Navy Rugby Competitions
The Royal Navy Rugby Union currently organises three internal competition. They are the annual Command competition, the annual knockout cup and the annual sevens tournament.
Royal Navy Rugby Union Inter Command Competition
The Inter Command competition was originally played for the Blakeney Cup. It was a five way competition between the land based Commands of the Naval Service. The ‘sixth Command’ ran their own cup competitions. With the demise of the annual inter-port fixture between Devonport Services RFC and US Portsmouth RFC the RNRU found itself in a slight dilemma. The inter-port match was played for the Inverdale Cup. Named and played in honour of former Royal Navy Rugby Union Life Member Surg Capt Inverdale RN – a great supporter of both clubs. To keep the trophy alive it was decided that the annual Inter Command Tournament would in future be played for the Inverdale Trophy.
Royal Navy Rugby Union Knockout Cup
The Royal Navy Rugby Union Knockout Cup was introduced as a trial event in the 1972/73 season under the chairmanship of Capt J Beadon RN. The trial was such a success that at the Annual General Meeting on 30th March 1974 it was adopted as an official competition. As such it is the oldest competition within Navy Rugby. The winner in the fiirst year was HMS Ark Royal and they remain the only ship to have won the cup. The winner in the first year as an official competition was HMS Collingwood.
Royal Navy Rugby Union Sevens Competition
[Page required][Under Research]Fleet Command Competitions
Though Fleet did not enter a Command side into the Inter Command tournament they did on behalf of the RNRU organise cup competitions. From the late seventies through to the end of the eighties the Fleet could enter either the Maxi Ship, the Midi Ship or the Mini Ship cup. The Maxi Ship cup was for carriers and assault ships, the Midi Ship cup for destroyers and frigates and the Mini Ship cup for patrol vessels and minesweepers/hunters. Sadly none of the competitions survive. The last to be played was a Maxi Ship competition at HMS Temeraire which involved five capital ships – HMS’s Ark Royal, Fearless, Intrepid, Invincible and Illustrious.