 onwards, the competition was withdrawn in 1897 and reintroduced in 1971. In 1997, the competition was renamed the John Burgess Lancashire Cup in honour of the former Lancashire and England Coach and RFU President.
Some of the current clubs competing appear to be based outside of Lancashire, such as Liverpool St Helens and Waterloo, but when the Lancashire RFU was founded, places like Merseyside and Liverpool were part of the county, and these teams have retained their membership.
Final results
Year Winner Score Runner up Venue1971-72Orrell16 – 0LiverpoolSt. Anthony's Road, Blundellsands1972-73Orrell32 – 7West Park St Helens1973-74 Waterloo12 – 9Broughton Park1974-75 Orrell9 – 3Manchester1975-76 Widnes21 – 9West Park St Helens1976-77Liverpool10 – 9Orrell1977-78Orrell12 - 3Liverpool1978-79Liverpool10 - 6Orrell1979-80 Waterloo12 – 0Broughton Park1980-81Orrell12 – 6Liverpool1981-82 Orrell17 – 12 Liverpool1982-83 Orrell26 – 3Liverpool1983-84 Liverpool20 – 3Preston GrasshoppersSt. Anthony's Road, Blundellsands1984-85 Waterloo11 - 6Vale of LuneWoodlands Memorial Ground, Fylde1985-86 Vale of Lune19 – 10Preston GrasshoppersWoodlands Memorial Ground, Fylde1986-87 Waterloo25 – 12Orrell1987-88Orrell23 - 6Liverpool St Helens1988-89Orrell48 - 6Broughton Park Moss Lane, St. Helens1989-90Liverpool St Helens24 - 9Waterloo1990-91Widnes 23 – 7 Orrell1991-92 Vale of Lune12 – 6Widnes1992-93 Waterloo13 - 11Liverpool St Helens1993-94 Waterloo19 - 6Orrell1994-95 Fylde15 - 11Manchester1995-96 Liverpool St Helens22 – 13Widnes1996-97 Orrell27 – 17Preston Grasshoppers1997-98Manchester42 – 19Fylde1998-99Manchester29 - 27Orrell1999-00 West Park St Helens 33 – 23 Manchester2000-01 Manchester27 - 20 Sedgley Park Lightfoot Green, Preston2001-02 Sedgley Park 31 – 3FyldeLightfoot Green, Preston2002-03 Preston Grasshoppers34 – 31 West Park St HelensPark Lane, Whitefield2003-04 Sedgley Park 51 – 25Vale of LunePark Lane, Whitefield 2004-05 West Park St Helens22 – 13Preston GrasshoppersPark Lane, Whitefield2005-06 Preston Grasshoppers43 - 14WaterlooPark Lane, Whitefield 2006-07 Sedgley Park 24 – 14ManchesterWoodlands Memorial Ground, Fylde 2007-08 Waterloo 30 – 19 Sedgley Park Park Lane, Whitefield 2008-09 Fylde 37 – 17 Preston Grasshoppers Lightfoot Green, Preston 2009-10 Fylde 15 – 7 Preston Grasshoppers Lightfoot Green, Preston 2010-11 Fylde W/O Rossendale N/A 2011-12 Preston Grasshoppers 30 - 10 Sedgley Park Woodlands Memorial Ground, Fylde 2012-13 Sedgley Park 28 - 24 Preston Grasshoppers Park Lane, Whitefield 2013-18 (no competition) 2018-19 Blackburn22 - 20Rochdale Moorgate Avenue, Rochdale 2019-20 (not completed) 2020-21 (no competition) 2021-22 Preston Grasshoppers 59 - 8Widnes Douglas Valley, Wigan 2022-23 Blackburn 87 - 3 Firwood Waterloo Hand Lane, Leigh2023-24(no competition)2024-25Firwood Waterloo33 - 14West Park St HelensDouglas Valley, Wigan2025-26Vale of Lune19 - 15WidnesDouglas Valley, Wigan2026-27 Number of wins
Orrell (10) Waterloo (8) Liverpool/Liverpool St Helens (5) Fylde (4) Preston Grasshoppers (4) Sedgley Park (4) Manchester (3) Vale of Lune (3) West Park St Helens (2) Widnes (2) Blackburn (2)
See also Lancashire RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References