The Devon Senior Cup is an annual rugby union league and cup club competition organized by the Devon Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced in the 1886-87 season and the inaugural competition was won by Tiverton. During the early years of the cup the format changed several times from a knock-out competition to a league format, then to hybrid league/cup, then back to being a knock-out cup once again. The competition also had periods of inactivity, with World War I preventing play for a number of seasons and then the cup being cancelled in the 1930s before being reintroduced for the 1969-70 season when it was won by St. Luke's College (now University of Exeter). The Havill Plate was introduced in the 1970s for teams knocked out of the first round of the cup which would continue until 1999. Competitions similar to the Havill Plate were introduced in 2009 for teams that got knocked out of the earlier stages of the cup were introduced - plate (semi finals) and vase (quarter finals) - but these were discontinued due to a lack of interest by the clubs involved.
The Devon Senior Cup is currently the premier county cup competition for club sides based in Devon that play in tier 5 (South West One) of the English rugby union league system. For 2022-23 the format was two conference divisions of four teams playing three games to determine the top two in each pool, who go through to the semi-finals. The bottom two teams in the pools go through to the Devon Senior Shield, where two semi-finals are played to determine the finalists.
Devon Senior Cup winners Devon Senior Cup Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 1885-86 Tiverton 2-0 Exeter (Unofficial) 1886-87 Tiverton Torquay Athletic RFC Plainmoor (Unofficial) 1887-88 Tiverton 3-0 Newton Abbot County Ground, Exeter 1888-89 Devonport Albion 11-0 Exeter County Ground, Exeter 1889-90 Exeter 10-6 Torquay Athletic County Ground, Exeter 1890-91 Devonport Albion N/A RNEC 1891-92 Devonport Albion 1892-93 Devonport Albion 1893-94 Barnstaple 1894-95 Devonport Albion 6-2 Torquay Athletic 1895-96 Sidmouth 1896-97 Sidmouth 3-0 Totnes County Ground, Exeter 1897-98 Crediton 5-3 Torquay Albion South Devon Cricket Ground, Marsh Road, Newton Abbot 1898-1903 No competition 1904-05 Plymouth 3-0 Exeter Rectory Field, Plymouth 1905-06 Plymouth 12-4 Paignton County Ground 1906-07 Torquay Athletic 5-0 Devonport Albion South Devon Cricket Ground, Marsh Road, Newton Abbot 1907-08 Devonport Albion 5-0 Plymouth Home Park 1908-09 Devonport Albion 3-0 Newton Abbot Recreation Ground, Torquay 1909-10 Plymouth 6-3 Devonport Albion Home Park 1910-11 Plymouth 10-0 Newton Abbot Recreation Ground, Torquay 1911-12 Devonport Albion 27-0 Torquay Athletic 1912-13 Devonport Albion 5-3 Exmouth Devonport 1913-14 Devonport Albion 15-3 Exmouth County Ground 1914-20 No competition due to World War I 1920-21 Plymouth Albion 11-3 Newton Abbot Recreation Ground, Torquay 1921-22 Brixham 3-0 Torquay Athletic South Devon Cricket Ground, Marsh Road, Newton Abbot 1922-23 Newton Abbot 7-0 Torquay Athletic South Devon Cricket Ground, Marsh Road, Newton Abbot 1923-24 Newton Abbot 7-4 Torquay Athletic Recreation Ground, Torquay 1924-25 Exmouth 10-0 Newton Abbot South Devon Cricket Ground, Marsh Road, Newton Abbot 1925-26 Barnstaple 11-3 Brixham County Ground, Exeter 1926-27 Newton Abbot 17-0 Exmouth County Ground, Exeter 1927-28 Barnstaple 6-3 Brixham County Ground, Exeter 1928-29 Teignmouth 6-3 Brixham Recreation Ground, Torquay 1929-30 Sidmouth 3-0 Brixham Recreation Ground, Torquay 1930-31 Paignton 6-0 Sidmouth 1931-32 Brixham 9-0 Paignton Recreation Ground, Torquay 1932-68 No competition 1968-69 St. Luke's College Plymouth Albion Recreation Ground, Torquay 1969-70 St. Luke's College 12-9 Barnstaple 1970-71 Exeter 1971-72 Exeter Torquay Athletic 1972-73 Exeter 1973-74 Plymouth Albion 16-6 St. Luke's College Rectory Field, Plymouth 1974-75 St. Luke's College 25-10 Barnstaple County Ground, Exeter 1975-76 Exeter 18-12 Torquay Athletic 1976-77 Plymouth Albion 10-0 Exeter Beacon Park, Plymouth 1977-78 Exeter 28-13 Sidmouth County Ground, Exeter 1978-79 Torquay Athletic 15-8 Brixham Recreation Ground, Torquay 1979-80 Exeter 1980-81 Exeter University Exeter 1981-82 Exeter 9-4 Torquay Athletic Recreation Ground, Torquay 1982-83 Plymouth Albion 30-13 Devon & Cornwall Police Beacon Park, Plymouth 1983-84 Plymouth Albion 22-7 Devon & Cornwall Police Beacon Park, Plymouth 1984-85 Plymouth Albion 12-4 Exeter University County Ground, Exeter 1985-86 Plymouth Albion 15-6 Exeter County Ground, Exeter 1986-87 Plymouth Albion 47-12 Devonport Services Beacon Park, Plymouth 1987-88 Plymouth Albion 32-6 Okehampton Showfield, Okehampton 1988-89 Exeter 17-9 Barnstaple Pottington Road, Barnstaple 1989-90 Exeter 26-10 Torquay Athletic Recreation Ground, Torquay 1990-91 Exeter 18-12 Plymouth Albion Beacon Park, Plymouth 1991-92 Exeter 30-10 Brixham County Ground, Exeter 1992-93 Exeter 35-21 Brixham County Ground, Exeter 1993-94 Exeter 22-12 Plymouth Albion Beacon Park, Plymouth 1994-95 Exeter 22-3 Brixham Astley Park, Brixham 1995-96 Exeter 32-6 Barnstaple Pottington Road, Barnstaple 1996-97 Barnstaple 31-18 Okehampton Showfield, Okehampton 1997-98 Tiverton 23-14 Torquay Athletic Recreation Ground, Torquay 1998-99 Barnstaple 20-14 Exeter Pottington Road, Barnstaple 1999-00 Barnstaple 9-3 Exeter Pottington Road, Barnstaple 2000-01 Barnstaple 30-18 Brixham Pottington Road, Barnstaple 2001-02 Barnstaple 25-16 Brixham Astley Park , Brixham 2002-03 Exmouth Barnstaple Pottington Road, Barnstaple 2003-04 Newton Abbot 33-31 Brixham Astley Park, Brixham 2004-05 Barnstaple 21-0 Cullompton Stafford Park, Cullompton 2005-06 Exmouth 22-13 Torquay Athletic Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2006-07 Torquay Athletic 6-16 Paignton Queen's Park, Paignton 2007-08 Barnstaple 23-19 Exmouth Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2008-09 Barnstaple 21-0 Cullompton Stafford Park, Cullompton 2009-10 Barnstaple 28-25 Brixham Astley Park 2010-11 Exmouth 20-15 Newton Abbot Rackerhayes, Kingsteignton 2011-12 Exmouth 28-15 Brixham Astley Park, Brixham 2012-13 Exmouth 39-3 Barnstaple Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2013-14 Exmouth 31-12 Newton Abbot Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2014-15 Brixham 39-31 Newton Abbot Rackerhayes, Kingsteignton 2015-16 Exmouth 31-25 Brixham Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2016-17 Brixham 35-20 Okehampton Astley Park, Brixham 2017-18 Ivybridge 38-31 Exmouth Cross-in-Hand, Ivybridge 2018-19 Barnstaple 61-22 Exmouth Pottington Road, Barnstaple2021-22Exeter University54-32ExmouthImperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth 2022-23 Devonport Services Brixham Rectory Field, Plymouth
Devon Senior Plate winners Devon Senior Plate Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 2009-10 Paignton 28-3 Cullompton Stafford Park, Cullompton 2010-11 Barnstaple 50-12 Brixham Pottington Road, Barnstaple
Devon Senior Shield winners Devon Senior Plate Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 2018-19 Okehampton 24–20 Devonport Services Showground, Okehampton
Devon Senior Vase winners Devon Senior Vase Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 2009-10 Tiverton 20-15 Kingsbridge Coronation Field, Tiverton 2010-11 Cullompton N/A Paignton Stafford Park, Cullompton
Number of wins
Cup Exeter (16) Barnstaple (13) Devonport Albion (10) Exmouth (8) Plymouth Albion (8) Plymouth RFC (5) Brixham (4) Exeter University (4) Newton Abbot (4) Sidmouth (3) Torquay Athletic (3) Tiverton (3) Ivybridge (1) Paignton (1) Teignmouth (1)
Plate Barnstaple (1) Paignton (1)
Shield Okehampton (1)
Vase Cullompton (1) Tiverton (1)
Notes
See also Devon RFU Devon Intermediate Cup Devon Junior Cup David Butt Memorial Trophy Havill Plate English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links Devon RFU