Current season or competition: 2018–19 RFU Junior Vase | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1990; 35 years ago (1990) |
| Number of teams | Levels 9-12 of English rugby |
| Nations |  England(RFU) |
| Holders | Reeds Weybridge (1st title) (2019 - 20) |
| Most titles | Bradford Salem,Sheffield Tigers(2 titles) |
| Website | England Rugby |
| Related competition | Intermediate Cup,Senior Vase |
TheRFU Junior Vase is arugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by theRugby Football Union, which has been competed for since 1990.[1][2] It is mostly contested by 1st XV teams at level 9 of theEnglish rugby union system, although sides as low as level 12 or even outside the league system can sometimes enter. The competition is a national one, but split into regions until the national semi-finals with the final being held atTwickenham Stadium inLondon. Presently, the RFU Junior Vase is the fifth most important club cup competition in England, behind thePremiership Rugby Cup,RFU Championship Cup,RFU Intermediate Cup andRFU Senior Vase.
The Vase was first contested for during the 1990–91 season, when it was known as the Provincial Insurance Cup (named after its sponsors).[1][2] It was introduced by theRFU to provide a national cup competition for junior clubs in theEnglish rugby union system not already competing in thePilkington Cup, with a number of knock-out rounds culminating in the final held atTwickenham Stadium. The competition would have a number of different sponsors over the course of its history, including Provincial Insurance,Pilkington, NPI,Tetley's Brewery,Powergen andEDF Energy.[3][4][5][6] Since the 2009–10 season the competition has been known as the RFU Junior Vase and is competed for by clubs playing in at level 9 of the league system. It is currently un-sponsored.
The rounds are contested on a regional basis between the four regional unions (North,Midlands,London & South East, South West) until the semi-finals, where the winner of each region enters the national competition, with the winner of each semi-final meeting at the final at Twickenham Stadium.[7] Each region has a different qualification method (more detail on this below) and at the end of this qualification there are four regional champions who play in the national semi-finals the ground being one of the semi-finalist's home. The semi-finals pairings are London & South East against South West and Midlands against North.
The format for northern teams involved in the RFU Junior Vase is a league-cup hybrid with each county union in the region typically selecting one representative each (although Cheshire have two representatives for the 2018–19 competition). The first stage features a mini league with clubs fromCheshire andLancashire meeting in one pool and clubs fromDurham County,Northumberland andYorkshire, meeting in the other, each side playing 2 games each. The winners of each group then meet in the north final to determine who goes forward to the national semi-finals.[8] The competition involves representative teams from the following unions and level 9-10 leagues:
The format for Midlands teams involved in the RFU Junior Vase is a direct knockout cup with a 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, semi-finals and final, with all sides from the eligible leagues taking part. The winner of the final goes forward to the national semi-finals.[10] The competition involves unions and clubs from the following level 9-10 leagues:
As with the Midlands the format for London and South East teams involved in the RFU Junior Vase is a direct knockout cup with a 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, semi-finals and final, with all eligible teams taking part. The winner of the final goes forward to the national semi-finals.[11] The competition involves 1st XV teams from the following unions and level 9-12 leagues:
The format for the south-west teams in the RFU Junior Vase is more complex with different methods of qualification decided on by the county unions that they represent. Clubs that are affiliated withDorset & Wilts andGloucestershire play in county based knock-out competitions first. The winners of the Dorset & Wilts competition then plays in the Southern Counties semi-finals against representatives fromBerkshire,Buckinghamshire andOxfordshire, while the Gloucestershire winners play in the South West Counties semi-finals against representative fromCornwall,Devon andSomerset, with the winners then meeting in a regional final. Finally, the Southern Counties and South West Counties winners meet to determine qualification for the national semi-finals.[12] Teams involved (1st XV only) are typically from the following unions and level 9-12 leagues:
| Season | Winner | Score | Runners–up | Name | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | Bradford Salem (N) | 12–6[13] | Bicester (SW) | Provincial Insurance Cup[1][2] | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | Bradford Salem (N) | 17–12[13] | Bicester (SW) | |||||||||||
| 1992–93 | Fleetwood (N) | 13–7[2] | Hitchin (SE) | |||||||||||
| 1993–94 | Malvern (M) | 8–6[14] | Old Hamptonians (SE) | Pilkington Shield | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | Bedford Queens (M) | 11-10[15] | St Albans (SE) | |||||||||||
| 1995–96 | Medicals (N) | 10–6[16] | Helston (SW) | |||||||||||
| 1996–97 | Harpenden (SE) | 34–29[17] | Crewe (M) | NPI Junior Cup[3] | ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. (N) | 40–8[18] | West Leeds (N) | Tetley's Bitter Vase[4] | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 | Billericay (SE) | 19–3[19] | Silhillians (M) | |||||||||||
| 1999–00 | Sheffield Tigers (N) | 20–11[20] | Bank of England (SE) | |||||||||||
| 2000–01 | Malton & Norton (N) | 36–20[18] | Hoylake (N) | |||||||||||
| 2001–02 | Heath (N) | 16–10[21] | Bromley (SE) | Powergen Junior Vase[5] | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 | Old Alleynians (SE) | 16–10[22] | Shipston-on-Stour (SW) | |||||||||||
| 2003–04 | Leodiensians (N) | 13–13[23][a 2] | North Ribblesdale (N) | |||||||||||
| 2004–05 | Sheffield Tigers (N) | 30–13[24] | Solihull (M) | |||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Dorking (SE) | 46–3[25] | Cleobury Mortimer (SW) | |||||||||||
| 2006–07 | Hartpury College (SW) | 72–12[26] | Billericay (SE) | EDF Energy Junior Vase[6] | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | Castleford (N) | 14–11[27] | Doncaster Phoenix (N) | |||||||||||
| 2008–09 | Brighton (SE) | 32–20[28] | Liskeard-Looe (SW) | |||||||||||
| 2009–10 | Teddington (SE) | 43–21[29] | Bramley Phoenix (N) | RFU Junior Vase | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | H.A.C. (SE) | 37–6[30] | Edwardians (M) | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Baildon (N) | 6–3[31] | Harrow (SE) | |||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Newent (SW) | 58–29[32] | Baildon (N) | |||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Longlevens (SW) | 23–12[33] | Rugby Lions (M) | |||||||||||
| 2014–15 | Battersea Ironsides (SE) | 23–7[34] | Northallerton (N) | |||||||||||
| 2015–16 | Old Cranleighans (SE) | 50–0[35] | Buxton (N) | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | Goole (N) | 31–24[36] | Spartans (Gloucester) (SW) | |||||||||||
| 2017–18 | Old Otliensians (N) | 32–21[37] | South Molton (SW) | |||||||||||
| 2018–19 | Reeds Weybridge (SE) | 42–5[38] | Thornensians (N) | |||||||||||
| (N) stands for Northern region, (M) for Midlands, (SE) for London & South East, (SW) for South-west | ||||||||||||||