The RFL Yorkshire Cup is a rugby league county cup competition for teams in Yorkshire. Starting in 1905 the competition ran, with the exception of 1915 to 1918, until the 1992–93 season, when it folded due to fixture congestion.

Yorkshire Cup
SportRugby league
Instituted1905
Ceased1992
CountryEngland
Last winners Wakefield Trinity (10th title)
Most titles Leeds (17 titles)

The competition was open to all senior member clubs of the Rugby Football League in Yorkshire and was normally played in the opening months of the season. On two occasions, 1918–19 and 1940–41 the competition was held towards the end of the season due to the two world wars. During the Second World War the Lancashire Cup was not played for between 1941 and 1945 and several Lancashire clubs were admitted into the Yorkshire Cup competition instead. The cup finals in 1942, 1943 and 1944 were played over two legs with the winner being determined by aggregate score over the two matches.

Finals

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Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue
1905–06   Hunslet 13–3   Halifax Park Avenue, Bradford
1906–07 Bradford FC 8–5   Hull Kingston Rovers Belle Vue, Wakefield
1907–08   Hunslet 17–0   Halifax Headingley, Leeds
1908–09   Halifax 9–5   Hunslet Belle Vue, Wakefield
1909–10   Huddersfield 21–0   Batley Headingley, Leeds
1910–11   Wakefield Trinity 8–2   Huddersfield
1911–12   Huddersfield 22–10   Hull Kingston Rovers Belle Vue, Wakefield
1912–13   Batley 17–3   Hull F.C. Headingley, Leeds
1913–14   Huddersfield 19–3   Bradford Northern Thrum Hall, Halifax
1914–15   Huddersfield 31–0   Hull F.C. Headingley, Leeds
1918–19   Huddersfield 14–8   Dewsbury
1919–20   Huddersfield 24–5   Leeds Thrum Hall, Halifax
1920–21   Hull Kingston Rovers 2–0   Hull F.C. Headingley, Leeds
1921–22   Leeds 11–3   Dewsbury Thrum Hall, Halifax
1922–23   York 5–0   Batley Headingley, Leeds
1923–24   Hull F.C. 10–4   Huddersfield
1924–25   Wakefield Trinity 9–8   Batley
1925–26   Dewsbury 2–0   Huddersfield Belle Vue, Wakefield
1926–27   Huddersfield 10–3   Wakefield Trinity Headingley, Leeds
1927–28   Dewsbury 8–2   Hull F.C.
1928–29   Leeds 5–0   Featherstone Rovers Belle Vue, Wakefield
1929–30   Hull Kingston Rovers 13–7   Hunslet Headingley, Leeds
1930–31   Leeds 10–2   Huddersfield Thrum Hall, Halifax
1931–32   Huddersfield 4–2   Hunslet Headingley, Leeds
1932–33   Leeds 8–0   Wakefield Trinity Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
1933–34   York 10–4   Hull Kingston Rovers Headingley, Leeds
1934–35   Leeds 5–5   Wakefield Trinity Crown Flatt, Dewsbury
Replay 1 2-2 Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
Replay 2 13-0 Parkside, Hunslet
1935–36   Leeds 3–0   York Thrum Hall, Halifax
1936–37   York 9–2   Wakefield Trinity Headingley, Leeds
1937–38   Leeds 14–8   Huddersfield
1938–39   Huddersfield 18–10   Hull F.C. Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1939–40   Featherstone Rovers 12–9   Wakefield Trinity
1940–41   Bradford Northern 15–5   Dewsbury Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
1941–42   Bradford Northern 24–0   Halifax
1942–43   Dewsbury 7–0   Huddersfield Crown Flatt, Dewsbury
0–2 Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
Dewsbury won 7–2 on aggregate
1943–44   Bradford Northern 5–2   Keighley Odsal Stadium, Bradford
5–5 Lawkholme Lane, Keighley
Bradford Northern won 10–7 on aggregate
1944–45   Halifax 12–3   Hunslet Parkside, Hunslet
2–0 Thrum Hall, Halifax
Halifax won 14–3 on aggregate
1945–46   Bradford Northern 5–2   Wakefield Trinity Thrum Hall, Halifax
1946–47   Wakefield Trinity 10–0   Hull F.C. Headingley, Leeds
1947–48   Wakefield Trinity 7–7   Leeds Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
Replay 8–7 Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1948–49   Bradford Northern 18–9   Castleford Headingley, Leeds
1949–50   Bradford Northern 11–4   Huddersfield
1950–51   Huddersfield 16–3   Castleford
1951–52   Wakefield Trinity 17–3   Keighley Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
1952–53   Huddersfield 18–8   Batley Headingley, Leeds
1953–54   Bradford Northern 7–2   Hull F.C.
1954–55   Halifax 22–14   Hull F.C.
1955–56   Halifax 10–10   Hull F.C.
Replay 7–0 Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1956–57   Wakefield Trinity 23–5   Hunslet Headingley, Leeds
1957–58   Huddersfield 15–8   York
1958–59   Leeds 24–20   Wakefield Trinity Odsal, Bradford
1959–60   Featherstone Rovers 15–14   Hull F.C. Headingley, Leeds
1960–61   Wakefield Trinity 16–10   Huddersfield
1961–62   Wakefield Trinity 19–9   Leeds Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1962–63   Hunslet 12–2   Hull Kingston Rovers Headingley, Leeds
1963–64   Halifax 10–0   Featherstone Rovers Belle Vue, Wakefield
1964–65   Wakefield Trinity 18–2   Leeds Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
1965–66   Bradford Northern 17–8   Hunslet Headingley, Leeds
1966–67   Hull Kingston Rovers 25–12   Featherstone Rovers
1967–68   Hull Kingston Rovers 8–7   Hull F.C.
1968–69   Leeds 22–11   Castleford Belle Vue, Wakefield
1969–70   Hull F.C. 12–9   Featherstone Rovers Headingley, Leeds
1970–71   Leeds 23–7   Featherstone Rovers Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1971–72   Hull Kingston Rovers 11–7   Castleford Belle Vue, Wakefield
1972–73   Leeds 36–9   Dewsbury Odsal Stadium, Bradford
1973–74   Leeds 7–2   Wakefield Trinity Headingley, Leeds
1974–75   Hull Kingston Rovers 16–13   Wakefield Trinity
1975–76   Leeds 15–11   Hull Kingston Rovers
1976–77   Leeds 16–12   Featherstone Rovers
1977–78   Castleford 17–7   Featherstone Rovers
1978–79   Bradford Northern 18–8   York
1979–80   Leeds 15–6   Halifax
1980–81   Leeds 8–7   Hull Kingston Rovers Fartown Ground, Huddersfield
1981–82   Castleford 10–5   Bradford Northern Headingley, Leeds
1982–83   Hull F.C. 18–7   Bradford Northern
1983–84   Hull F.C. 13–2   Castleford Elland Road, Leeds
1984–85   Hull F.C. 29–12   Hull Kingston Rovers Boothferry Park, Hull
1985–86   Hull Kingston Rovers 22–18   Castleford Headingley, Leeds
1986–87   Castleford 31–24   Hull F.C.
1987–88   Bradford Northern 12–12,   Castleford
Replay 11–2 Elland Road, Leeds
1988–89   Leeds 33–12   Castleford
1989–90   Bradford Northern 20–14   Featherstone Rovers Headingley, Leeds
1990–91   Castleford 11–8   Wakefield Trinity Elland Road, Leeds
1991–92   Castleford 28–6   Bradford Northern
1992–93   Wakefield Trinity 29–16   Sheffield Eagles
Source:[1]

Wins by club

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Club Wins Winning years
1   Leeds 17 1921, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1958, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980 & 1988
2   Huddersfield 12 1909, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1919,[a] 1919, 1926, 1931, 1938, 1950, 1952 & 1957
3   Bradford 11

1941,[b] 1941, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1965, 1978, 1987 & 1989

4   Wakefield Trinity 10 1910, 1924, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1964 & 1992
5   Hull Kingston Rovers 7 1920, 1929, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974 & 1985
6=   Castleford 5 1977, 1981, 1986, 1990 & 1991
  Hull F.C. 5 1923, 1969, 1982, 1983 & 1984
  Halifax 5 1908, 1944, 1954, 1955 & 1963
9=   Hunslet 3 1905, 1907 & 1962
  Dewsbury 3 1925, 1927 & 1942
  York 3 1922, 1933 & 1936
12   Featherstone Rovers 2 1940 & 1959
13=   Batley 1 1912
Bradford FC 1 1906
  1. ^ The 1918–1919 competition was played in April — May 1919
  2. ^ The 1940–1941 competition was played in March — April 1941

Sponsors

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Years Sponsor Name
1972–1979 Esso Esso Yorkshire Cup
1980–1982 Webster's Brewery Webster's Yorkshire Cup
1983–1984 Phillips Phillips Yorkshire Cup
1985–1992 John Smith's Brewery John Smith's Yorkshire Cup

Records

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Cup final

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  • Most appearances: 21, Leeds
  • Most wins: 17, Leeds
  • Most consecutive wins: 4, Huddersfield 1913-14, 14-15, 1919 Spring & 1919 Autumn
  • Highest score: 34–8, Leeds v Dewsbury 1972
  • Highest aggregate score: 65, 31-24 Castleford v Hull F.C. 1986
  • Lowest aggregate score: 2–0 on four occasions 1920, 1925, 1942, 1944
  • Biggest winning margin: 28, 30–2 Huddersfield v Hull 1914
  • Biggest attendance: 36,000, Bradford Northern v Huddersfield at Headingley 1949
  • Smallest attendance: 5,536, Castleford v Hull Kingston Rovers at Belle Vue 1971
  • Highest receipts: £83,591 Leeds v Castleford at Elland Road 1988

Individual records in the final

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  • Most tries in a final: 4, Stan Moorhouse for Huddersfield v Leeds 1919
  • Most goals in a final: 6, David Stephenson for Leeds v Castleford 1988
  • Most points in a final: 16, Graham Steadman (4 goals and 2 tries) for Castleford v Bradford Northern 1991
  • Most appearances in a final: 10, Douglas Clark, Huddersfield 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1919 Spring, 1919 Autumn, 1923, 1925, 1926
  • Most tries in finals: 6 (two times), Stan Moorhouse, Huddersfield 1911, 1914, 1919 Autumn and Stan Smith, Leeds 1934, 1935, 1937
  • Most goals in finals: 19, Neil Fox Wakefield Trinity, Hull Kingston Rovers & Bradford Northern 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1978
  • Most points in finals: 53, Neil Fox Wakefield Trinity, Hull Kingston Rovers & Bradford Northern 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1978

Competition records

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  • Highest score: 6–100, Nottingham City v Hull Kingston Rovers 1990
  • Highest score v a junior club: 79–5, Huddersfield v Yorkshire Amateurs 1948
  • Highest aggregate score in two-legged fixture: 140–5, Huddersfield v Yorkshire Amateurs 1948

Sources:[2][3]

White Rose Trophy

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Between 1966 and 1993 a trophy, called the White Rose Trophy, was awarded to the man of the match in each final. The judging was conducted by members of the press.[4]

2019 revival

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In 2019, the name of the competition was reused as a pre-season tournament between seven of the non-Super League teams; Batley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Featherstone, Halifax, Hunslet and York; and amateur side Hunslet Club Parkside.[5] The competition was a one-off has not been played since.

Bradford Bulls won the tournament beating Batley Bulldogs 14–12 at Mount Pleasant, Batley.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fletcher, Raymond & Howes, David (17 March 1994). Rothman's Rugby League Yearbook 1994–95. Headline Publishing. pp. 241–2. ISBN 9-780747-278511.
  2. ^ Robert Gate (1991). Guinness Rugby League Fact Book. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 978-085112949 5.
  3. ^ Spotter Series. Spotter book of Rugby League Facts. Dorset Publ.
  4. ^ Fletcher, Raymond & Howes, David (17 March 1994). Rothman's Rugby League Yearbook 1994–95. Headline Publishing. p. 245. ISBN 9-780747-278511.
  5. ^ "Yorkshire Cup returns for 2019". Total Rugby League. League Publications. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
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