1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup

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1997–98 Tetley's Bitter Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
Tournament format(s)knockout
Date13 September 1997 – 9 May 1998
Tournament statistics
Final
VenueTwickenham Stadium
Attendance65,000
ChampionsSaracens (first win)
Runners-upWasps
← 1996–97 (Previous)
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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]

Draw and results[]

First round (13 September)[]

Team 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)[]

Team 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)[]

Team 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)[]

Team 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)[]

Team 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)[]

Team 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)[]

Team One Team Two Score
Northampton Saracens 10 – 25
Wasps Sale 15 – 9

Final[]

9 May 1998
Saracens 48–18 Wasps
Try: Philippe Sella rugby ball
Ryan Constable rugby ball
Gavin Johnson rugby ball
Danny Grewcock rugby ball
Steve Ravenscroft rugby ball
Kyran Bracken rugby ball
Richard Wallace rugby ball
Con: Michael Lynagh 5
Drop: Michael Lynagh
 Try: Paul Volley rugby ball
Shane Roiser rugby ball
Con: Gareth Rees
Pen: Gareth Rees 2
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Chris White (Gloucestershire)
15 South Africa Gavin Johnson
14 New Zealand
13 France Philippe Sella
12 England Steve Ravenscroft
11 Australia
10 Australia Michael Lynagh
9 England Kyran Bracken
8 England Tony Diprose (c)
7 South Africa Francois Pienaar (player/coach)
6 England Ben Sturnham
5 England Danny Grewcock
4 Ireland Paddy Johns
3 Ireland Paul Wallace
2 England George Chuter
1 Argentina Roberto Diego Grau
Replacements:
16 England Marcus Olsen
17 England Andy Lee
18 England Matt Singer
19 Ireland Richard Wallace
20 England Adrian Olver
21 England Greg Botterman
22 England Alex Bennett
Player Coach:
South Africa Francois Pienaar
15 Canada Gareth Rees
14 England Shane Roiser
13 England Mark Denney
12 Ireland Rob Henderson
11 England Laurence Scrase
10 England Alex King
9 England Mike Friday
8 England Joe Worsley
7 England Paul Volley
6 England Lawrence Dallaglio (c)
5 England Simon Shaw
4 New Zealand Mark Weedon
3 England Will Green
2 England Simon Mitchell
1 England Darren Molloy
Replacements:
16 England Andy Gomarsall
17 England Paul Sampson
18 England Ian Dunston
19 Samoa Trevor Leota
20 England Adam Black
21 England Buster White
22 Scotland Andy Reed
Coach:
England Nigel Melville

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lynagh and Sella bow out on Saracens' false dawn". ESPN.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Times Archives". Oxfordshire Libraries.
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