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The Powergen Cup

The Powergen Cup is the only knock-out competition in British Rugby Union. Formerly the John Player Cup, the Pilkington Cup and the Tetley Bitter Cup, it has been played every year since 1972. That year Gloucester triumphed over Moseley 17-6. Last year it was the turn of Leeds to lift the trophy with a win of 20-12 over Bath.

The first match was played on the 30th September 2005 and will continue through to the close of the Rugby Union season. The final is to be held on the 8th April 2006 at Twickenham.

The Powergen Cup is considered to be a lucrative competition for the clubs, with television coverage, a guaranteed £250,000 for each club and a prize fund of around £200,000 for the Semi-Finalists, success in the tournament is important. Additionally, winning the cup will give the victors automatic qualification for next year's Heineken Cup.

Format of the Powergen Cup

There is a new format for the Powergen Cup as of the 2005-2006 season. Twelve rugby union teams from the Guinness Premiership and the four regional Welsh teams are entered into a pool system where they are put into groups of four consisting of three English teams and one Welsh side. Each team will play a match against each of the others. The winner of the pool will progress to the Semi-Finals and so on.

Teams from the lower leagues are excluded and instead are given the chance to play for the Powergen National Trophy.

The pools for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Powergen Cup are as follows:

• Pool A: Gloucester, Ospreys, Bath, Bristol.
• Pool B: London, Saracens, Cardiff Blues, Wasps.
• Pool C: Newcastle Falcons, Leeds Tykes, Llanelli Scarlets, Sale Sharks.
• Pool D: Northampton Saints, Newport Gwent Dragons, Worcester Warriors, Leicester Tigers.

The pools will remain for the next season as well, with the teams who played two of their matches at home, playing two of their matches away.

Fixtures for the Powergen Cup

30 Sept 2005 Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster

01 Oct 2005 Bath v Bristol, Cardiff Blues v Saracens, Gloucester v Ospreys, Worcester v Northampton

02 Oct 2005 Leeds Tykes v Llanelli Scarlets, London Irish v Wasps, Newcastle Falcons v Sale

07 Oct 2005 Sale Sharks v Leeds Tykes, Wasps v Cardiff Blues,

08 Oct 2005 Leicester Tigers v Worcester, Northampton v Dragons

09 Oct 2005 Llanelli Scarlets v Newcastle, Ospreys v Bath, Bristol v Gloucester, Saracens v London Irish

02 Dec 2005 Leeds Tykes v Newcastle Falcons, Llanelli Scarlets v Sale Sharks

03 Dec 2005 Bath v Gloucester, Dragons v Worcester Warriors, Leicester v Northampton

04 Dec 2005 Bristol v Ospreys, London Irish v Cardiff Blues, Wasps v Saracens

Leicester, Wasps, Bath and Llanelli are now through to the Semi-Finals. Bath will take on Llanelli, and Wasps play Leicester in a Semi Final double-header at Cardiff Millennium Stadium on the 4^th March 2006.

The Winners of the Powergen Cup

Here are the last five winners of the Powergen Cup:

• 2006: Wasps
• 2005: Leeds
• 2004: Newcastle
• 2003: Gloucester
• 2002: London Irish

Betting on the Powergen Cup

There are many ways to bet on the Powergen Cup, from the first try scorer to the overall winner. You can bet on which side wins their pool or who scores the most tries (team or player), giving you plenty of choice.

For the latest odds on the Powergen Cup from a range of bookmakers and betting exchanges, visit our Latest Odds section.

The Powergen Cup is only one of many events in the rugby union calendar. Check out other rugby union events!

If you are new to betting and want to place a bet on the Powergen Cup be sure to check out our Rugby Union - How To Bet section for some betting hints and tips.

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