That would suggest that neither Club put forward any players for selection.

Hull Ionians are proud to provide the County Senior Mens Captain plus a number of players in both the Men's & Women's County Senior Squads.

Sadly there are very few players from Rotherham who are fit enough to play! Our team list for tomorrow shows just 18 available for the game. Much as I would love to see the lads turn out for Yorkshire, they need a rest, and our thanks for battling on through 18 consecutive games. Enough is enough. 

I am told Hertfordshire had a side drawn from Levels 2-4, so it would have been an easy win for them

You can never please everyone and there are some that you will never please at all.

I can also agree with Sid in that it is not necessarily any fault of the RFU but it was certainly the move to professionalism that was the beginning of the end for a once outstanding competition

Its clear if CBs are prepared to put the hard yards in and you know go and look at players playing for their clubs during the season and then invite them to join a squad you can turn out a team.

The issues at the moment are, some CBs see the CC as a chore whilst others can't wait to get in to it.

Then you have CBs like Gloucester who say we can't run a Men's County side or U20s because we've got less funding off the RFU.......but we'll run a Women's Squad? How inclusive of them.

County Rugby is a different kind of rugby than League Rugby and if you work at it you can get your squad to HQ for the final which for some its the pinnacle of their playing careers. Lancashire have picked players from Levels 3-5 for today's opener against Leicestershire and I'm pretty sure next week's game against Yorkshire will see a sizable crowd and a lot of committed players.

I think it is less visceral if you are playing for East Midlands or Eastern Counties than if it is Yorkshire taking on Lancashire or Cornwall v Devon.

It remains an important part of the pathway for youth players of both sexes.

But for the men, outside those traditional rivalries, it is about as relevant as the Championship cup.

The problem often lies with the CB Officers, IMHO, who want to have a show team to illustrate their success.

Club, county, division, possible v probably trail and then an England cap.

Touring sides played a proper tour, against the Divisions and the Universities.

Beer was 2/6 a pint and shops shut on Sundays.

Why do we have to look back at what it used to mean and why does it have to lead to something else?

They won 52-14

Hampshire  v Kent 

Well done RFU fixture persons.

Yesterday East Midlands Men and Women played at Northampton Old Scouts against their Warwickshire counterparts.

A situation that cannot happen for every county, but as it did here, having both games same place, same day, same time is a sign of joined up thinking…or an accidental fluke.

I would like to think the former.

I might be trying too apply too much sense to RFU fixture planning, and apologise if that is naive.

Because both teams had games yesterday. 

Same for Yorkshire yesterday at Northumberland and next week against Lancashire. 

With 11 Caldy players in the starting XV , what did you expect?  

Exactly. The nature of the beast this season with caldy and sale in the top 2 in National 1. Rugby in that area is obviously strong.

Yorkshire won 33-31 thanks to a last minute penalty score and now have max points fron their 2 games but, they have to wait on Cheshire's next result before knowing if they will progress to Twickers. Odds are against them following Cheshire's massive win against Leicestershire. 

What is the format?

I think that counties only play 2 games rather than 3. In south Div 1, Kent are only going to play 1 since Surrey have pulled out completely apparently. So what does that mean? They get the full 5 points and a 28-0 win?

But then, with just one NL2 player in the squad, and the rest playing at Midlands Prem and quite a few below that, it's not too surprising.

Such a shift away from the dominant 'Coventryshire' days (with the one token Nuns player).

I sometimes wonder what the point of the competition is.

Or Cheshire.

Having said that, the County championship is a unique type of competition which has possibly had its day. Having said that, any player who represents their county do so with justifiable pride no matter what level they're at. 

If we are after meaningful competition however, we might do better with a regional approach, the only issue there would be that given the way the RFU organise things, Cheshire would probably be part of the South West and Leicestershire part of the North East

It's not. They seem to have got rid of it a while ago. For example A few seasons ago, Kent's 7, 8, 9 and 10 were from Tunbridge Wells. Now if you look at their teamsheet, it's mostly Blackheath, Canterbury, Tonbridge and Westcombe Park.

 

The Cambridge squad had been running on fumes, I am not sure how many players we used, but it was less than many years. By May, they needed a break.

Many of our players have traditionally played for East Midlands or Hertfordshire, but we usually provide the Counties with a number of players. 

Perhaps it's because you don't live in an area that has a strong history on the game.

Perhaps that's because you don't have a rich history in the game

They always travel to support their county (I guess because there's nothing else to do on a saturday down there beyond support that new club in the lesser code)

The RFU site has Cheshire with 9 points. Yorkshire are top on 10. I assume this is a mistake.

Cornwall won 50-24 - so I think they go to Twickenham.

A mistake?  surely not It's on the RFU site 

You chose to kick 18 penalties rather than try to go to Twickenham? :-)

Yes, I have watched the stream. But that is not on the RFU site.

I hope the Cheshire organisers lay-on a coach to Twickenham for the final, I'm well up for a day on the drink. 

Day out would be nice.

Sounds about right in terms of points as the only other southern side that went unbeaten too was Kent and they had a 1 point BP win over Hants and a walkover from Surrey pulling out.

Mind you if Kent had made it, it would have made a good point about how crap this new system is whereby a team can play just 1 game and get straight to Twickenham.

Like most of London these days, working from home 👍

RFU website has Lancashire Women 34 - 4 Northumberland Women.

They must have got 2 conversions without scoring tries.

(it was actually 34-5) Competitions Department on top form again.......

Great fun supporting Cornwall. There is always a special atmosphere. The players know what it means too. People seem to just enjoy supporting their teams down this way. I watch Plymouth Albion around the country with a group of fans and it's the passion that keeps us all going. Often think it's probably different living in London etc for people.

Nice words Carlos. Was following from afar for this one and was a bit nervous at 5-0 and 19-21. Hertfordshire have a good history in the competition.

I agree with the comments on the structure in the thread as it may have been Cornwall missed out when they had played two games but knew that was just the way the fixtures went, it could have been Cornwall with Surrey and other counties would have been able to say but Cornwall haven't played etc.

Looking forward to playing Cheshire again, an interesting match ahead after most of their players finished first or second in National 1.

Looking forward to the final ,Cornish supporters are a great bunch think its the only time some of them ever leave Cornwall is to visit Twickenham .Cheshire do have players in the squad who played at level 7 this season so should be interesting.

 

They have fixed the table.

But Northumberland women are still noted as scoring 4.

Well, one.

20 minutes gone

Cheshire 0 -14 Cornwall.

Cheshire looked to have scored from a kick through and chase, but the ball just went into touch-in-goal before the winger could ground it.

33 minutes gone

Cheshire 0 -21 Cornwall.

That's half-time.

There has been a YC for Cornwall, they have another five minutes to play with 14.

Somerset and Leicester won the earlier matches.

60 minutes

Cheshire 14 - 24 Cornwall

Now 60 min

Cheshire 21 - 24 Cornwall another YC

Now 68 min

73 min

Cheshire 24 - 27 Cornwall

Cheshire knock-on and with the clock in the red, Cornwall run in a try.

Cheshire 24 - 37 Cornwall

Today is a proud day for "Cousin Jacks" with our ladies also winning the Gill Burns Trophy at Richmond.

#Kernow Vys Byken

U20, Senior Mens and Div 3 Ladies.

Perhaps Division 1 isn't that good if a side predominately drawn from National 2 and below can defeat the best Div.1 can offer?