The Cumbria Shield is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Cumbria Rugby Union. It was introduced during the 1888–89 season, when it was known as the Cumberland Challenge Shield, and the inaugural winners were Millom. Initially it was open only to junior club sides in Cumberland (senior sides played in the Challenge Cup) but in 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness merged to form what we now know as Cumbria, and the competition would ultimately be renamed as the Cumbria Shield. It is the third most important cup competition in Cumbria, behind the Cumbria Cup and Cumbria League Cup.
Originally the Shield was a knock-out cup played by the 1st teams of junior clubs, along with the 2nd teams of senior clubs, before becoming mostly a 2nd team competition. In later years the format switched back and forth between a knock-out cup and league cup-hybrid, but has most recently switched to being awarded to the winners of the Cumbria Shield League – a regional league for 2nd and 3rd teams in Cumbria. A secondary competition known as the Cumbria Vase was introduced in 2007 initially for sides knocked out of the early rounds of the Shield competition, although in recent years it seems to have become a stand-alone cup competition for 2nd teams in the region.
Cumbria Shield winners Cumbria Shield Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 1888-89 Millom II 6-4 Cleator Egremont 1889-90 Egremont II 5-1Aspatria II Colliery Recreation Ground, Whitehaven 1890-91 Millom II 4-0 Dearham Juniors Egremont 1891-92 Millom II 15-0 Whitehaven Recreation Cleator 1892-93 Whitehaven Recreation 10-0 Carlisle II Maryport 1893-94 Maryport II 13-3 Cowan Sheldonians Carlisle 1894-95 Millom II 3-0 Wath Brow Egremont 1895-96 Wath Brow 3-0 Maryport Red Rose Lonsdale Park, Workington 1896-97 Workington II 3-0 Highmoor Rovers Maryport 1897-98 Workington II 5-3 Whitehaven Recreation Whitehaven 1898-99 Highmoor Rover 3-0 Aspatria Hornets Whitehaven 1900-06 No competition 1906-07 Aspatria II 3-0 Cockermouth II Aspatria Agriculture College 1907-08 Wigton 5-0 Aspatria II Cockermouth 1908-09 Workington Trades 6-0 Silloth II Noble Croft, Aspatria 1909-10 Cockermouth II 6-3 Wigton II Park Ground, Silloth 1910-11 Wigton II 5-3 Workington II Noble Croft, Aspatria 1911-12 Whitehaven II 10-3 Cockermouth II Noble Croft, Aspatria 1912-13 Blennerhasset II 6-3 Silloth II Brindle Field, Wigton 1913-14 Workington II 6-3 Cockermouth II Whitehaven 1914-18 No competition due to World War I 1919-20 Workington II 5-0 Silloth II Noble Croft, Aspatria 1920-21 Great Clifton II 5-3 Aspatria II Cockermouth 1921-22 Aspatria II 9-0 Egremont II Whitehaven 1922-23 Silloth II 3-0 Aspatria II Carlisle 1923-24 Aspatria II 8-6 Blennerhasset II Park Ground, Silloth 1924-25 Aspatria II 17-3 Silloth II Carlisle 1925-26 Workington II 16-3 Silloth II Noble Croft, Aspatria 1926-27 Cockermouth II 3-0 St Bees II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1927-28 Wigton Hornets 11-5 Workington II Cockermouth 1928-29 Aspatria II 17-3 Moresby II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1929-30 Aspatria II 6-0 Cockermouth II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1930-31 Workington II 6-3 Aspatria II Cockermouth 1931-32 Whitehaven II 12-3 Egremont II St Bees 1932-33 Aspatria II 3-3 8-0 Bothel Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1933-34 Cockermouth II 6-3 Egremont II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1934-35 Workington II 23-4 Cockermouth II Bleach Green, Egremont 1935-36 Workington II 14-5 Whitehaven II Bleach Green, Egremont 1936-37 Moresby II 11-3 Workington II Bleach Green, Egremont 1937-38 Aspatria II 3-0 Workington II Silloth 1938-39 Egremont II 4-0 Cockermouth II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1940-45 No competition due to World War II 1946-47 Silloth 2nds 3-0 Cockermouth 2nds Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1947-48 Cockermouth 2nds 6-0 Silloth 2nds Wigton 1948-49 Workington II 3-3 8-3 Keswick II Cockermouth 1949-50 Workington 2nds 24-9 Carlisle II Wigton 1950-51 Workington II 14-9 Whitehaven II Bleach Green, Egremont 1951-52 Egremont 2nds 11-9 Aspatria 2nds Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1952-53 Egremont 2nds 15-0 Aspatria 2nds Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1953-54 Workington 2nds 6-3 Egremont 2nds Whitehaven 1954-55 Egremont 2nds 5-3 Whitehaven 2nds Cockermouth 1955-56 Workington 2nds 9-3 Egremont 2nds Whitehaven 1956-57 Millom 2nds 6-5 Egremont 2nds Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1957-58 Workington 2nds 12-6 Millom 2nds Bleach Green, Egremont 1958-59 Border Regiment 9-3 Workington 2nds Wigton 1959-60 Workington II 3-0 British Steels Cockermouth 1960-61 British Steels 6-0 Netherhall Old Boys Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1961-62 Cumberland & Westmorland Police 9-8 Netherhall Old Boys Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1962-63 Whitehaven II 15-3 Netherhall Old Boys Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1963-64 Netherhall Old Boys 6-3 British Steels Cockermouth 1964-65 Netherhall Old Boys 6-3 Whitehaven II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1965-66 Netherhall Old Boys 15-9 Whitehaven II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1966-67 Netherhall Old Boys 6-3 Whitehaven II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1967-68 Whitehaven II 12-6 Netherhall Old Boys Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1968-69 Netherhall Old Boys 18-9 Whitehaven II Bleach Green, Egremont 1969-70 Netherhall Old Boys 13-0 Workington II Laithwaite Ground, Cockermouth 1970-71 Wigton II 9-6 Whitehaven II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1971-72 Workington II 7-3 Wigton II Cockermouth 1972-73 Wigton II 16-9 Whitehaven II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1973-74 Wigton II 18-7 Smith Bros Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1974-75 Cockermouth II 15-9 Smith Bros Whitehaven 1975-76 Wigton II 10-10 9-6 Smith Bros Bower Park, Aspatria 1976-77 Millom II 23-22 British Steels Whitehaven 1977-78 Netherhall Old Boys 3-0 Workington II Bower Park, Aspatria 1978-79 Netherhall Old Boys 16-3 Silloth Lowmoor Road, Wigton 1979-80 Wigton II 10-7 Egremont II Ellis Sports Ground, Workington 1980-81 Aspatria II 9-6 Netherhall II Lowmoor Road, Wigton 1981-82 Aspatria II 15-12 Wigton II Whitehaven 1982-83 Aspatria II 12-6 Egremont II Whitehaven 1983-84 St Benedict's 9-4 Egremont A Walkmill Park, Moresby 1984-85 St Benedict's 12-6 Workington II Whitehaven 1985-86 Aspatria II 18-3 British Steels Netherhall 1986-87 St Benedict's 9-6 Smith Bros Whitehaven 1987-88 St Benedict's 9-3 Wigton II Netherhall 1988-89 Carlisle 'A' 1989-90 St Benedict's 1990-91 Silloth 1991-92 Silloth 1992-93 Aspatria II 1993-94 Aspatria II 1994-95 Netherhall II 1995-96 Kendal II 1996-97 Wigton II 1997-98 Wigton II 15-8 Workington II Netherhall 1998-99 Aspatria Eagles 13-8 St Benedict’s Silloth 1999-00 Workington II 2000-01 Kirkby Lonsdale II 32-9 Workington II Carlisle 2001-02 Aspatria II 29-8 Carlisle II Silloth 2002-03 Workington II Penrith II 2003-04 Penrith II 2004-05 Penrith II 2005-06 Aspatria II 34-25 Carlisle II Sycamore Lane, Creighton 2006-07 Penrith II 15-3 Wigton II Sycamore Lane, Creighton 2007-08 Silloth 16-16 Penrith III Lowmoor Road, Wigton 2008-09 Silloth 27-20 St Benedict's II St Benedict’s 2009-10 St Benedict's II 2010-11 St Benedict's II 2011-12 Moresby 12-10 Cockermouth Netherhall Road, Maryport 2012-13 Moresby 14-5 Creighton Grassmoor Sports Centre, Cockermouth 2013-14 Penrith III 2014-15 Penrith III 30-12 St Benedict's II Davidson Park, Keswick 2015-16 St Benedict's II No final as league competition 2016-17 Aspatria Eagles 2017-18 Wigton II No final as league competition 2018-19 Whitehaven 2020-2021 No Winner Due To COVID 19 2021-22 Penrith II No final as league competition2022-23 Keswick II2023-24 No competition held 2024-25 Keswick II 28-27 Penrith II Lowmoor Road, Wigton2025-26 St Benedict’s 24-10 Keswick II Lowmoor Road, Wigton
Cumbria Vase winners Cumbria Vase Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 2007-08 Kendal 'A' 2008-09 Kendal 'A' 2009-10 Carlisle 'A' 2010-11 Carlisle 'A' 2011-12 Kendal 'A' 2012-13 No final 2013-14 Creighton 2014-15 Penrith III Ambleside Kendal 2015-16 St Benedicts II 14-11 Cockermouth 2018-19 Windermere 34-5 Aspatria Eagles Keswick 2024-25 Hawcoat Park 37-3 Creighton Windermere
Number of wins
Shield Workington II (19) Aspatria II (17) St Benedict's (10) Wigton II (10) Netherhall II (9) Millom II (6) Silloth (6) Cockermouth II (5) Egremont II (5) Penrith II (5) Whitehaven II (5) Moresby (3) Blennerhasset II (1) Border Regiment (1) Carlisle 'A' (1) Clifton (1) Cumberland & Westmorland Police (1) High Moor Rovers Dearham (1) Kendal II (1) Kirkby Lonsdale II (1) Maryport II (1) United Steels S.O (1) Wath Brow (1) Whitehaven Recreation (1) Wigton Hornets (1) Workington Trades (1)
Vase Kendal 'A' (3) Carlisle 'A' (2) Creighton (1) Penrith III (1)
Notes
See also Cumbria Rugby Union Cumbria Cup Cumbria League Cup Westmorland & Furness Cup
References
External links Cumbria RU