Leicestershire County Cup
The Leicestershire County Cup is the main annual knockout rugby competition for Leicestershire clubs, run by the Leicestershire Rugby Union. It began in 1890, and the first winner was South Wigston. It was originally called the Leicestershire League Cup until 1893, when it became the Leicestershire Senior Cup. The top Leicester first team did not take part until 1906, entering only an A team; smaller clubs and reserve sides played in the Leicestershire Junior Cup, which started in 1887.
The Senior Cup was dropped after the 1926–27 season, and clubs moved to a seven-a-side format the following year. The seven-a-side winners received the Rolleston Charity Cup, while the runners-up got the Senior Cup; this format lasted until 1979. A proper 15-a-side county cup returned in 1970–71 after a format was proposed by Westleigh Rugby Club (the parent club of Leicester Lions). It was first called the Westleigh Cup and won by Stoneygate. The next season it became the Leicestershire County Cup, and up to 2004–05 it also served as a route for county clubs to reach the English National Cup (now the Anglo-Welsh Cup).
Today, the Leicestershire County Cup is the premier county competition for clubs in Leicestershire, mainly those playing in tiers 5 to 7 of the English league system, though teams from lower levels have taken part. The competition is a knockout with a first round, quarter-finals, semi-finals at neutral venues, and a final at Welford Road. There is also a Leicestershire Bowl for lower-ranked clubs not taking part in the Cup.
Current holder: Syston (9th title) in 2018–19, and Syston holds the most titles with 9. Website: Leicestershire RFU. Country: England.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:44 (CET).