Previous Winners (1889-2012) Where a year is emboldened, you can link to a page which has more details of that year's competition
The First System - it appears as though the winners of the first County Championships were decided upon by the RFU Committee, after all counties had played a series of games against other counties.
1889 - Yorkshire 1890 - Yorkshire 1891 - Lancashire 1892 - Yorkshire |
The Second System - some form of organisation was introduced for the 1893 County Championship, with the winners of four regional mini-groups playing each other in a round-robin group to decide the leading county.
1893 - Yorkshire 1894 - Yorkshire 1895 - Yorkshire |
The Third System - the 'Great Split' of 1896, with the formation of the Northern Union through the breakaway of clubs to the professional game, had a massive effect on the game in the north of the country. Having dominated the County Championship thus far, it is interesting to note that neither Yorkshire or Lancashire were to win a Championship for another 30 years, until 1926.
In the 'Third System' the counties were divided into North and South groups, with the northern and southern group winners to play for the title. This system lasted for 20 seasons, bridging the First World War.
In the 'Third System' the counties were divided into North and South groups, with the northern and southern group winners to play for the title. This system lasted for 20 seasons, bridging the First World War.
1896 - Surrey 4 Yorkshire 16 (Richmond)
1897 - Cumberland 3 Kent 9 (Carlisle) 1898 - Midlands 3 Northumberland 24 (Coventry) 1899 - Northumberland 0 Devon 5 (Newcastle) 1900 - Devon 3 Durham 11 (Exeter) 1901 - Durham 3 Devon 14 (West Hartlepool) 1902 - Gloucestershire 3 Durham 9 (Gloucester) 1903 - Durham 4 Kent 3 (West Hartlepool) 1904 - Kent 8 Durham 6 (Blackheath) 1905 - Durham 9 Middlesex 8 (West Hartlepool) 1906 - Devon 16 Durham 3 (Exeter) |
1907 - Durham 3 Devon 3 (West Hartlepool)
1907 - Devon 0 Durham 0 (Exeter) Competition Drawn 1908 - Cornwall 17 Durham 3 (Redruth) 1909 - Durham 12 Cornwall 0 (West Hartlepool) 1910 - Gloucestershire 23 Yorkshire 0 (Gloucester) 1911 - Yorkshire 3 Devon 12 (Kirkstall, Leeds) 1912 - Devon 29 Northumberland 0 (Devonport) 1913 - Cumberland 3 Gloucestershire 14 (Carlisle) 1914 - Midlands 22 Durham 5 (Leicester) 1920 - Yorkshire 3 Gloucestershire 27 (Bradford) |
The Fourth System - in 1921, the counties were split into five regions - the south-west and southern group winners played each other to qualify for a quarter-final place alongside the other three regional group winners. They then played knock-out fixtures, with a final match afterwards.
1921 - Gloucestershire 31 Leicestershire 4 (Kingsholm)
1922 - North Midlands 0 Gloucestershire 19 (Aston Villa) 1923 - Somerset 8 Leicestershire 6 (Bridgwater) 1924 - Cumberland 14 Kent 3 (Carlisle) 1925 - Gloucestershire 6 Leicestershire 14 (Bristol) 1926 - Yorkshire 15 Hampshire 14 (Bradford) 1927 - Kent 22 Leicestershire 12 (Blackheath) 1928 - Yorkshire 12 Cornwall 8 (Bradford) 1929 - Middlesex 8 Lancashire 8 (Twickenham) 1929 - Lancashire 8 Middlesex 9 (Blundellsands) 1930 - Lancashire 7 Gloucestershire 13 (Blundellsands) 1931 - Gloucestershire 10 Warwickshire 9 (Gloucester) 1932 - Durham 3 Gloucestershire 9 (Blaydon) 1933 - Hampshire 18 Lancashire 7 (Boscombe) 1934 - East Midlands 10 Gloucestershire 0 (Northampton) 1935 - Somerset 0 Lancashire 14 (Bath) 1936 - Northumberland 6 Hampshire 13 (Gosforth) 1937 - Gloucestershire 5 East Midlands 0 (Bristol) 1938 - Lancashire 24 Surrey 12 (Blundellsands) 1939 - Somerset 3 Warwickshire 8 (Weston-Super-Mare) 1947 - Lancashire 8 Gloucestershire 8 (Blundellsands) 1947 - Gloucestershire 3 Lancashire 14 (Kingsholm) 1948 - Eastern Counties 0 Lancashire 5 (Cambridge) 1949 - Lancashire 9 Gloucestershire 3 (Blundellsands) 1950 - Cheshire 5 East Midlands 0 (Birkenhead Park) 1951 - East Midlands 10 Middlesex 0 (Northampton) 1952 - Middlesex 9 Lancashire 6 (Twickenham) 1953 - Yorkshire 11 East Midlands 3 (Bradford) 1954 - Lancashire 6 Middlesex 24 (Blundellsands) 1955 - Middlesex 8 Lancashire 14 (Twickenham) |
1956 - Middlesex 13 Devon 9 (Twickenham)
1957 - Devon 12 Yorkshire 3 (Home Park, Plymouth) 1958 - Warwickshire 16 Cornwall 8 (Coundon Road, Coventry) 1959 - Gloucestershire 9 Warwickshire 14 (Memorial Ground, Bristol) 1960 - Warwickshire 9 Surrey 6 (Coundon Road, Coventry) 1961 - Devon 0 Cheshire 0 (Home Park, Plymouth) 1961 - Cheshire 5 Devon 3 (Birkenhead Park) 1962 - Hampshire 6 Warwickshire 11 (Twickenham) 1963 - Warwickshire 13 Yorkshire 10 (Coundon Road, Coventry) 1964 - Warwickshire 8 Lancashire 6 (Coundon Road, Coventry) 1965 - Durham 9 Warwickshire 15 (Hartlepool) 1966 - Lancashire 0 Middlesex 6 (Blundellsands) 1967 - Surrey 14 Durham 14 (Twickenham) 1967 - Durham 0 Surrey 0 (Hartlepool) Competition Drawn 1968 - Middlesex 9 Warwickshire 6 (Twickenham) 1969 - Cornwall 9 Lancashire 11 (Redruth) 1970 - Staffordshire 11 Gloucestershire 9 (Burton on Trent) 1971 - Gloucestershire 3 Surrey 14 (Kingsholm) 1972 - Warwickshire 6 Gloucestershire 11 (Coundon Road, Coventry) 1973 - Gloucestershire 12 Lancashire 17 (Memorial Ground, Bristol) 1974 - Lancashire 12 Gloucestershire 22 (Blundellsands) 1975 - Gloucestershire 13 Eastern Counties 9 (Kingsholm) 1976 - Middlesex 9 Gloucestershire 24 (Richmond) 1977 - Lancashire 17 Middlesex 6 (Blundellsands) 1978 - North Midlands 10 Gloucestershire 7 (Moseley) 1979 - Middlesex 19 Northumberland 6 (Twickenham) 1980 - Lancashire 21 Gloucestershire 15 (Vale of Lune) 1981 - North Midlands 3 Lancashire 7 (Moseley) 1982 - Gloucestershire 6 Northumberland 15 (Kingsholm) |
The Fifth System - the previous regionalisation of qualifying groups was removed, with the counties being split into four leagues, based upon their performances during the 1981/82 season.
Leagues 1,2 and 3 had eight teams, split into two groups of four, playing round-robin fixtures, while league 4 had three sides playing each other home and away.
The top two sides in each of the league 1 groups played semi-finals to determine the County Championship finalists. Promotion and relegation between leagues was on offer for the top/bottom counties in each league.
From 1984 onwards, all finals have been played at Twickenham.
Leagues 1,2 and 3 had eight teams, split into two groups of four, playing round-robin fixtures, while league 4 had three sides playing each other home and away.
The top two sides in each of the league 1 groups played semi-finals to determine the County Championship finalists. Promotion and relegation between leagues was on offer for the top/bottom counties in each league.
From 1984 onwards, all finals have been played at Twickenham.
1983 - Gloucestershire 19 Yorkshire 7 (Kingsholm)
1984 - Gloucestershire 36 Somerset 18 |
1985 - Middlesex 10 Notts, Lincs & Derbys 9
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The Sixth System -
1986 - Warwickshire 16 Kent 6
1987 - Yorkshire 22 Middlesex 11 1988 - Lancashire 23 Warwickshire 18 1989 - Durham 13 Cornwall 9 |
1990 - Lancashire 32 Middlesex 9
1991 - Cornwall 29 Yorkshire 22 1992 - Lancashire 9 Cornwall 6 1993 - Lancashire 9 Yorkshire 6 |
The Seventh System -
1994 - Yorkshire 26 Durham 3
1994 - Yorkshire 26 Durham 3
The Eighth System -
1995 - Warwickshire 15 Northumberland 9
1996 - Gloucestershire 17 Warwickshire 13
1995 - Warwickshire 15 Northumberland 9
1996 - Gloucestershire 17 Warwickshire 13
The Ninth System -
1997 - Cumbria 21 Somerset 13
1998 - Cheshire 21 Cornwall 15
1999 - Cornwall 24 Gloucestershire 15
2000 - Yorkshire 16 Devon 9
2001 - No Competition
1997 - Cumbria 21 Somerset 13
1998 - Cheshire 21 Cornwall 15
1999 - Cornwall 24 Gloucestershire 15
2000 - Yorkshire 16 Devon 9
2001 - No Competition
The Tenth System -
2002 - Gloucestershire 26 Cheshire 23
2003 - Lancashire 24 Gloucestershire 18
2004 - Devon 43 Gloucestershire 14
2002 - Gloucestershire 26 Cheshire 23
2003 - Lancashire 24 Gloucestershire 18
2004 - Devon 43 Gloucestershire 14
The Eleventh System -
2005 - Devon 22 Lancashire 16
2006 - Lancashire 32 Devon 26
2007 - Devon 27 Lancashire 6
2005 - Devon 22 Lancashire 16
2006 - Lancashire 32 Devon 26
2007 - Devon 27 Lancashire 6
The Bill Beaumont Cup - in recognition of his contribution to the game, the RFU renamed the County Championship the Bill Beaumont Cup. A system of promotion and relegation, and regionalisation of the groups are in place, with the bottom county in each Cup group being relegated to the Shield, and the leading Shield county in each region taking their place.
2008 - Yorkshire 33 Devon 13
2009 - Lancashire 32 Gloucestershire 18
2010 - Lancashire 36 Gloucestershire 6
2011 - Lancashire 32 Hertfordshire 23
2012 - Hertfordshire 38 Lancashire 20
2008 - Yorkshire 33 Devon 13
2009 - Lancashire 32 Gloucestershire 18
2010 - Lancashire 36 Gloucestershire 6
2011 - Lancashire 32 Hertfordshire 23
2012 - Hertfordshire 38 Lancashire 20