Rugby League County Cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition (affectionately known as t’owd tin pot) for several years prior to the schism of 1895. However the Lancashire authorities had refused to sanction a similar tournament, fearing it would lead to professionalism.
After the split, the replacement for the Yorkshire Cup was not immediately introduced, however new Yorkshire and Lancashire Cups were introduced in the 1905–06. This was the final set of trophies that went towards the concept of all four cups.
The county cups were played on the same basis as the Challenge Cup, with an open draw and straight knock-out matches leading to a final.
The county cups were abandoned in 1993 due to the more successful clubs complaining about overloaded fixtures. BARLA continue to run cup competitions for Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria for amateur clubs.
Read more about Rugby League County Cups: Cup Finals
Famous quotes containing the words league, county and/or cups:
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward the Light Brigade!”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
“But I would say to my fellows, once for all, As long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When cups went round at close of day
Is not that how good stories run?
The gods were sitting at the board
In their great house at Slievenamon.
They sang a drowsy song, or snored,
For all were full of wine and meat.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)