1996–97 Pilkington Cup

The 1996–97 Pilkington Cup was the 26th edition of England's premier rugby union club competition. Leicester won the competition defeating Sale in the final.[1] The event was sponsored by Pilkington and the final was held at Twickenham Stadium.[2]

1996–97 Pilkington Cup
Tournament statistics
ChampionsLeicester Tigers (5th title)
1995–96 (Previous) (Next) 1997–98

Draw and results edit

First round (Sep 14) edit

Team one Team two Score
Barking Barnstaple 18-31
Birmingham & Solihull Old Halesonians 37-8
Bishop Stortford Bicester 13-26
Bradford & Bingley Aspatria 13-26
Bridgwater & Albion Newbury 22-46
Bridlington Nuneaton 23-16
Camberley Plymouth 24-24*
Camp Hill Wigton 17-35
Charlton Park Askeans 11-28
Derby Blaydon 12-13
Esher Ruislip 20-3
Gosport & Fareham Weston-Super-Mare 12-19
Haywards Heath Beckenham 31-10
Henley Westcombe Park 84-10
Launceston Cheltenham 25-37
Lichfield Winnington Park 19-21
Longton Sheffield 16-26
Manchester Scunthorpe 37-10
Marlow Norwich 0-6
Metropolitan Police Sutton & Epsom 47-18
New Brighton Hereford 29-13
North Walsham Gloucester Old Boys 17-18
Preston Grasshoppers Stoke-on-Trent 28-10
Southend High Wycombe 24-41
Staines Gloucester Saras 27-20
Stourbridge Kendal 17-28
Sutton Coldfield Sandal 15-22
Swanage & Wareham Berry Hill 41-8
Tabard Bracknell 19-30
Westleigh Tynedale 19-20
Widnes Ampthill 30-17
Worcester Vale of Lune 59-8

Second round (Oct 12) edit

Team one Team two Score
Askeans Swanage & Wareham 18-21
Barnstaple Plymouth 27-14
Bishop Stortford Metropolitan Police 22-22*
Bridlington Blaydon 15-7
Cheltenham Worcester 30-22
Gloucester Old Boys Newbury 13-26
Haywards Heath Bracknell 24-58
Manchester Wigton 19-31
New Brighton Preston Grasshoppers 12-24
Norwich Esher 12-38
Sandal Tynedale 16-9
Sheffield Kendal 29-31
Staines Henley 20-31
Weston-Super-Mare High Wycombe 23-6
Widnes Birmingham & Solihull 19-9
Winnington Park Aspatria 19-46

Progressed to next round by virtue of scoring more tries*

Third round (Nov 2) edit

Team one Team two Score
Bridlington Wigton 22-30
Cheltenham Henley 23-19
Esher Bracknell 26-15
Exeter Barnstaple 32-3
Leeds Redruth 96-6
Liverpool St Helens Walsall 30-20
London Welsh Reading 11-16
Morley Aspatria 30-26
Newbury Clifton 58-12
Otley Wharfedale 34-27
Preston Grasshoppers Fylde 24-12
Rosslyn Park Havant 27-15
Sandal Kendal 20-32
Swanage & Wareham Lydney 9-26
Weston-super-Mare Bishop Stortford 23-11
Widnes Harrogate 12-7

Fourth round (Dec 21 & 22) edit

Team one Team two Score
Bath London Irish 33-0
Bristol Blackheath 60-17
Coventry Kendal 79-17
Gloucester Leeds 55-20
Harlequins Cheltenham 47-11
Leicester Newbury 26-21
Moseley Wigton 49-6
Newcastle West Hartlepool 51-10
Nottingham London Scottish 11-25
Orrell Bedford 34-31
Preston Grasshoppers Northampton 11-40
Reading Saracens 3-41
Rotherham Rosslyn Park 41-26
Sale Richmond 34-30
Wakefield Waterloo 22-17
Wasps Rugby 84-8

Fifth round (Jan 25 & 26) edit

Team one Team two Score
Bath Leicester 28-39
Gloucester Bristol 18-12
London Scottish Newcastle 15-39
Northampton Coventry 26-17
Orrell Sale 0-57
Rotherham Harlequins 23-42
Saracens Wasps 21-17
Wakefield Moseley 24-14

Quarter-finals (Feb 22 & 23) edit

Team one Team two Score
Harlequins Saracens 28-21
Newcastle Leicester 8-18
Northampton Sale 9-22
Wakefield Gloucester 21-25

Semi-finals (Mar 29) edit

Team one Team two Score
Gloucester Leicester 13-26
Sale Harlequins 26-16

Final edit

10 May 1997
Leicester9–3Sale
Pen: Joel Stransky 3Pen: Simon Mannix
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Brian Campsall (Yorkshire)
O   Niall Malone
N   Craig Joiner
M   Will Greenwood
L   Stuart Potter
K   Leon Lloyd
J   Joel Stransky
I   Austin Healey
G   Eric Miller
H   Neil Back
F   John Wells
E   Matt Poole
D   Martin Johnson (c)
C   Darren Garforth
B   Richard Cockerill
A   Graham Rowntree
Replacements:
P   Rob Liley
Q   Aadel Kardooni
R   Bill Drake-Lee
S   Dean Richards
T   Dorian West
U   Steve Hackney
Dir of Rugby:
  Bob Dwyer
15   Jim Mallinder (c)
14   David Rees
13   Jos Baxendell
12   Adrian Hadley
11   Tom Beim
10   Simon Mannix
9   Dewi Morris
8   John Mitchell
7   Dylan O'Grady
6   Neil Ashurst
5   Dave Baldwin
4   Dave Erskine
3   Paul Smith
2   Steve Diamond
1   Paul Winstanley
Replacements:
16 John O'Reilly
17 Chris Yates
18 Andy Morris
19 Sean Fletcher
20 Luke Hewson
21 Murray Driver
Coach:

References edit

  1. ^ "Rugby Union: Stransky kicks wind out of Sale". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01.
  2. ^ "Times Archives". Oxfordshire Libraries.