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. 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).
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 Old Instonians Port Sunlight Upper Park, Birkenhead 1981–82 Macclesfield 22–14 Winnington Park Memorial Ground, Wilmslow 1982–83 New Brighton 23–9 Mid Cheshire College Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead 1983–84 Chester 17–7 Crewe & Nantwich Memorial Ground, Wilmslow 1984–85 Sandbach 11–9 Macclesfield Memorial Ground, Wilmslow 1985–86 Port Sunlight Oldershaw Reeds Lane, New Brighton 1986–87 Davenport Port Sunlight Hare Lane, Chester 1987–88 Mid Cheshire College 23–7 Oldershaw Hare Lane, Chester 1988–89 Ashton-on-Mersey 13–0 Helsby Hare Lane, Chester 1989–90 Port Sunlight 11–9 Old Anselmians Hare Lane Chester 1990–91 Oldershaw Crewe & Nantwich Hare Lane, Chester 1991–92 New Brighton Wilmslow Memorial Ground, Wilmslow 1992–93 Oldershaw Congleton Hare Lane, Chester 1993–94 Macclesfield Wallasey Crouchley Lane, Lymm 1994–95 Wilmslow Birkenhead Park Crouchley Lane, Lymm 1995–96 Crewe & Nantwich 20–15 Wirral Crouchley Lane, Lymm 1996–97 Old Anselmians 20–13 Caldy Crouchley Lane, Lymm 1997–98 Altrincham Kersal Prenton Burrows Hill, Winnington 1998–99 Stockport Prenton Hare Lane, Chester 1999-00 Runcorn 14–11 Crewe & Nantwich Hare Lane, Chester 2000–01 Runcorn Caldy Crouchley Lane, Lymm 2001–02 Runcorn 22–20 Ellesmere Port Crouchley Lane, Lymm 2002–03 Wirral 8–6 Old Anselmians 2003–04 Crewe & Nantwich 27–13 Ellesmere Port The Memorial Ground, Stockport 2004–05 Northwich 26–3 Oxton Parkonians Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge 2005–06 Sale FC 45–10 Marple 2006–07 Wallasey 29–19 Crewe & Nantwich Upper Park, Birkenhead 2007–08 Wallasey 17–12 Crewe & Nantwich Burrows Hill, Winnington 2008–09 Ashton-on-Mersey 22–21 Oldershaw Burrows Hill, Winnington 2009–10 Holmes Chapel 10–3 Prenton Hartsfield, Moreton 2010–11 Crewe & Nantwich 39–7 Prenton Crouchley Lane, Lymm 2011–12 Southern Nomads 18–13 Prenton Hartsfield, Moreton 2012–13 Wallasey 22–14 Southern Nomads Bradwell Road, Sandbach 2013–14 Southern Nomads 24–17 Oxton Parkonians Burrows Hill, Winnington 2014–15 Oldershaw 32–15 Oxton Parkonians Burrows Hill, Winnington 2015–16 Oldershaw 20–17 Ellesmere Park Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge 2016–17 Port Sunlight 26–8 Oldershaw Memorial Ground, Clatterbridge 2017–18 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) 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
See also Cheshire RFU Cheshire Cup Cheshire Vase Cheshire Bowl English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links Cheshire RFU