Introduction
The longest standing competition run by the RFU, the County Championship has a long and distinguished history of over 100 years and has featured many of the great names of English Rugby.
The County Championships have been revamped in recent years and now consists of two competitions which are open to County Constituent Body’s full representative teams. The County Championship provides players with a unique opportunity to play representative rugby and players who shine in the competition can be selected to represent the England Counties XV.
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| Bill Beaumont Cup |
Previous Results
The First System
The County championship started in 1889. The original format, referred to as the 'First System' was not a league system, but resembled the amateur club standings where clubs played various opposition and the champion decided by RFU panel based upon their results. Obviously where teams often played different opposition it was difficult to compare the teams performance fairly.
Yorkshire won the 1889 competition and were undefeated (scoring 18 goals, 17 tries to 1 goal, 3 tries) and they repeated the feat in 1890 (scoring 10 goals, 16 tries to 2 goals, 4 tries).
| Year | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1889 | Yorkshire |
| 1890 | Yorkshire |
The Second System
In 1891 the so-called second system was introduced which consisted of 4 regional groups which were North West, South West, North East and South East. The winners of the regional group leagues then played in a a further league to decide the standings.
| Year | Champions | Group Winner | Group Winner | Group Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | Lancashire | Yorkshire | Surrey | Gloucestershire |
| 1892 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Kent | Midlands |
| 1893 | Yorkshire | Cumberland | Devon | Middlesex |
| 1894 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Gloucestershire | Midlands |
| 1895 | Yorkshire | Cumberland | Devon | Midlands |
The Third System
In 1896 the so-called 'Third system' was introduced. The counties were organized into North, South-East and South-West divisions. The winners from the North and South played each other in the Final.
| Year | Champions | Score | Score | Runners-up | Played at | Divisional Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | Yorkshire | 16 | 4 | Surrey | Richmond | South-West Devon |
| 1897 | Kent | 9 | 3 | Cumberland | Carlisle | South-West Somerset |
| 1898 | Northumberland | 24 | 3 | Midlands | Coventry | South-West Devon |
| 1899 | Devon | 5 | 0 | Northumberland | Newcastle | South-East Kent |
| 1900 | Durham | 11 | 3 | Devon | Exeter | South-East Kent |
| 1901 | Devon | 14 | 3 | Durham | West Hartlepool | South-East East Midlands |
| 1902 | Durham | 9 | 3 | Gloucestershire | Gloucester | South-East Middlesex |
| 1903 | Durham | 4 | 3 | Kent | West Hartlepool | South-West Somerset |
| 1904 | Kent | 8 | 6 | Durham | Blackheath | South-West Devon |
| 1905 | Durham | 9 | 8 | Middlesex | West Hartlepool | South-West Devon |
| 1906 | Devon | 16 | 3 | Durham | Exeter | South-East Midlands |
| 1907 | Devon & Durham | 3 0 |
3 0 |
Drawn games | West Hartlepool & Exeter | South-East Kent |
| 1908 | Cornwall | 17 | 3 | Durham | Redruth | South-East Middlesex |
| 1909 | Durham | 12 | 0 | Cornwall | West Hartlepool | South-East Midlands |
| 1910 | Gloucestershire | 23 | 0 | Yorkshire | Gloucester | South-East Kent |
| 1911 | Devon | 12 | 3 | Yorkshire | Headingly | South-EastMidlands |
| 1912 | Devon | 29 | 0 | Northumberland | Devonport | South-EastMidlands |
| 1913 | Gloucestershire | 14 | 3 | Cumberland | Carlisle | South-EastMidlands |
| 1914 | Midlands | 22 | 5 | Durham | Leicester | South-West Cornwall |
| 1915-1919 | Suspended due to WWI | |||||
| 1920 | Gloucestershire | 27 | 3 | Yorkshire | Bradford | South-EastMidlands |
The Forth System
In 1921 the so-called 'Forth system' was introduced. The Counties were organized into five divisions. The winners of the South-West and Southern divisions played each other to decide who went to the quarter finals. The other three quarter finalists were the winners of the other three divisions.
Note: In 1949-50 the Forth system was re-organised so that instead of North and Midlands invariably meeting in one semi-final and the South-West and South-East in the other, North now met South-East and the Midlands the South-West.
| Year | Champions | Score | Score | Runners-up | Played at | Divisional Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Gloucestershire | 31 | 4 | Leicestershire | Gloucester | Surrey & Yorkshire |
| 1922 | Gloucestershire | 19 | 0 | North Midlands | Birmingham | Surrey & Cheshire |
| 1923 | Somerset | 8 | 6 | Leicestershire | Bridgwater | Kent & Cumberland |
| 1924 | Cumberland | 14 | 3 | Kent | Carlisle | Leicestershire & Somerset |
| 1925 | Leicestershire | 14 | 6 | Gloucestershire | Bristol | Yorkshire & Middlesex |
| 1926 | Yorkshire | 15 | 14 | Hampshire | Bradford | Leicestershire & Gloucestershire |
| 1927 | Kent | 22 | 12 | Leicestershire | Blackheath | Devon & Cheshire |
| 1928 | Yorkshire | 12 | 8 | Cornwall | Bradford | Warwickshire & Middlesex |
| 1929 | Middlesex | 8 9 |
8 8 |
Lancashire | Blundellsands | Devon & Warwickshire |
| 1930 | Gloucestershire | 13 | 7 | Lancashire | Blundellsands | Middlesex & East Midlands |
| 1931 | Gloucestershire | 10 | 9 | Warwickshire | Gloucester | Hampshire & Lancashire |
| 1932 | Gloucestershire | 9 | 3 | Durham | Blaydon | Hampshire & Warwickshire |
| 1933 | Hampshire | 18 | 7 | Lancashire | Boscombe | Somerset & East Midlands |
| 1934 | East Midlands | 10 | 0 | Gloucestershire | Northampton | Lancashire & Hampshire |
| 1935 | Lancashire | 14 | 0 | Somerset | Bath | Warwickshire & East Counties |
| 1936 | Hampshire | 13 | 6 | Northumberland | Gosforth | Cornwall & Warwickshire |
| 1937 | Gloucestershire | 15 | 0 | East Midlands | Bristol | Kent & Lancashire |
| 1938 | Lancashire | 24 | 12 | Surrey | Blundellsands | East Midlands & Cornwall |
| 1939 | Warwickshire | 8 | 3 | Somerset | Weston-Super-Mare | Cheshire & Hampshire |
| 1940-1946 | Suspended due to WWII | |||||
| 1947 | Lancashire | 14 | 3 | Gloucestershire | Gloucester | Warwickshire & Middlesex |
| 1948 | Lancashire | 5 | 0 | East Midlands | Cambridge | North Midlands & Gloucestershire |
| 1949 | Lancashire | 9 | 3 | Gloucestershire | Blundellsands | Warwickshire & Middlesex |
| 1950 | Cheshire | 5 | 0 | East Midlands | Birkenhead Park | Kent & Devon |
| 1951 | East Midlands | 10 | 0 | Middlesex | Northampton | Gloucestershire & Yorkshire |
| 1952 | Middlesex | 9 | 6 | Lancashire | Twickenham | Warwickshire & Somerset |
| 1953 | Yorkshire | 11 | 3 | East Midlands | Bradford | Devon & Middlesex |
| 1954 | Middlesex | 24 | 6 | Lancashire | Bludellsands | East Midlands & Gloucestershire |
| 1955 | Lancashire | 14 | 8 | Middlesex | Twickenham | Leicestershire & Cornwall |
| 1956 | Middlesex | 13 | 9 | Devon | Twickenham | Lancashire & Leicestershire |
| 1957 | Devon | 12 | 3 | Yorkshire | Plymouth | Leicestershire & Middlesex |
| 1958 | Warwickshire | 16 | 8 | Cornwall | Coventry | Surrey & Leicestershire |
| 1959 | Warwickshire | 14 | 9 | Gloucestershire | Bristol | Middlesex & Durham |
| 1960 | Warwickshire | 9 | 6 | Surrey | Coventry | Durham & Cornwall |
| 1961 | Cheshire | 0 5 |
0 3 |
Devon | Plymouth & Birkenhead Park | East Counties & East Midlands |
| 1962 | Warwickshire | 11 | 6 | Hampshire | Twickenham | |
| 1963 | Warwickshire | 13 | 10 | Yorkshire | Coventry | |
| 1964 | Warwickshire | 8 | 6 | Lancashire | Coventry | |
| 1965 | Warwickshire | 15 | 9 | Durham | Hartlepool | |
| 1966 | Middlesex | 6 | 0 | Lancashire | Blundellsands | |
| 1967 | Durham & Surrey | 14 0 |
14 0 |
Surrey | Twickenham & Hartlepool | |
| 1968 | Middlesex | 9 | 6 | Warwickshire | Twickenham | |
| 1969 | Lancashire | 11 | 9 | Cornwall | Redruth | |
| 1970 | Staffordshire | 11 | 9 | Gloucestershire | Burton on Trent | |
| 1971 | Surrey | 14 | 3 | Gloucestershire | Kingsholm | |
| 1972 | Gloucestershire | 11 | 6 | Warwickshire | Coventry | |
| 1973 | Lancashire | 17 | 12 | Gloucestershire | Bristol | |
| 1974 | Gloucestershire | 22 | 12 | Lancashire | Blundellsands | |
| 1975 | Gloucestershire | 13 | 9 | Eastern Counties | Kingsholm | |
| 1976 | Gloucestershire | 24 | 9 | Middlesex | Richmond | |
| 1977 | Lancashire | 17 | 6 | Middlesex | Blundellsands | |
| 1978 | North Midlands | 10 | 7 | Gloucestershire | Moseley | |
| 1979 | Middlesex | 19 | 6 | Northumberland | Twickenham | |
| 1980 | Lancashire | 21 | 15 | Gloucestershire | Vale of Lune | |
| 1981 | Lancashire | 7 | 3 | North Midlands | Moseley | |
| 1982 | Northumberland | 15 | 6 | Gloucestershire | Kingsholm | |
| 1983 | Gloucestershire | 19 | 7 | Yorkshire | Bristol | |
| 1984 | Gloucestershire | 12 | 9 | Somerset | Twickenham | |
| 1985 | Middlesex | 12 | 9 | Notts. Lincs & Derby | Twickenham | |
| 1986 | Warwickshire | 16 | 6 | Kent | Twickenham | |
| 1987 | Yorkshire | 22 | 11 | Middlesex | Twickenham | |
| 1988 | Lancashire | 23 | 18 | Warwickshire | Twickenham | |
| 1989 | Durham | 13 | 9 | Cornwall | Twickenham | |
| 1990 | Lancashire | 32 | 9 | Middlesex | Twickenham | |
| 1991 | Cornwall | 29 | 20 | Yorkshire | Twickenham | |
| 1992 | Lancashire | 9 | 6 | Cornwall | Twickenham | |
| 1993 | Lancashire | 9 | 6 | Yorkshire | Twickenham | |
| 1994 | Yorkshire | 26 | 3 | Durham | Twickenham | |
| 1995 | Warwickshire | 15 | 9 | Northumberland | Twickenham | |
| 1996 | Gloucestershire | 17 | 13 | Warwickshire | Twickenham | |
| 1997 | Cumbria | 21 | 13 | Somerset | Twickenham | |
| 1998 | Cheshire | 21 | 14 | Cornwall | Twickenham | |
| 1999 | Cornwall | 25 | 15 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2000 | Yorkshire | 16 | 9 | Devon | Twickenham | |
| 2001 | Yorkshire | 47 | 19 | Cornwall | Twickenham | |
| 2002 | Gloucestershire | 26 | 23 | Cheshire | Twickenham | |
| 2003 | Lancashire | 24 | 18 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2004 | Devon | 43 | 14 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2005 | Devon | 22 | 16 | Lancashire | Twickenham | |
| 2006 | Lancashire | 32 | 26 | Devon | Twickenham | |
| 2007 | Devon | 27 | 6 | Lancashire | Twickenham | |
| 2008 | Yorkshire | 33 | 13 | Devon | Twickenham | |
| 2009 | Lancashire | 32 | 18 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2010 | Lancashire | 36 | 6 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2011 | Lancashire | 32 | 23 | Hertfordshire | Twickenham |
Today
Following review during the 2008/09 season, the County Championship was realigned to promote a far more enjoyable and rewarding competition. The top 8 counties have been split into two regions of 4 teams, North and South, who play a round robin tournament, the winners of which compete for the English County Championship in the final. This format is repeated for the 8 counties that compete for the County Championship Shield. The 11 counties which compete for the County Championship Plate are split into 3 pools from which the winners and runner-up with the best record meet in semi-final matches.
The two fundamental changes to the 2010/11 season’s Championship were that it was reduced to a two tier competition (cup and shield) and is based on voluntarily participation.
The Bill Beaumont Cup is the highest level of the County Championship and is contested by 16 counties, which are split into two divisions of eight. The eight teams in Division One and Two are split into two pools of four and play each other once either home or away with the top team from each pool contesting in the finals. At the end of the season the team at the bottom of each pool in Division One are relegated to the next tier of the competition (Division Two of the Bill Beaumont Cup), whilst the top teams from each pool in Division Two are promoted to Division One.
The County Championship Shield involves counties that are only able to select players from clubs at level five and below. The 11 teams involved are divided geographically into three pools and play each other once either home or away with the top teams in each pool and the runner up with the best record, progressing to the semi finals.
Player eligibility is based on the birth of a player within the geographical county boundary, place of residence, or by having played for the county in a previous tournament.
For additional information take a look at the fixtures and results section on RFU.com. For images and poster templates for the County Championships please take a look in the resources and downloads page.
