Kent Cup

The Kent Rugby Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Kent Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1890-91 season, with the inaugural winners being R.N.C., Greenwich. It was discontinued after the 1926-27 season,^[1] but reintroduced during the 1969–70 season, the winners in that year were Sidcup.

The cup cost fifty-two guineas (around £50 in 1890-91) and does not become the property of the winners, being a perpetual challenge cup.^[2]

In 1952, during the period the competition had been discontinued, Kent Rugby Football Union provided the Kent Rugby Challenge Cup to Gravesend Rugby Football Club, for presentation to the winners of the North Kent Seven-a-Side Rugby Tournament, an annual tournament organised and run by the club from 1935 until 1972.

The Kent Rugby Challenge Cup competition, now more generally referred to as the Kent Cup competition, is the most important rugby union cup competition in Kent, ahead of the Kent Shield, Kent Vase, Kent Plate and Kent Salver.

The Kent Cup is currently open to the first teams of club sides based in Kent that play in tier 5 (National League 3 London & SE) and tier 6 (London 1 South) of the English rugby union league system, along with the 2nd teams of local clubs that play in tier 3 (National League 1) and tier 4 (National League 2 South). The format is a knockout cup with a first round, second round, semi-finals and a final, typically to be held at a pre-determined ground at the end of April on the same date and venue as the Shield, Vase, Plate and Salver finals.^[3] Teams that are knocked out of the first round join the teams knocked out of the first round of the Kent Shield to compete for the Kent Plate.

Kent Challenge Cup winners

Number of wins

Blackheath (16)^{[a 1]}
R.N.C., Greenwich (9)
Westcombe Park (8)
Canterbury (6)
Catford Bridge (6)
Sidcup (6)
Gravesend (4)
Royal Engineers (4)
Maidstone (3)
Park House (3)
Askeans (2)
Guy's Hospital "A" (2)
Old Colfeians (2)
Tonbridge Juddians (2)
Chatham Garrison (1)
Duke of Wellington's Regiment (1)
King's Own Regiment (1)
Old Elthamians (1)
Queen's (1)
Sevenoaks (1)
Thanet Wanderers (1)

Notes

^ Blackheath's Kent Cup victories include wins by both the 1st and 2nd teams.

References

^ Jordan, J. P. (1949). History of Kent Rugby Football. London: Parnell. pp. 93–95.
^ "Park House Football Club". The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 13 May 1899.
^ "Kent Cup (Men)". Kent RFU. Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
^ "Club History". Old Dunstonian RFC. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
^ "Answers to the Rugby Quiz". Gravesend RFC. 10 February 2014.
^ "Recent history". Sevenoaks Rugby. 21 June 2017.
^ "Club History". Maidstone Rugby. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
^ "Super Combe are Kent champions!". Bucks Free Press. 28 March 2002.
^ "Blackheath booted out of Kent semis". Croydon Guardian. 22 February 2005.
^ "City slickers make rugger history". Kent Online. 12 April 2006.
^ "Kent Cup 2007 Match Report". Canterbury RFC. 4 April 2007.
^ "Fourth straight Kent Cup win for Canterbury". Kent Online. 28 April 2008.
^ "Gs clinch Kent Cup and Lordswood win Vase". Kent News. 27 April 2010.
^ "TJs pay the penalty as double dream fades". Kent Online. 6 May 2011.
^ "Tonbridge Juddians v Gravesend". Sports Images. 1 May 2011.
^ "Canterbury add Kent Cup to National League 3 London & South East success with win over Westcombe Park". Kent Online. 30 April 2012.
^ "Blackheath 43 Old Elthamians 25". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 28 April 2013.
^ "Gravesend triumph in Kent Cup final". Gravesend RFC (Pitchero). 27 April 2014.
^ "Tonbridge Juddians beat Old Ethalmians to the Kent Cup". Kent Live. 28 April 2015.
^ "Combe triumph in Kent Cup Final clash with 'Club'". Westcombe Park RFC. 1 May 2016.
^ "Rugby: Tonbridge Juddians cruise past Sidcup to win double". Times of Tunbridge Wells. 3 May 2017.
^ "Cup woe as Extras fall at the final hurdle". Old Elthamians RFC (Pitchero). 29 April 2018.

External links