2017–18 RFU Senior Vase


The 2017–18 RFU Senior Vase is the 12th version of the RFU Senior Vase national cup competition for clubs at level 8 of the English rugby union system. The competition consists of 94 clubs divided into four regions. The winners of each region then advance to the national semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London at the end of the season, along with the RFU Intermediate Cup and RFU Junior Vase finals.
The 2017–18 champions were Wath-upon-Dearne, who pipped Cornish side Saltash, 22–18 in an entertaining final. It was Wath-upon-Dearne's second final in the competition, having lost to south-west side, Wells, in the 2012 edition. By claiming the vase they also replicated West Leeds to become the second Yorkshire club to win the competition since its inception back in the 2006–07 season.

London & South East Senior Vase

The London & South East Senior Vase involves a knock-out competition with 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, semi-finals and final. The winners of the London & South East Senior Vase then go on to the national Senior Vase semi-finals where they face the winners of the South West Senior Vase. There are 26 teams involved in the London & South East Senior Vase, all of which are 1st XV sides, coming from the following unions and level 8 leagues.
UnionLeague / LevelParticipants
Eastern CountiesLondon 3 Eastern Counties 6
EssexLondon 3 Essex 2
HampshireLondon 3 South West 3
HertfordshireLondon 3 North West 4
KentLondon 3 South East 6
MiddlesexLondon 3 South West 1
SurreyLondon 3 South West 3
SussexLondon 3 South East 1

Round 1

Byes: Bromley, Portsmouth, Old Cranleighans, Thanet Wanderers, Warlingham, Welwyn
DateHomeScoreAway
14/10/2017Cheshunt AWOSouthwold
14/10/2017Datchworth 44–17Teddington
14/10/2017Hitchin 22–34Stowmarket
14/10/2017Newmarket AWOWisbech
14/10/2017Old Dunstonians 30–25Battersea Ironsides
14/10/2017Old Williamsonians 21–59Trojans
14/10/2017Petersfield 8–50Aylesford Bulls
14/10/2017Sheppey 40–20Crawley
14/10/2017Thetford 56–10Maldon
14/10/2017West Norfolk HWOBasildon

Round 2

DateHomeScoreAway
18/11/2017Aylesford Bulls 17–12Welwyn
18/11/2017Bromley 41–0Thanet Wanderers
18/11/2017Old Cranleighans HWOSheppey
18/11/2017Old Dunstonians 10–34Trojans
18/11/2017Portsmouth HWOWarlingham
18/11/2017Southwold HWOWisbech
18/11/2017Stowmarket 10–27Datchworth
18/11/2017West Norfolk 22–41Thetford

Round 3

DateHomeScoreAway
20/01/2018Old Cranleighans 23–12Southwold
20/01/2018Portsmouth 31–0Datchworth
20/01/2018Thetford 19–31Bromley
20/01/2018Trojans 17–14Aylesford Bulls

Semi-finals

DateHomeScoreAway
24/02/2018Old Cranleighans 26–20Portsmouth
24/02/2018Trojans 7–27Bromley

Final

The winners of the London & South East Senior Vase final would advance to the national semi-finals.
DateHomeScoreAway
17/03/2018Bromley 3–36Old Cranleighans

Midlands Senior Vase

The Midlands Senior Vase is a direct knockout cup with a 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final The winner of the final goes forward to the National Vase semi-finals where they face the winners of the Northern section. The competition involves 35 clubs from the following unions and level 8 leagues:
UnionLeague / LevelParticipants
East MidlandsMidlands 3 East (South) 8
LeicestershireMidlands 3 East (North) 3
LeicestershireMidlands 3 East (South) 2
North MidlandsMidlands 3 West (North) 3
North MidlandsMidlands 3 West (South) 3
Notts, Lincs & DerbyshireMidlands 3 East (North) 5
StaffordshireMidlands 3 West (North) 7
WarwickshireMidlands 3 West (South) 4

10 Midlands 3 West (North)
7 Midlands 3 West (South)
8 Midlands 3 East (North)
10 Midlands 3 East (South)

Round 1

Byes: 32 teams were given a bye into the 2nd round
DateHomeScoreAway
16/09/2017Bromyard AWOShrewsbury
16/09/2017Shipston on Stour 39–3Dunstablians
16/09/2017Spalding 19–45St Ives

Round 2

DateHomeScoreAway
07/10/2017Alcester 29–60Harborne
07/10/2017Ashby 67–14Trentham
07/10/2017Bedford Queens 24–14Old Coventrians
07/10/2017Birstall HWO Northampton Mens Own
07/10/2017Cannock 30–28Leicester Forest
07/10/2017Edwardians 15–38Shipston on Stour
07/10/2017Handsworth 32–31Daventry
07/10/2017Kesteven HWOBiggleswade
07/10/2017Ledbury HWOWillenhall
07/10/2017Northampton Casuals HWOSileby Town
07/10/2017Nottingham Moderns 22–12Uttoxeter
07/10/2017Rugby St Andrews 42–24Stockwood Park
07/10/2017Shrewsbury 59–0Woodrush
07/10/2017St Ives 22–10Sleaford
07/10/2017Stafford 5–6Long Eaton
07/10/2017Vipers 58–0Barton-Under-Needwood

Round 3

DateHomeScoreAway
28/10/2017Harborne 24–28Shipston on Stour
28/10/2017Kesteven 21–41St Ives
28/10/2017Ledbury 44–35Handsworth
28/10/2017Long Eaton HWOCannock
28/10/2017Northampton Casuals 55–5Birstall
28/10/2017Rugby St Andrews HWOBedford Queens
28/10/2017Vipers 46–0Nottingham Moderns
28/10/2017Woodrush HWOAshby

Quarter-finals

DateHomeScoreAway
18/11/2017Ledbury 14–32Northampton Casuals
18/11/2017Long Eaton 41–20Woodrush
18/11/2017Shipston on Stour 15–15Vipers
18/11/2017St Ives 69–12Rugby St Andrews

Semi-finals

DateHomeScoreAway
20/01/2018Northampton Casuals 22–31Long Eaton
20/01/2018Vipers 8–10St Ives

Final

The winners of the Midlands Senior Vase would advance to the National Senior Vase semi-finals.
DateHomeScoreAway
17/03/2018St Ives 19–8Long Eaton

Northern Senior Vase

Unlike the other regional competitions, the Northern Senior Vase starts with a mini-league stage, in which the eligible clubs are placed in 2 regional pools of 3 teams each. The winners of each pool then face each other in the Northern Senior Vase final, with the winner advancing to the National Senior Vase semi-finals, where they will face the winners of the Midlands section. There are 6 teams involved in the Northern Senior Vase representing the following unions and level 8 leagues:
UnionLeague / LevelParticipants
Durham CountyDurham/Northumberland 2 1
CheshireLancs/Cheshire Division 2 2
CumbriaCumbria 11
NorthumberlandDurham/Northumberland 2 1
YorkshireYorkshire 2 1

Final

The winners of the Pool 1 and Pool 2 would meet in the Northern Senior Vase final. The winners of this final would then advanced to the National Senior Vase semi-finals.
DateHomeScoreAway
24/02/2018Wath-upon-Dearne 30–5Winnington Park

South West Senior Vase

The South West Senior Vase consist of three stages, with representatives from the different unions joining at different points. The Dorset & Wilts and Gloucestershire clubs first play in county based knock-out tournaments, with the winners advancing to either the Southern Counties or South West Counties area semi-finals, where they join the other south-west representatives. The winners of each area final then meet in the South West Senior Vase final to determine who goes through to the national semi-finals, where they face the winners of the London and South East section.
The South West Senior Vase involves 27 clubs from the following unions and level 8 leagues:
UnionLeague / LevelParticipants
BerkshireBerks/Bucks & Oxon Premier 1
BuckinghamshireBerks/Bucks & Oxon Premier 1
CornwallCornwall/Devon 1
DevonCornwall/Devon 1
Dorset & WiltsDorset & Wilts 1 North 5
Dorset & WiltsDorset & Wilts 1 South 5
GloucestershireGloucester Premier 11
OxfordshireBerks/Bucks & Oxon Premier 1
SomersetSomerset Premier 1

Stage 1 (Dorset & Wilts)

10 clubs were involved in the Dorset & Wilts RFU Senior Vase qualification. The winners would advanced to the Southern Counties semi-finals.

Stage 1 (Gloucestershire)

11 teams were involved in the Gloucestershire RFU Senior Vase qualification tournament. The winners of the competition would go through to the South West Counties final.

Stage 2 (Southern Counties)

The winners of the Dorset & Wilts Senior Vase would join representatives from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire unions in the Southern Counties knock-out stage. The winners would advance to play the South West Counties winners in the south-west regional final.

Stage 2 (South West Counties)

The winners of the Gloucestershire Senior Vase would meet the representatives from the Somerset RFU in the semi-final, while the representatives from the Cornwall RFU would face the representatives from the Devon RFU. The winners would advance to play the Southern Counties winners in the south-west regional final.

Stage 3 (South West final)

The winners of the Southern Counties and South West Counties final would meet in the south-west regional final. The winners of this final would then advanced to the national semi-finals.
DateHomeScoreAway
17/03/2018Saltash 73–22Slough

National Senior Vase

4 teams qualified from the regional vase competitions:
  • London & South East Senior Vase – Old Cranleighans
  • Midlands Senior Vase – St Ives
  • Northern Senior Vase – Wath-upon-Dearne
  • South West Senior Vase – Saltash
The Midlands winners would face the North winners in the first semi-final, while the London & South East winners would face the South-West winners in the other, with the winners of each semi-final meeting in the Twickenham final. Home advantage in the semi-finals will be decided by a draw.

Semi-finals

DateHomeScoreAway
31/03/2018Saltash 31–15Old Cranleighans
31/03/2018Wath-upon-Dearne 29–7St Ives