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Anglo-Welsh Cup

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Woohookitty (talk | contribs) at 08:25, 13 September 2006 (moved Powergen Cup to EDF Energy Cup: Per request. it's the proper name now). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the rugby league Powergen Challenge Cup see Rugby League Challenge Cup
The Powergen Cup (centre) seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. Photo by Paul Warrender.

The EDF Energy Cup, previously the Powergen Cup, John Player Cup the Pilkington Cup, Tetley's Bitter Cup is the English & Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring all 12 Guinness Premiership clubs and all 4 Welsh Regions.

Prior to the 2005-06 season, the competition was open to all English clubs. Bath have won it ten times, twice as many as the second most successful club, Leicester Tigers.

1971-2005

For this period only English rugby union clubs could enter the competition, and all RFU sanctioned clubs were eligible to enter in a simular style to Soccer's F.A. Cup.

Anglo-Welsh Cup

Starting in 2005-06, the cup featured a new format including only the twelve teams from the Guinness Premiership and the four regional Welsh clubs. Teams from National Division One and below now play for the Powergen National Trophy.

In place of the knock-out format, the 16 sixteen clubs are placed in four pools with 3 English clubs and 1 Welsh club. The pool stages of the Anglo-Welsh Cup tournament feature one game against each team. The winners of each of the four groups progress to the semi-finals. The pools will stay as they are for the following season as well, with home and away fixtures reversed and the club relegated from the Guinness Premiership's place taken by the club promoted from National Division One.

In addition to increased TV revenue (the revised Powergen Cup has already inked a handsome new broadcasting agreement with the BBC) and a possible boost to matchday income, the Powergen Cup will also offer its winner qualification to the even more lucrative Heineken Cup club competition. As base compensation all 16 Powergen clubs are guaranteed £250,000 each, with a prize fund of up to £200,000 available to the semi-finalists. [1]

The Welsh clubs' inclusion initially caused them to be expelled from the Celtic League. Celtic League officials were angered that the Welsh Clubs had apparently consented to Powergen Cup fixtures on the same weekend of Celtic League matches. The political fallout resulted in the expulsion of the Welsh clubs from the league. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and the Welsh clubs were readmitted.

Many rugby union commentators see the Powergen Cup as a boon to Wales as it reinforces their regional club structure begun in 2003 when Wales began the regional structure common to southern hemisphere powers such as New Zealand and South Africa. (See the Observer, "Fine for the Welsh, but at what cost to England?", 25 Sept. 2005). But the benefits are less apparent to the English clubs, especially as the breakdown between Twickenham and the Guinness Premiership clubs intensifies.

Interest in the Powergen Cup was high during the first two rounds. Over 100,000 spectators attend matches, while the television audience peaked at 1.2 million on BBC2 for the Newcastle Falcons v. Llanelli Scarlets match. [2] Overall, the 2005-2006 cup drew a 12% attendance boost in the group stages over the previous year's competition. [3]

Unfortunately, Powergen has decided to withdraw all of its rugby sponsorship after the conclusion of the 2005-2006 cup competitions. This decision was made after its parent company, German utility E.ON became a founding partner and lead sponsor of the FA and the new Wembley Stadium, and Powergen will thus align its corporate sponsorships along with its corporate parent.[4]

On August 1, 2006 the RFU announced that the new sponsor of the Anglo-Welsh Cup would be EDF Energy, one of Great Britain's largest distributors of electricity and gas. [5] [6] EDF Energy will also take over sponsorship of the Powergen National Trophy as well as the primarily amateur and youth club competitions, the Intermediate Cup, the Junior Vase and a new Senior Vase competition.

EDF Energy's sponsorship of the Anglo-Welsh event follows on their previous investment in rugby union, including sponsorship of the 2007 World Cup and the French TOP-14.

The pools (or groups) for the Powergen Cup were decided on a regional basis, comprising of three English sides geographically close to one another, and one Welsh club again divided as far as possible by their location. Pools for 2005-06 and 2006-07 Powergen Cups are as follows:-

Pools

Pool A: Gloucester, Bristol, Bath, Ospreys

Pool B: London Irish, Wasps, Saracens, Cardiff Blues

Pool C: Sale Sharks, Newcastle Falcons, NEC Harlequins, Llanelli Scarlets

Pool D: Leicester Tigers, Worcester Warriors, Northampton Saints, Newport Gwent Dragons

Note: NEC Harlequins replaced Leeds Tykes for the 2006-07 season when Leeds were relegated from the Premiership and Harlequins were promoted from National Division 1.

List of winners

By year

John Player Cup

Pilkington Cup

  • 1989 Bath 10 - 6 against Leicester
  • 1990 Bath 48 - 6 against Gloucester
  • 1991 Harlequins 25 - 13 against Northampton
  • 1992 Bath 15 - 12 against Harlequins
  • 1993 Leicester 23 - 16 against Harlequins
  • 1994 Bath 21 - 9 against Leicester
  • 1995 Bath 36 - 16 against Wasps FC
  • 1996 Bath 16 - 15 against Leicester
  • 1997 Leicester 9 - 3 against Sale

Tetley's Bitter Cup

Powergen Cup

Powergen Anglo Welsh Cup

EDF Energy (Anglo Welsh) Cup

  • 2007


By number won

Position Club Times won
1 Bath 10
2 Leicester 5
3= Gloucester RFC 4
3= Gosforth/Newcastle 4
5 Wasps FC/London Wasps 3
6= Coventry 2
6= NEC Harlequins 2
8= Bedford 1
8= Bristol 1
8= London Irish 1
8= Saracens 1
8= Leeds 1

See also

Template:Eng rugby prem

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