The WRU Challenge Cup (currently known as the WRU Premiership Cup, formally called the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union. As of 2022, it has been divided into separate Cup competitions Premiership Cup, Championship Cup, Division 1 Cup etc. as well as the Bowl and Plate editions for other lower divisions. The competition is now seen as the top cup prize for the community game, separate from the Super Rygbi Cymru competitions.
On 26 February 2007, the WRU agreed a new £1 million three-year sponsorship deal with SWALEC, who had previously sponsored the event from the 1992–93 season until the 1998–99 season; the Cup was renamed the SWALEC Cup once again.[1] The SWALEC Cup is a three-tier competition with Cup, Plate and Bowl winners. In the inaugural year, the SWALEC Plate was contested by clubs that were knocked out of the SWALEC Cup in the first two rounds, while the SWALEC Bowl was contested by clubs that were eliminated in the first round of the Plate competition.[2] In its second year, the WRU directly split the three competitions, with teams from Divisions 4–6 competing for the Bowl, teams from Divisions 2–3 competing for the Plate, and teams from the Premiership and Division 1 competing for the Cup.
The current WRU Premiership Cup holders are Neath RFC who beat Merthyr 32–21 at the Millennium Stadium on 12 April 2026.
Past winners
| Year | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Final venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Neath | 15–9 | Llanelli | Cardiff Arms Park |
| 1973 | Llanelli | 30–7 | Cardiff | |
| 1974 | Llanelli | 12–10 | Aberavon | |
| 1975 | Llanelli | 15–6 | Aberavon | |
| 1976 | Llanelli | 16–4 | Swansea | |
| 1977 | Newport | 16–15 | Cardiff | |
| 1978 | Swansea | 13–9 | Newport | |
| 1979 | Bridgend | 18–12 | Pontypridd | |
| 1980 | Bridgend | 15–9 | Swansea | |
| 1981 | Cardiff | 14–6 | Bridgend | |
| 1982 | Cardiff | 12–12 (Cardiff win on try count) | Bridgend | |
| 1983 | Pontypool | 18–6 | Swansea | |
| 1984 | Cardiff | 24–19 | Neath | National Stadium |
| 1985 | Llanelli | 15–14 | Cardiff | |
| 1986 | Cardiff | 28–21 | Newport | |
| 1987 | Cardiff | 16–15 (after extra time) | Swansea | |
| 1988 | Llanelli | 28–13 | Neath | |
| 1989 | Neath | 14–13 | Llanelli | |
| 1990 | Neath | 16–10 | Bridgend | |
| 1991 | Llanelli | 24–9 | Pontypool | |
| 1992 | Llanelli | 16–7 | Swansea | |
| 1993 | Llanelli | 21–18 | Neath | |
| 1994 | Cardiff | 15–8 | Llanelli | |
| 1995 | Swansea | 17–12 | Pontypridd | |
| 1996 | Pontypridd | 29–22 | Neath | |
| 1997 | Cardiff | 33–26 | Swansea | |
| 1998 | Llanelli | 19–12 | Ebbw Vale | Ashton Gate |
| 1999 | Swansea | 37–10 | Llanelli | Ninian Park |
| 2000 | Llanelli | 22–12 | Swansea | Millennium Stadium |
| 2001 | Newport | 13–8 | Neath | |
| 2002 | Pontypridd | 20–17 | Llanelli | |
| 2003 | Llanelli | 32–9 | Newport | |
| 2004 | Neath | 36–13 | Caerphilly | |
| 2005 | Llanelli | 25–24 | Pontypridd | |
| 2006 | Pontypridd | 26–25 | Neath | |
| 2007 | Llandovery | 20–18 | Cardiff | |
| 2008 | Neath | 28–22 | Pontypridd | |
| 2009 | Neath | 27–21 | Llanelli | |
| 2010 | Llanelli | 20–8 | Carmarthen | |
| 2011 | Pontypridd | 35–24 | Aberavon | |
| 2012 | Cross Keys | 32–19 | Pontypridd | |
| 2013 | Pontypridd | 34–13 | Neath | |
| 2014 | Pontypridd | 21–8 | Cross Keys | |
| 2015 | Bridgend | 19–15 | Pontypridd | |
| 2016 | Llandovery | 25–18 | Carmarthen | |
| 2017 | RGC 1404 | 15–11 | Pontypridd | |
| 2018 | Merthyr | 41–7 | Newport | |
| 2019 | Cardiff | 25–19 | Merthyr | |
| 2020 | scope="col" colspan="3" | |||
| 2021 | scope="col" colspan="3" | |||
| 2022 | Newport | 25–21 | Aberavon | |
| 2023 | Cardiff | 13-10 | Newport | |
| 2024 | Llandovery | 20-18 | Merthyr | |
| 2025 | Pontypridd | 43-12 | Cross Keys | |
| 2026 | Neath | 32-21 | Merthyr |
Total finals by club
| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Llanelli | 14 | 6 |
| Cardiff | 9 | 4 |
| Neath | 7 | 7 |
| Pontypridd | 7 | 6 |
| Llandovery | 3 | 0 |
| Swansea | 3 | 7 |
| Bridgend | 3 | 3 |
| Newport | 3 | 4 |
| Merthyr | 1 | 3 |
| Cross Keys | 1 | 2 |
| Pontypool | 1 | 1 |
| RGC 1404 | 1 | 0 |
| Aberavon | 0 | 4 |
| Carmarthen Quins | 0 | 2 |
| Caerphilly | 0 | 1 |
| Ebbw Vale | 0 | 1 |
Sponsorship
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1971–1977 | WRU Challenge Cup | |
| 1977–1992 | Schweppes | Schweppes Cup[3] |
| 1992–1999 | SWALEC | SWALEC Cup[4] |
| 1999–2000 | WRU Challenge Cup | |
| 2000–2003 | Principality Building Society | Principality Cup[5] |
| 2003–2008 | Konica Minolta | Konica Minolta Cup[6] |
| 2008–2016 | SWALEC | SWALEC Cup[1] |
| 2016–2019 | WRU National Cup | |
| 2019–2021 | Specsavers | Specsavers Cup[7] |
| 2021–2024 | Indigo Group | Indigo Group Premiership Cup[8] |
| 2024–present | WRU Premiership Cup |
References
- ^ "SWALEC becomes new power behind Welsh rugby". Welsh Rugby Union. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ The Swalec Cup, Bowl and Plate rules 2008/09
- ^ "Aid for rugby". The Scotsman. 2 July 1977. p. 17. – via British Newspaper Archive
- ^ "Cup Deal". South Wales Echo. 20 November 1992. p. 26. – via British Newspaper Archive
- ^ "Principality's boost to WRU". South Wales Argus. 30 August 2000. p. 77. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "WRU announce Konica Minolta Cup sponsorship". ESPN. 27 November 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ "Specsavers National League fixtures announced". Welsh Rugby Union. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ "Welsh Premiership returns with new cup competition". BBC Sport. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2025.