title: 1895–96 Rugby Union County Championship
text: # 1895–96 Rugby Union County Championship
  
  The 1895–96 Rugby Union County Championship was the eighth edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at that time. The competition was reorganised with a reduction of groups from four to three, and the winners of the south-east and south-west groups competing in a play-off for the right to play the northern group winners in the final. This was the third format of the competition.
  
  Yorkshire won the competition for the seventh time defeating Surrey in the final.
  
  ## Group stage
  
  ### Northern group
  
  | Northern group | P | W | D | L | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Yorkshire | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
  | Lancashire | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
  | Cumberland | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
  | Durham | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
  | Northumberland | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
  | Westmorland | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
  | Cheshire | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
  
  * 16 November 1895
  
  | Lancashire | 7–5 | Cumberland |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * 16 November 1895
  
  | Yorkshire | 11–0 | Northumberland |
  | - | - | - |
  
  ### South-eastern group
  
  | South-eastern group | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Surrey | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 12 | 7 |
  | Midland Counties | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 22 | 5 |
  | Kent | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 36 | 2 |
  | Middlesex | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 43 | 0 |
  
  ### South-western group
  
  | South-western group | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Devon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 8 | 6 |
  | Somerset | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 4 |
  | Gloucestershire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 41 | 2 |
  | Cornwall | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 0 |
  
  * 16 November 1895
  
  | Devon | 22–3 | Cornwall |
  | - | - | - |
  | | | Pen: Salter |
  
  * Plymouth
  * 30 November 1895
  
  | Devon | 3 goals, 1 try – 1 goal | Gloucestershire |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * 30 November 1895
  
  | Somerset | 5–0 | Cornwall |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * Wellington
  * 14 December 1895
  
  | Cornwall | 0–10 | Gloucestershire |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * Falmouth
  
  ## Southern Play Off match
  
  | Date | Venue | Team One | Team Two | Score |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 30 Jan | Richmond | Surrey | Devon | 16-0 |
  
  ## Final
  
  * 20 February 1896
  
  | Surrey | 4–16 (4–5) | Yorkshire |
  | - | - | - |
  | Drop: Ashford | | Try: Barron, Mosley, Murgatroyd, Couley Con: Duke (2) |
  
  * Athletic Ground, Richmond Referee: A J Davies (Glamorgan)
  
  | K B Alexander | Guy's Hospital |
  | - | - |
  | Clifford Wells | Harlequins |
  | H N Clarke | Harlequins & Guy's Hospital |
  | William Henry Thorman | Richmond |
  | H T Wallis | Cambridge University & Blackheath |
  | Cyril Wells | Harlequins |
  | J H Curtis | RIE College |
  | S B Peech (capt) | Harlequins |
  | W Ashford | Richmond |
  | H W Dudgeon | Richmond |
  | J H Kipling | Thornton Heath |
  | D H Helps | Croydon |
  | Frederick Lohden | Blackheath |
  | R W Hunt | Harlequins |
  | F H Todd | RIE College |
  | C E Dixon | Alverthorpe |
  | Ernest Fookes | Sowerby Bridge |
  | S Murritt | Kingston Rovers |
  | W Murgatroyd | Idle |
  | A Hambrecht | Bramley |
  | Harry Myers | Bramley |
  | George Mosley | Leeds Parish Church |
  | Tom Broadley (capt) | Bingley |
  | J Rhodes | Castleford |
  | Anthony Starks | Castleford |
  | Harry Speed | Castleford |
  | J W Ward | Castleford |
  | J Conley | Leeds Parish Church |
  | W Duke | Holbeck |
  | H E Barrington | Bingley |
  