1897–98 Rugby Union County Championship

1897–98 County Championship
Countries	England
Champions	Northumberland (1st title)
Runners-up	Midland Counties

The 1897–98 Rugby Union County Championship was the tenth edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time.^[1]

Northumberland won the competition for the first time defeating Midland Counties in the final. The Midlands team was weakened by the refusal of Leicester to release their players for the county team.^{[2] [3]}

Final

26 March 1898

Midland Counties	3–24	Northumberland
Try: Gould		Try: Taylor, Stone (3), Bates, Stevenson Con: Taylor (3), Anderson

Coventry Referee: John Boswell (Scottish Union)

J F Byrne Moseley G Birtles Blackheath F A Byrne Moseley J A Gould Moseley William Bunting Bromsgrove Rev Richard Cattell Moseley F Cattell Moseley C P Evers Moseley B H Cattell Moseley Aubrey Dowson Moseley B J Ebsworth Moseley A St G Cumming Wolverhampton J Hall Rugby J J Robinson Burton D P Miller Stratford-on-Avon

P Moran Wallsend G C Robinson Percy Park W Bates Percy Park F Stone Percy Park S Anderson Wallsend Ernest Taylor Rockliff S C Lockerby Percy Park Ronald Stevenson Northern R W Bell Northern G Gibson Northern Charles Gibson Northern J H Greenwell Rockliff F J Bell Rockliff W Dobinson Rockliff J Nesbit Wallsend

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. Jenkins, Vivian (1976). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook, 1975-1976. Brickfield Publications Ltd. pp. 130–131. ISBN 0362-00221-5.
2. ""FOOTBALL." Standard, 26 Mar. 1898, p. 2". British Library Archives.
3. ""Football." Times, 28 Mar. 1898, p. 13". Times Digital Archives.