The Durham County RFU Senior Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Durham County Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1880-81 season, with the inaugural winners being Sunderland Rovers (a forerunner to Sunderland RFC) who defeated Houghton 3 tries to 0 in the final.
During the 1880s the competition used the archaic rugby union points systems of games being scored by goals, which were seen as more important than tries back then. It was only if both teams had not scored any goals, that tries would then be used to determine games, with the highest number winning. By the 1890s this system was changed to one which we are more familiar with today, using tries, conversions, drop goals (and later penalties). Today, the Durham Senior Cup remains the most important rugby union cup competition for club sides in County Durham, ahead of the Intermediate Cup, Junior Cup and Plate competitions.
The Senior Cup is currently open to club sides based in County Durham and occasionally, Tyne and Wear, who play between tier 3 (National League 1) and tier 5 (North Premier) of the English rugby union league system, although higher ranked clubs tend to field reserve sides due to the demands of league rugby. The current format is a knockout cup with a semi-finals and a final to be held at the ground of one of the finalists. Previously the cup final was held at a pre-determined venue but this has changed in recent seasons.
Durham County RFU Senior Cup winners Durham County RFU Senior Cup Finals Season Winner Score Runners–up Venue 1880-81 Sunderland Rovers 0(3)-0(0) Houghton The Blue House Field, Sunderland 1881-82 Houghton 0(1)-0(0) Westoe 1882-83 North Durham 1(1)-0(0) Ryton 1883-84 Hartlepool Rovers 0(2)-0(1) North Durham 1884-85 Durham City 1(4)-0(0) Sunderland Rovers 1885-86 No competition 1886-87 Hartlepool Rovers 2(3)-0(0) Humbledon 1887-88 Durham City 1(0)-0(0) Hartlepool Rovers 1888-89 Hartlepool Rovers 1(3)-0(0) Durham City 1889-90 Hartlepool Rovers 6(2)-1(0) Hartlepool Rangers 1890-91 Hartlepool Rovers 2(1)-0(2) Houghton 1891-92 Tudhoe 2-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1892-93 Tudhoe W-O Hartlepool Rovers 1893-94 Hartlepool Rovers 15-3 Tudhoe Wood Terrace, South Shields 1894-95 Westoe 3-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1895-96 Hartlepool Rovers 7-0 Westoe 1896-97 Hartlepool Rovers 12-0 Sunderland 1897-98 Tudhoe 6-0 Hartlepool Rovers 1898-99 Tudhoe 9-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1899-1900 West Hartlepool 6-3 Tudhoe Wood Terrace, South Shields 1900-01 Westoe 6-0 West Hartlepool Brewery Field, Spennymoor 1901-02 West Hartlepool 12-0 Hartlepool Rovers Hollow Drift, Durham 1902-03 Sunderland 8-5 West Hartlepool Wood Terrace, South Shields 1903-04 West Hartlepool 9-3 Sunderland Wood Terrace, South Shields 1904-05 Hartlepool Rovers 19-4 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1905-06 Hartlepool Rovers 21-5 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1906-07 Hartlepool Rovers 8-0 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1907-08 Hartlepool Rovers 8-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1908-09 Hartlepool Rovers 9-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1909-10 Durham City 3-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1910-11 Hartlepool Rovers 25-3 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1911-12 Hartlepool Rovers 9-3 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1912-13 Hartlepool Rovers 11-0 North Durham Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1913-14 Westoe 9-0 Winlaton Vulcans 1915-19 No competition due to World War I 1919-20 Hartlepool Rovers 19-8 North Durham 1920-21 Durham City 9-6 Hartlepool Rovers 1921-22 Hartlepool Rovers 21-8 Durham City 1922-23 Hartlepool Rovers 23-13 Ryton Wood Terrace, South Shields 1923-24 Hartlepool Rovers 15-7 Ryton Wood Terrace, South Shields 1924-25 Hartlepool Rovers 43-5 Winlaton Vulcans 1925-26 Hartlepool Rovers 6-5 Blaydon Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1926-27 Ryton 10-5 Sunderland Eastwood Gardens, Gateshead 1927-28 Sunderland 17-8 Durham City 1928-29 Durham City 9-3 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1929-30 Hartlepool Rovers 11-3 North Durham Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1930-31 Sunderland 14-9 Durham City Crow Trees, Swalwell 1931-32 Durham City 22-3 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1932-33 Durham City 13-5 West Hartlepool Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1933-34 Durham City 13-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1934-35 Hartlepool Rovers 8-6 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1935-36 Durham City 10-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1936-37 Westoe 7-0 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1937-38 North Durham 4-3 Westoe Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1938-39 Hartlepool Rovers 6-5 Durham City Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1939-45 No competition due to World War II 1946-47 Hartlepool Rovers 16-8 Billingham 1947-48 Hartlepool Rovers 14-0 Sunderland 1948-49 West Hartlepool 11-0 Westoe 1949-50 Westoe 6-0 Sunderland 1950-51 Westoe 8-0 Billingham 1951-52 West Hartlepool 11-6 Westoe 1952-53 Durham City 11-9 Hartlepool Rovers 1953-54 Hartlepool Rovers 5-3 Westoe 1954-55 West Hartlepool 8-3 Westoe 1955-56 Westoe 8-0 Gateshead Fell 1956-57 Durham City 9-3 Westoe 1957-58 Durham City 9-5 Billingham 1958-59 Sunderland 6-3 Durham City 1959-60 Hartlepool Rovers 22-9 Blaydon 1960-61 Hartlepool Rovers 28-6 Durham City 1961-62 Durham City 9-0 Hartlepool Rovers 1962-63 Durham City 9-3 Blaydon New Friarage, Hartlepool 1963-64 Durham City 20-6 Stockton Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1964-65 Durham City 17-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1965-66 Durham City 8-0 Hartlepool Rovers Ashbrooke, Sunderland 1966-67 Durham City 17-9 Hartlepool Rovers 1967-68 Hartlepool Rovers 17-10 Durham City 1968-69 Hartlepool Rovers 17-9 Durham City 1969-70 Hartlepool Rovers 19-6 West Hartlepool 1970-71 West Hartlepool 14-3 Durham City 1971-72 West Hartlepool 4-0 Durham City 1972-73 Hartlepool Rovers 14-0 Blaydon 1973-74 Hartlepool Rovers 13-4 West Hartlepool 1974-75 Hartlepool Rovers 3-0 Blaydon 1975-76 Hartlepool Rovers 23-8 Durham City 1976-77 Hartlepool Rovers 38-6 Durham University 1977-78 Hartlepool Rovers 16-6 Blaydon 1978-79 Hartlepool Rovers 11-6 Westoe 1979-80 Hartlepool Rovers 4-3 West Hartlepool 1980-81 Hartlepool Rovers 15-6 West Hartlepool 1981-82 West Hartlepool 12-10 Hartlepool Rovers 1982-83 West Hartlepool 32-12 Durham City 1983-84 West Hartlepool 16-13 Hartlepool Rovers 1984-85 West Hartlepool 35-6 Westoe 1985-86 West Hartlepool 33-6 Gateshead Fell 1986-87 Hartlepool Rovers 15-12 West Hartlepool 1987-88 Durham City 18-9 Stockton 1988-89 West Hartlepool 19-6 Hartlepool Rovers 1989-90 Hartlepool Rovers 13-6 Durham City 1990-91 Stockton 10-7 Gateshead Fell 1991-92 Hartlepool Rovers 7-0 Blaydon 1992-93 Stockton 24-13 Hartlepool Rovers 1993-94 Stockton 16-14 Hartlepool Rovers 1994-95 Stockton 19-0 Horden 1995-96 Blaydon 22-3 Darlington 1996-97 Stockton 50-11 Sunderland 1997-98 Darlington Mowden Park 23-10 West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. New Friarage, Hartlepool 1998-99 Darlington Mowden Park 37-15 Blaydon 1999-2000 Darlington Mowden Park 26-9 Darlington 2000-01 Darlington 33-19 Blaydon 2001-02 Darlington 34-22 Darlington Mowden Park 2002-03 Darlington Mowden Park 48-16 Westoe 2003-04 Blaydon 28-20 Darlington Hollow Drift, Durham 2004-05 Darlington 48-16 Westoe 2005-06 Blaydon W-O Westoe Main Road, Ryton 2006-07 Darlington Mowden Park 52-15 Blaydon 2007-08 Westoe 36-33 Darlington 2008-09 No competition 2009-10 Blaydon N/A 2010-11 Competition not completed 2011-12 Competition not completed 2012-13 Blaydon W-O Darlington Mowden Park 2013-14 Billingham 42-22 Westoe Hollow Drift, Durham 2014-15 West Hartlepool 20-3 Westoe Hollow Drift, Durham 2015-16 Darlington Mowden Park 65-10 Billingham Greenwood Road, Billingham 2016-17 Darlington Mowden Park 64-5 West Hartlepool Northern Echo Arena, Darlington 2017-23 Competition suspended 2023-24 Durham City 32-10 Consett Consett 2024-25Consett W/O Blaydon Blaydon
Number of wins Hartlepool Rovers (45) Durham City (20) West Hartlepool (15) Westoe (8) Darlington Mowden Park (7) Blaydon (5) Stockton (5) Sunderland (5) Tudhoe (4) Darlington (3) North Durham (2) Billingham (1) Houghton (1) Ryton (1)
Notes
See also Durham County RFU Intermediate Cup Junior Cup Plate English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links Durham County RFU