Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition (affectionately known as t’owd tin pot) for several years prior to the schism of 1895. However the Lancashire authorities had refused to sanction a similar tournament, fearing it would lead to professionalism.
After the split, the replacement for the Yorkshire Cup was not immediately introduced, however new Yorkshire and Lancashire Cups were introduced in the 1905-06. This was the final set of trophies that went towards the concept of all four cups.
The county cups were played on the same basis as the Challenge Cup, with an open draw and straight knock-out matches leading to a final.
The county cups were abandoned in 1993 due to the more successful clubs complaining about overloaded fixtures. BARLA continue to run cup competitions for Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria for amateur clubs.
Note: The Lancashire cup was not played during World War 2 (1940-45). During this period the Yorkshire Cup final was played over two legs, with aggregate score being used.
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