1988–89 Rugby Union County Championship Explained

1988–89 Toshiba County Championship
Champions:	Durham County
Count:	8
Runnersup:	Cornwall
Prevseason:	1987–88
Nextseason:	1989–90

The 1988–89 Toshiba Rugby Union County Championship was the 89th edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Durham County won their eighth title after defeating Cornwall in the final.^{[4] [5]}

The competition celebrated 100 years and despite the fact that it no longer held the same prestige as before a record crowd of 27,500 (the majority from Cornwall) turned up to watch the final at Twickenham Stadium.

Semi finals

width=80	Date	width=120	Venue	width=150	Team One	width=150	Team Two	width=100	Score
21 Jan	Redruth	Cornwall	Warwickshire	13-10
21 Jan	Blackheath	Kent	Durham	6-10

Final

15 J Bland (capt) Durham City 14 O Evans West Hartlepool 13 Durham University 12 M Boyd West Hartlepool 11 D Cooke West Hartlepool 10 J Stabler West Hartlepool 9 S Havery Gateshead Fell 1 G Naisbitt Stockton 2 M A Fenwick Durham City 3 M Douthwaite Stockton 4 J Dixon West Hartlepool 5 J Howe Sale 6 A R Harle Gosforth 7 A Brown Stockton 8 B Dixon Stockton Replacements: (not used) 16 G Spearman Blaydon 17 M Boyd West Hartlepool 18 S Kirkup Durham City 19 P Joyce Durham City 20 G A Kell Gateshead Fell 21 D Mitchell West Hartlepool

15 Chris Alcock Camborne 14 Barry Trevaskis Bath 13 Grant Champion (capt) Devon & Cornwall Police & Truro 12 S Rogers Camborne 11 David Weeks Camborne 10 Cambridge University & Redruth 9 D Rule Camborne 1 John May Redruth 2 Bath 3 Richard Keast Redruth 4 Camborne 5 A Cook Camborne 6 Glyn Williams Redruth 7 Adrian Bick Bath 8 Bath Replacements: (not used) 16 Tony Mead Devon & Cornwall Police 17 D Chapman Camborne 18 Launceston 19 B Andrew Camborne 20 S Matavesi Camborne 21 A Curtis

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

Notes and References

1. Book: Jones, Stephen. Rothmans Rugby Yearbook. 1991. 1990. 152-153. Rothmans Publications Ltd. 0-356-19162-1.
2. Web site: English County Championship. Rugby Football History.
3. Web site: The County Finals. County Rugby.com.
4. Web site: hands, David. "Cornwall looking to greater experience to subdue Durham." Times, 1 Apr. 1989, p. 47. Times Digital Archives.
5. Web site: hands, David. "Cornwall lose by looking a gift horse in the mouth." Times, 3 Apr. 1989, p. 34. Times Digital Archives.