1877
The South Wales Challenge Cup is the oldest Trophy in Welsh Rugby. It was first played for in 1877/78. In that first season, it was won by Newport who beat Swansea by one goal to nil in the final at Bridgend.
The Cup competition was introduced after a demand from leading clubs for organised competitive rugby in Wales. In the early years the competition was a great success. Cup matches attracted large crowds. The standard of play also improved in clubs in this period.
Soon however, difficulties resulted in the relationships between the competing clubs becoming strained. Protests were lodged at the results of some Cup ties and even individual scores in matches were disputed. In many Cup matches there were allegations of over rough play.
Swansea Team Photograph (1886)Welsh Rugby Union
The behaviour of crowds became a concern as over enthusiastic supporters became involved in unpleasant scenes at grounds where Cup ties were played. Abuse of match officials by spectators and players occurred in Cup matches more than in other fixtures.
The pressure on club committees to win the Cup became apparent. Clubs increasingly looked to attract better players. At this time Rugby Football was an amateur game and the methods used by some clubs to attract the services of players were contrary to the basic amateur principle.
After a decade of the South Wales Challenge Cup, the fixture list of most leading Welsh clubs had changed as more cross border fixtures were played with the leading English clubs. Those cross border fixtures became more financially attractive than Cup ties for the major clubs.
By 1887 the Welsh Union, known as the Welsh Football Union then, and the leading Welsh clubs decided that the Cup competition should end.
The last winners of the Cup in its original format were Swansea who beat Llanelli by a goal to nil at Newport. In the decade in which the leading clubs played in the Cup it was won by Newport on 5 occasions, twice by both Swansea and Llanelli and once by Cardiff.
In 1889 the Welsh Union reintroduced the competition. The participants in this version of the competition were the stronger “junior” clubs and the second teams of the “ senior” clubs. In this format the competition was played until 1897.
During this time Pontymister won the competition twice, Penygraig and Llandaff once each and the second teams of Llanelli, Neath and Newport also won the Cup once each.
Again the Cup competition did not run smoothly as clubs became involved in protests and disputes and there was player indiscipline and crowd disorder. With these problems apparent the decision was again taken to mothball the competition.
Llanelli 'A' Winners of the South Wales Challenge Cup (1894)Welsh Rugby Union
In spite of this, there remained a demand for competitive rugby in Wales. In 1901 the Union tried again to set up a worthwhile competition to encourage the development of junior rugby in the districts. In the 3 seasons in which this competition was organised, it was won by Cyon Stars in 1902, Rhondda Stars in 1903 and Halfway (Llanelli) in 1904. Again, the competition did not run as envisaged and after 3 seasons it was abandoned.
In 1913, the season before the first world war the Union decided to have another go at organising a knockout competition. Clubs from all over South Wales participated and at the final on the 2nd of May 1914 Aberavon beat Blaina by 10 points to nil at Bridgend.
After World War I the Union did not reorganise a national cup competition. The wonderful silver Cup went into storage and stayed safely locked away until the 1930s. In 1932 to mark the great service given to the Union by its President Horace Lyne, he was presented with the Cup.
The Cup remained in Mr Lyne’s possession until he died in 1947. At that time the Lyne family returned the trophy to the Welsh Rugby Union. To ensure its security the WRU placed the Cup in the vaults of a Cardiff bank.
When the WRU introduced a National cup competition in the 1971/72 season a new trophy was designed and used and the South Wales Challenge Cup remained locked away. It remained that way until the mid-1960s.
Sevens
It was then decided that the Cup was to be remodelled and used as the WRU National Sevens trophy. As such it was last won by the South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education RFC in 1982 (now Cardiff Metropolitan University).
The WRU did not ask for the cup back for many years. During this time it was displayed at the institute's Cyncoed campus. But at some point whilst building works were taking place, the Cup disappeared. After this time, the location of the Cup was a mystery.
As the years went on, attempts to recover the oldest trophy in Welsh Rugby failed and it seemed that it had been lost forever.
Re-discovery
However, in 2021 it was kindly returned to the WRU after being discovered in the attic of Leighton Davies, former Director of Rugby at the South Glamorgan Institute by his widow Pam and brother Paul after Leighton had died.
After more than 30 years, the South Wales Challenge Cup is now proudly displayed in the home of Welsh Rugby at the Principality Stadium.
