The 1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup was the 27th edition of England's top rugby union club competition. Saracens won the competition, for the first time by defeating Wasps, who lost in the final for the third time.[1][2] The first two rounds were unsponsored and by the third round Tetley's Brewery took over the sponsorship; the previous nine years had been sponsored by Pilkington. The final was held at Twickenham Stadium.[2][3]
1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Countries | England |
Tournament format(s) | knockout |
Date | 13 September 1997 – 9 May 1998 |
Tournament statistics | |
Final | |
Venue | Twickenham Stadium |
Attendance | 65,000 |
Champions | Saracens (first win) |
Runners-up | Wasps |
Draw and results
editFirst round (13 September)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Aspatria | Stockton | 23-13 |
Barking | Swanage & Wareham | 26-18 |
Basingstoke | Weston-super-Mare | 10-39 |
Birmingham/Solihull | Westleigh | 22-10 |
Bridgwater | Metropolitan Police | 18-30 |
Broadstreet | Walsall | 25-17 |
Camberley | Barnstaple | 38-16 |
Cheltenham | Okehampton | 138-0 |
Coney Hill | Preston Grasshoppers | 5-16 |
Haywards Heath | Plymouth | 26-25 |
Henley | Cambridge | 64-12 |
Hornets | Havant | 28-72 |
Launceston | Bicester | 58-6 |
Lewes | Wimbledon | 12-11 |
Lichfield | Manchester | 10-28 |
Longton | Widnes | 22-38 |
Maidenhead | Amersham & Chiltern | 14-36 |
Matson | Bishop Stortford | 8-3 |
North Walsham | Esher | 19-18 |
Northern | Derby | 49-3 |
Norwich | Bracknell | 14-25 |
Nuneaton | Sedgley Park | 11-7 |
Old Coventrians | Huddersfield | 13-35 |
Olney | St Ives | 18-20 |
Sandal | Chester | 30-22 |
Scunthorpe | Doncaster | 6-23 |
Selley Oak | Syston | 31-19 |
Sevenoaks | Cheshunt | 32-13 |
Sheffield | Old Northamptons | 38-14 |
Sherborne | Clifton | 19-30 |
St Benedict’s | Wigton | 9-24 |
Staines | Redruth | 35-25 |
Sunderland | Kendal | 8-27 |
Sutton & Epsom | Banbury | 23-25 |
Tabard | Harlow | 23-0 |
Taunton | Canterbury | 34-12 |
Tynedale | Hinckley | 32-8 |
Vagabonds (IOM) | Old Brodleians | 18-15 |
Vale of Lune | Ampthill | 27-25 |
Whitchurch | Stourbridge | 28-35 |
Winchester | Ruislip | 20-0 |
Winnington Park | Stoke | 64-12 |
- Cheltenham's 138 – 0 win over Okehampton was a record score for the competition.[2]
Second round (4 October)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Aspatria | Widnes | 27-18 |
Birmingham/Solihull | Otley | 9-10 |
Bracknell | Metropolitan Police | 35-14 |
Broadstreet | Huddersfield | 41-3 |
Cheltenham | Sevenoaks | 20-18 |
Havant | Matson | 19-10 |
Haywards Heath | Launceston | 20-22 |
Henley | Camberley | 3-16 |
Kendal | Harrogate | 9-5 |
Lewes | North Walsham | 10-42 |
London Welsh | Clifton | 65-17 |
Lydney | Amersham & Chiltern | 67-0 |
Morley | Selly Oak | 41-5 |
Northern | Tynedale | 5-22 |
Nottingham | Doncaster | 20-24 |
Preston Grasshoppers | Manchester | 8-33 |
Rugby | Vagabonds (IOM) | 46-0 |
Sandal | Nuneaton | 22-16 |
Sheffield | Vale of Lune | 42-20 |
St Ives | Barking | 6-53 |
Staines | Banbury | 32-12 |
Stourbridge | Taunton | 69-5 |
Tabard | Rosslyn Park | 0-31 |
Weston-super-Mare | Newbury | 17-36 |
Wharfedale | Wigton | 35-10 |
Winchester | Reading | 12-26 |
Winnington Park | Liverpool St Helens | 24-26 |
Worcester | Leeds | 28-11 |
Third round (1 November)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Barking | Exeter | 13-17 |
Bedford | Staines | 76-15 |
Blackheath | Sandal | 32-3 |
Broadstreet | Bracknell | 15-21 |
Camberley | Kendal | 32-20 |
Coventry | Sheffield | 83-19 |
Doncaster | Tynedale | 24-11 |
Fylde | Aspatria | 48-5 |
Havant | Rugby | 22-32 |
London Welsh | Waterloo | 36-34 |
Lydney | London Scottish | 3-45 |
Moseley | Liverpool St Helens | 79-10 |
North Walsham | Rosslyn Park | 11-27 |
Orrell | Newbury | 16-26 |
Otley | Manchester | 24-25 |
Rotherham | Launceston | 67-15 |
Stourbridge | Reading | 24-58 |
Wakefield | Morley | 53-14 |
West Hartlepool | Cheltenham | 41-5 |
Wharfedale | Worcester | 8-29 |
Fourth round (3 & 4 January)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Bath | London Scottish | 24-23 |
Blackheath | Saracens | 31-59 |
Bracknell | Rotherham | 3-26 |
Camberley | Newbury | 10-11 |
Coventry | Leicester | 14-50 |
Fylde | Rosslyn Park | 20-5 |
London Welsh | Gloucester | 18-34 |
Manchester | London Irish | 13-36 |
Moseley | Sale | 11-18 |
Newcastle | Exeter | 34-10 |
Northampton | Bedford | 31-26 |
Richmond | Doncaster | 58-8 |
Rugby | Reading | 26-17 |
Wasps | Harlequins | 31-26 |
West Hartlepool | Wakefield | 23-13 |
Worcester | Bristol | 14-12 |
Fifth round (24 January)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Bath | Richmond | 17-29 aet |
London Irish | Rotherham | 27-14 |
Northampton | Gloucester | 30-11 |
Sale | Newbury | 38-11 |
Saracens | Leicester | 14-13 |
Wasps | Fylde | 34 -8 |
West Hartlepool | Rugby | 42-11 |
Worcester | Newcastle | 0-10 |
Quarter-finals (28 February & 1 March)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
London Irish | Wasps | 7-41 |
Northampton | Newcastle | 17-7 |
Richmond | Saracens | 30-36 |
West Hartlepool | Sale | 21-36 |
Semi-finals (28 March)
editTeam One | Team Two | Score |
---|---|---|
Northampton | Saracens | 10 – 25 |
Wasps | Sale | 15 – 9 |
Final
edit9 May 1998 |
Saracens | 48–18 | Wasps |
Try: Sella Constable Johnson Grewcock Ravenscroft Bracken Wallace Con: Lynagh 5 Drop: Lynagh | Try: Volley Roiser Con: Rees Pen: Rees 2 |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Chris White (Gloucestershire) |
Saracens
|
Wasps
|
|
|
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Lynagh and Sella bow out on Saracens' false dawn". ESPN.
- ^ a b c Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99 (27th ed.). London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 84–98. ISBN 0-7472-7653-6.
- ^ "Times Archives". Oxfordshire Libraries.