Aspatria’s Bower Park has now been confirmed as the venue for the final of the delayed Cumbria County Cup.
Holders Penrith will go up against Carlisle in the final showdown after it looked two weeks ago as though the trophy would be retained by the Winters Park club without any contest.
Carlisle had declined the original date, and an alternative, because most of their senior players were out of the country on a stag weekend.
However, the collapse of Penrith’s Papa John’s Cup group left them with three free weekends and when the County Competition’s committee chairman Brian Mitchelhill asked the clubs if they could agree a suitable date to play – they did.
The original venue had been Wigton’s Lowmoor Road but the Greens have a big Papa John’s Cup match at home to Yorkshire 1 runners-up Wetherby, confirmed this week as earning promotion.
The Cumbria Cup final used to be the centrepiece of the season for the county’s clubs but has sadly lost its importance through the advancement of league rugby.
However, last season’s final – a much anticipated derby clash between Penrith and Upper Eden – attracted a1,500 crowd to Kendal’s Mint Bridge.
Saturday’s kick-off at Bower Park is 3pm.
