Cumbria Rugby Union
Cumberland were first of the two to form a (unofficial) county representative team and, with assistance from Lancashire, they played annual matches against a combined Durham and Northumberland side during the 1870s.Cumberland had some early success in the competition, winning their regional group on several occasions and reaching the final in 1897 when they lost 3-9 to Kent, in a game held at Carlisle.Over the next couple of decades, Cumberland & Westmorland would reach several finals, losing in 1913 before going on to win the County Championship for the first time in 1924 when they beat Kent 14-3 in Carisle.In 1974 the counties known as Cumberland and Westmorland would cease to exist as they were merged along with Furness to form Cumbria - a consequence of the Local Government Act 1972.The 2017 season saw Cumbria moved up into the second division based on past performances as part of the RFU reshuffle of the County Championships.