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RFL Lancashire Cup

The RFL Lancashire Cup, usually referred to as the Lancashire Cup, was a British rugby league football knock-out competition founded in 1905. Organised by the Rugby Football League (RFL), the competition was open to all professional clubs in the Lancashire region, but also included a number of clubs based in Cumbria.

The tournament was held annually and was usually played over four rounds, with the fixtures normally being played during the early part of the season. The tournament was scrapped along with the Yorkshire Cup after the 1992–93 season.

The most successful club was Wigan, who won the trophy on 21 occasions.

History

The competition was introduced in 1905. In 1976, Burtonwood Brewery agreed to sponsor the tournament in a deal worth £4,000 per year.[1] They were replaced as sponsor by Grunhalle Lager (brewed by Greenall Whitley) in 1986.[2]

During the latter years of the competition, clubs complained increasingly about fixture congestion,[3] resulting in the cup being scrapped in 1993.

Finals

The Lancashire Cup was not played during the Second World War (1940–45). During this period the Yorkshire Cup finals of 1942, 1943, and 1944 were played over two legs, with aggregate score being used.

Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue
1905–06 Wigan 0–0 Leigh Wheater's Field, Broughton
Replay 8–0
1906–07 Broughton Rangers 15–6 Warrington Central Park, Wigan
1907–08 Oldham 16–9 Broughton Rangers Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
1908–09 Wigan 10–9 Oldham Wheater's Field, Broughton
1909–10 Wigan 22–5 Leigh
1910–11 Oldham 4–3 Swinton
1911–12 Rochdale Hornets 12–5 Oldham
1912–13 Wigan 21–5 Rochdale Hornets The Willows, Salford
1913–14 Oldham 5–0 Wigan Wheater's Field, Broughton
1914–15 Rochdale Hornets 3–2 Wigan The Willows, Salford
1918–19 Rochdale Hornets 22–0 Oldham
1919–20 Oldham 7–0 Rochdale Hornets
1920–21 Broughton Rangers 6–3 Leigh
1921–22 Warrington 7–5 Oldham The Cliff, Broughton
1922–23 Wigan 20–2 Leigh The Willows, Salford
1923–24 St Helens Recs 17–0 Swinton
1924–25 Oldham 10–0 St Helens Recs The Willows, Salford
1925–26 Swinton 15–11 Wigan The Cliff, Broughton
1926–27 St. Helens 10–2 St Helens Recs Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1927–28 Swinton 5–2 Wigan Watersheddings, Oldham
1928–29 Wigan 5–4 Widnes Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1929–30 Warrington 15–2 Salford Central Park, Wigan
1930–31 St Helens Recs 18–3 Wigan Station Road, Swinton
1931–32 Salford 10–8 Swinton The Cliff, Broughton
1932–33 Warrington 10–9 St. Helens Central Park, Wigan
1933–34 Oldham 12–0 St Helens Recs Station Road, Swinton
1934–35 Salford 21–12 Wigan
1935–36 Salford 15–7 Wigan Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1936–37 Salford 5–2 Wigan
1937–38 Warrington 8–4 Barrow Central Park, Wigan
1938–39 Wigan 10–7 Salford Station Road, Swinton
1939–40 Swinton 4–5 Widnes Naughton Park, Widnes
16–11[a] Station Road, Swinton
Swinton won 21–15 on aggregate
No competition between 1940–41 and 1944–45
1945–46 Widnes 7–3 Wigan Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1946–47 Wigan 9–3 Belle Vue Rangers Station Road, Swinton
1947–48 Wigan 10–7 Belle Vue Rangers Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1948–49 Wigan 14–8 Warrington Station Road, Swinton
1949–50 Wigan 20–7 Leigh Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1950–51 Wigan 28–5 Warrington Station Road, Swinton
1951–52 Wigan 14–6 Leigh
1952–53 Leigh 22–5 St. Helens
1953–54 St. Helens 16–8 Wigan
1954–55 Barrow 12–2 Oldham
1955–56 Leigh 26–9 Widnes Central Park, Wigan
1956–57 Oldham 10–3 St. Helens
1957–58 Oldham 13–8 Wigan Station Road, Swinton
1958–59 Oldham 12–2 St. Helens
1959–60 Warrington 5–4 St. Helens Central Park, Wigan
1960–61 St. Helens 15–9 Swinton
1961–62 St. Helens 25–9 Swinton
1962–63 St. Helens 7–4 Swinton
1963–64 St. Helens 15–4 Leigh Station Road, Swinton
1964–65 St. Helens 12–4 Swinton Central Park, Wigan
1965–66 Warrington 16–5 Rochdale Hornets Knowsley Road, St. Helens
1966–67 Wigan 16–13 Oldham Station Road, Swinton
1967–68 St. Helens 2–2 Warrington Central Park, Wigan
Replay 13–10 Station Road, Swinton
1968–69 St. Helens 30–2 Oldham Central Park, Wigan
1969–70 Swinton 11–2 Leigh
1970–71 Leigh 7–4 St. Helens Station Road, Swinton
1971–72 Wigan 15–8 Widnes Knowsley Road, St Helens
1972–73 Salford 25–11 Swinton Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1973–74 Wigan 19–9 Salford
1974–75 Widnes 6–2 Salford Central Park, Wigan
1975–76 Widnes 16–7 Salford
1976–77 Widnes 16–11 Workington Town
1977–78 Workington Town 16–13 Wigan Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1978–79 Widnes 15–13 Workington Town Central Park, Wigan
1979–80 Widnes 11–0 Workington Town The Willows, Salford
1980–81 Warrington 26–10 Wigan Knowsley Road, St Helens
1981–82 Leigh 8–3 Widnes Central Park, Wigan
1982–83 Warrington 16–0 St. Helens
1983–84 Barrow 12–8 Widnes
1984–85 St. Helens 26–18 Wigan
1985–86 Wigan 34–8 Warrington Knowsley Road, St Helens
1986–87 Wigan 27–6 Oldham
1987–88 Wigan 28–16 Warrington
1988–89 Wigan 22–17 Salford
1989–90 Warrington 24–16 Oldham
1990–91 Widnes 24–18 Salford Central Park, Wigan
1991–92 St. Helens 24–14 Rochdale Hornets Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington
1992–93 Wigan 5–4 St. Helens Knowsley Road, St Helens
  1. ^ After extra time; full-time score was 9–8 meaning scores were tied 13–13 on aggregate

Wins by club

Club Wins Winning years
1 Wigan 21 1905, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1922, 1928, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992
2 St. Helens 11 1926, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1984, 1991
3 Warrington 9 1921, 1929, 1932, 1937, 1959, 1965, 1980, 1982, 1989
4 Oldham 9 1907, 1910, 1913, 1919, 1924, 1933, 1956, 1957, 1958
5 Widnes 7 1945, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1990
6 Salford 5 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1972
7 Leigh 4 1952, 1955, 1970, 1981
8 Swinton 4 1925, 1927, 1940, 1969
9 Rochdale Hornets 3 1911, 1914, 1918
10 Barrow 2 1954, 1983
11 St Helens Recs 2 1923, 1930
12 Broughton Rangers 2 1906, 1920
13 Workington 1 1977

Sponsors

Years Sponsor Name
1976–1985 Burtonwood Brewery Forshaw's Lancashire Cup
1986–1992 Greenall Whitley Grunhalle Lager Lancashire Cup

Records

Final

Individual records in the final

  • Most tries in a final: 4, Brian Nordgren for Wigan v Leigh 1949
  • Most goals in a final: 7 (three times), Jim Ledgard for Leigh v Widnes 1955; Steve Hesford for Warrington v Wigan 1980; David Stephenson for Wigan v Warrington 1985
  • Most points in a final: 17 Steve Hesford (7 goals and 1 try) for Warrington v Wigan 1980

Competition records

  • Highest score: 112–0, St. Helens v Carlisle 1986

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lancashire Cup sponsored". The Guardian. London. 7 July 1976. p. 16. ProQuest 185824375.
  2. ^ "Grunhalle step in". Manchester Evening News. 15 February 1986. p. 36 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Fixture congestion angers Rochdale and St Helens". The Guardian. London. 25 August 1978. p. 17. ProQuest 186084534.