The North Midlands Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out cup club competition organised by the North Midlands Rugby Football Union and was first contested during the 1971-72 season with the inaugural cup being won by the now defunct Birmingham Police, who beat Evesham at the final held at The Reddings in Birmingham (formerly home of Moseley RFC).[1] It is currently open for clubs ranked in tier 5-6 of the English rugby union system that fall under the North Midlands RFU umbrella, including sides based in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.[2] Originally the North Midlands Cup was the sole cup competition in the region but in 2001 and 2005, the North Midlands Shield and North Midlands Vase competitions were introduced for lower ranked clubs.[3] A further change in 2014 saw the introduction of a 'Plate' competition for sides eliminated in the early stages of the cup, although it was not played for during the 2018-19 competition.[4]

North Midlands Cup
SportRugby Union
Instituted1971; 53 years ago (1971)
Number of teams11
Country England
HoldersBridgnorth (1st title) (2018–19)
Most titlesStourbridge (7 titles)
WebsiteNorth Midlands RFU

The current format is as a knock-out cup with a preliminary round, quarter-final, semi-final and final which is held at a neutral venue in March. Due to the disjointed numbers of teams several teams have to play in the preliminary round.

North Midlands Cup winners

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North Midlands Cup winners[5]
Season Cup Winner Score Cup Runners–up Plate Winner[a 1] Score Plate Runners–up Venue
1971-72[1] Birmingham City Police 10-4 Evesham The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1972-73[6] Evesham 9-4 Old Edwardians The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1973-74[6] Old Edwardians Old Dixonians
1974-75[7] Old Dixonians 21-3 Luctonians The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1975-76[7] Old Dixonians 21-9 Stourbridge The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1976-77[8] Dudley Kingswinford 13-10 Worcester
1977-78[8] Worcester 9-0 Camp Hill
1978-79[9][10] Dudley Kingswinford 11-0 Stourbridge The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1979-80[11][12] Camp Hill 19-15 Hereford The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1980-81[13] Stourbridge 7-3 Dudley Kingswinford Sixways, Worcester, Worcestershire
1981-82 Bromsgrove 12-6 Worcester
1982-83 Stourbridge 7-0 Dudley Kingswinford
1983-84 Stourbridge 10-0 Bromsgrove
1984-85 Stourbridge 15-3 Evesham
1985-86 Stourbridge 10-6 Old Dixonians
1986-87[7] Old Dixonians 26-0 Droitwich The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1987-88 Hereford
1988-89[9][14] Dudley Kingswinford 11-6 Old Yardleians The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1989-90[15] Hereford 22-9 Old Yardleians The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1990-91 Stourbridge
1991-92 Hereford
1992-93[16] Birmingham & Solihull 35-0 Hereford The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1993-94[11] Camp Hill 17-11 Worcester
1994-95 Stourbridge Selly Oak The Reddings, Birmingham, West Midlands
1995-96 Worcester
1996-97[17] Whitchurch Worcester
1997-98[18] Worcester 60-7 Stourbridge Sixways, Worcester, Worcestershire
1998-99[19][20] Whitchurch 19-15 Stourbridge Sixways, Worcester, Worcestershire
1999-00[21] Dudley Kingswinford 15-13 Hereford Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2000-01[22] Bromsgrove 34-10 Newport (Salop) Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2001-02[23][24] Malvern 47-8 Aston Old Edwardians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2002-03[25][26] Aston Old Edwardians 24-12 Luctonians Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2003-04[27][28] Aston Old Edwardians 12-9 Malvern Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2004-05[29][30] Luctonians 14-13 Whitchurch Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2005-06[30] Luctonians 10-9 Dudley Kingswinford Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2006-07[31] Solihull 27-3 Malvern Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2007-08[32][33] Luctonians 20-3 Hereford Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2008-09[34] Luctonians 35-19 Dudley Kingswinford Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2009-10[35] Bromsgrove 25-18 Bournville Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2010-11[36][37] Newport (Salop) 25-12 Bromsgrove Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands
2011-12[38] Dudley Kingswinford 26-20 Newport (Salop) Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2012-134[39] Bournville 14-13 Worcester Wanderers Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2013-14[40] Newport (Salop) 20-18 Worcester Wanderers Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2014-15[41][42] Old Halesonians 52 - 6 Whitchurch Bromsgrove 29-17 Dudley Kingswinford Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2015-16[43] Birmingham & Solihull 20-20[a 2] Newport (Salop) Whitchurch 24-22 Bromsgrove Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2016-17[45][46] Bournville 25-25[a 3] Old Halesonians Bridgnorth 32-0 Hereford Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2017-18 Newport (Salop) 40-16 Bromsgrove Bridgnorth 47-7 Old Halesonians Heathbrook, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2018-19[47] Bridgnorth 20-17 Dudley Kingswinford Stourton Park, Stourbridge, West Midlands

Number of wins

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Notes

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  1. ^ Plate competition introduced for 2014-15 season for teams that were knocked out of the first round of the North Midlands Cup.[4]
  2. ^ After 80 minutes the game was tied 20-20 when Newport having received a penalty kicked for touch not realizing that extra time was not allowed in this cup competition, resulting in Birmingham & Solihull winning by virtue of scoring 3 tries to Newport's 2. This caused some controversy amongst players and supporters who felt that the referee had not made this clear hence Newport kicking off the field instead of going all out for a winner.[43][44]
  3. ^ Bournville RFC won by virtue of scoring more tries (4-3) than Old Halesonians.[45]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Funeral of Ray Parfitt". Birmingham Post & Mail. 30 April 2004.
  2. ^ "NORTH MIDLAND RFU CUP COMPETITION RULES". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  3. ^ "NORTH MIDLANDS CUP COMPETITIONS". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b "North Midlands Cup draws made". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  5. ^ "NM CUP PREVIOUS WINNERS". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Edwardian FC: History". Edwardian FC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Dixonians RFC: History". Dixonians RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Worcester Warriors: Club History". Worcester Warriors. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b "A brief history of Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Football Club" (PDF). Black Country Bugle. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Roger Remembers". Dudley Kingswinford RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Camp Hill RFC: History". Camphill RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Hereford RFC: History". Hereford RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  13. ^ "Roger Remembers". Dudley Kingswinford RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Cup Final at The Reddings". Old Yardleians RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  15. ^ "A Second Chance at the Reddings". Old Yardleians RFC. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Bees back in North Midlands Cup final after 23 year absence". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Richard Charmley". Farmers Weekly. 11 April 1997.
  18. ^ "Stourbridge crash at SixWays; MIDLANDS CUP FINAL". The Birmingham Post. 27 April 1998. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Seventh Heaven in Just Nine Minutes for Whitchurch; NORTH MIDLANDS CUP FINAL Stourbridge 15 Whitchurch 19". The Birmingham Post. 10 May 1999. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  20. ^ "Stour in final effort NORTH MIDLANDS CUP". The Birmingham Post. 7 May 1999. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  21. ^ "D-K Find Happy Ending despite Losing the Plot; NORTH MIDLANDS CUP Dudley Kingswinford 15 Hereford 13". The Birmingham Post. 17 April 2000. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Wilkinson hat-trick seals North Mids win". The Birmingham Post. 21 May 2001.
  23. ^ "Malvern RFC History: Club honours". Malvern RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Rugby Union: Malvern Give Perfect Farewell to Coach; North Midlands Cup". The Birmingham Post. 13 May 2002. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  25. ^ "RUGBY UNION: Aston Old Edwardians". The Birmingham Post. 1 July 2003. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Cup Archives". Aston Old Edwards RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  27. ^ "7/5/04 - Fixtures". Hereford Times. 7 May 2004.
  28. ^ "Welcome Back". Aston Old Edwardians RFC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  29. ^ "Luctonians will start trophy defence with away tie". Hereford Times. 30 June 2005.
  30. ^ a b "Skipper Bemand's last-gasp try brings trophy back home". Hereford Times. 11 May 2006.
  31. ^ "Lucs at home in County Cup". BBC Sport. 7 August 2007.
  32. ^ "Luctonians 20-3 Hereford". BBC Sport. 12 May 2008.
  33. ^ "Success for Luctonians". Hereford Times. 11 May 2008.
  34. ^ "Luctonians retain North Mids Cup". BBC Sport. 10 May 2009.
  35. ^ "North Midlands Cup Winners". Bromsgrove RFC. 10 May 2010.
  36. ^ "North Midlands Cup Final 15/5/11". Rolling Maul. 19 May 2011.
  37. ^ "North Midlands Cup Final". Bromsgrove RFC. 12 May 2011.
  38. ^ "Dudley Kingswinford 26 Newport 20". Dudley Kingswinford RFC. 13 May 2012.
  39. ^ "Bournville win North Midlands Cup for first time". Bourneville RFC. 14 May 2013.
  40. ^ "Narrow North Mids Final Defeat For Wanders". Worcester Wanderers. 11 May 2014.
  41. ^ "Hales Triumphant in County Cup". Old Halesonians RFC. 10 May 2015.
  42. ^ "NORTH MIDS CU 2014/15 Season". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  43. ^ a b "Bees win North Midlands Cup in tense final". North Midlands RFU. 8 May 2016.
  44. ^ "North Midlands Cup controversy". Rolling Maul. 9 May 2016.
  45. ^ a b "Bournville take county cup in dramatic final". North Midlands RFU. 7 May 2017.
  46. ^ "NORTH MIDLANDS CUP SEASON 2016 – 2017". North Midlands RFU. 7 May 2017.
  47. ^ "Bridgnorth win first North Midlands Cup". North Midlands RFU. 15 March 2019.
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