- Past winners
- Total finals by club
- See also
- References
- External links
The WRU Challenge Cup (currently known as the SWALEC Cup due to sponsorship), or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union. On 26 February 2007, the WRU agreed a new £1 million three-year sponsorship deal with SWALEC, who had previously sponsored the event from the 1992–93 season until the 1998–99 season; the Cup will again become the SWALEC Cup.[1] The SWALEC Cup is a three tier competition with Cup, Plate and Bowl winners. In the inaugural year the SWALEC Plate was competed for by clubs who are knocked out of the SWALEC Cup in the first two rounds, while the SWALEC Bowl was competed for by clubs who are knocked out of the first round of the plate competition.[2] In its second year of the WRU split the three competitions directly with teams from Division 4–6 competing for the Bowl, teams from Division 2–3 competing for the Plate and teams from the Premiership and Division 1 competing for the Cup. The current champions are Merthyr who defeated Newport at the Millennium Stadium on 29 April 2018 by 41 points to 7. Past winners| Year | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Final venue | Name of Cup |
|---|
| 1972 | Neath | 15–9 | Llanelli | Cardiff Arms Park | WRU Challenge Cup | | 1973 | Llanelli | 30–7 | Cardiff | | 1974 | 12–10 | Aberavon | | 1975 | 15–6 | | 1976 | 16–4 | Swansea | | 1977 | Newport | 16–15 | Cardiff | Schweppes Cup | | 1978 | Swansea | 13–9 | Newport | | 1979 | Bridgend | 18–12 | Pontypridd | | 1980 | 15–9 | Swansea | | 1981 | Cardiff | 14–6 | Bridgend | | 1982 | 12–12
(Cardiff win on try count) | | 1983 | Pontypool | 18–6 | Swansea | | 1984 | Cardiff | 24–19 | Neath | National Stadium | | 1985 | Llanelli | 15–14 | Cardiff | | 1986 | Cardiff | 28–21 | Newport | | 1987 | 16–15
(after extra time) | Swansea | | 1988 | Llanelli | 28–13 | Neath | | 1989 | Neath | 14–13 | Llanelli | | 1990 | 16–10 | Bridgend | | 1991 | Llanelli | 24–9 | Pontypool | | 1992 | 16–7 | Swansea | | 1993 | 21–18 | Neath | SWALEC Cup | | 1994 | Cardiff | 15–8 | Llanelli | | 1995 | Swansea | 17–12 | Pontypridd | | 1996 | Pontypridd | 29–22 | Neath | | 1997 | Cardiff | 33–26 | Swansea | | 1998 | Llanelli | 19–12 | Ebbw Vale | Ashton Gate | | 1999 | Swansea | 37–10 | Llanelli | Ninian Park | | 2000 | Llanelli | 22–12 | Swansea | Millennium Stadium | WRU Challenge Cup | | 2001 | Newport | 13–8 | Neath | Principality Cup | | 2002 | Pontypridd | 20–17 | Llanelli | | 2003 | Llanelli | 32–9 | Newport | | 2004 | Neath | 36–13 | Caerphilly | Konica Minolta Cup | | 2005 | Llanelli | 25–24 | Pontypridd | | 2006 | Pontypridd | 26–25 | Neath | | 2007 | Llandovery | 20–18 | Cardiff | | 2008 | Neath | 28–22 | Pontypridd | | 2009 | 27–21 | Llanelli | SWALEC Cup | | 2010 | Llanelli | 20–8 | Carmarthen Quins | | 2011 | Pontypridd | 35–24 | Aberavon | | 2012 | Cross Keys | 32–19 | Pontypridd | | 2013 | Pontypridd | 34–13 | Neath | | 2014 | 21–8 | Cross Keys | | 2015 | Bridgend | 19–15 | Pontypridd | | 2016 | Llandovery | 25–18 | Carmarthen | | 2017 | RGC 1404 | 15–11 | Pontypridd | WRU National Cup | | 2018 | Merthyr RFC | 41-7 | Newport | Principality Stadium |
Total finals by club| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|
| Llanelli | 14 | 6 | | Cardiff | 7 | 4 | | Neath | 6 | 7 | | Pontypridd | 6 | 6 | | Swansea | 3 | 7 | | Bridgend | 3 | 3 | | Newport | 2 | 4 | | Llandovery | 2 | 0 | | Pontypool | 1 | 1 | | Cross Keys | 1 | 1 | | Merthyr | 1 | 0 | | RGC 1404 | 1 | 0 | | Aberavon | 0 | 3 | | Caerphilly | 0 | 1 | | Carmarthen Quins | 0 | 1 | | Ebbw Vale | 0 | 1 |
See also- Welsh Premier Division
- Welsh Rugby Union
- Rugby union in Wales
- Konica Minolta
References1. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.wru.co.uk/1391_17075.php |publisher=Welsh Rugby Union |title=SWALEC becomes new power behind Welsh rugby |accessdate=7 May 2008 }}
2. ^The Swalec Cup, Bowl and Plate rules 2008/09
External links- SWALEC Cup website
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080430014638/http://www.wru.co.uk/86_641.php Konica Minolta Cup: A Brief History]
{{Rugby Wales links}} 3 : WRU Challenge Cup|Rugby union competitions in Wales|Rugby union cup competitions |