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Smiths make decision on this year's Cheltenham Combination Senior Cup

All Areas > Sport > Rugby Union

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Thursday, 12th February 2026, 09:00

Smiths won the Cheltenham Combination Senior Cup in 2023 Smiths won the Cheltenham Combination Senior Cup in 2023

Smiths have withdrawn from this season’s Cheltenham Combination Senior Cup.

The high-flying Counties 2 Gloucestershire side had been draw away to Stow-on-the-Wold in the first round, but they have handed the Cotswolds club a bye into the last four after reaching the last eight of the RFU Community Cup.

They host Cambridgeshire side Cantabrigian in the quarter-finals of the Counties 2 Championship on Saturday 2nd May, the same day as the Cheltenham Combination’s end-of-season cup finals day which this year takes place at Stow.

“It’s understandable,” said the Combination’s competitions secretary Mark Spreadbury. “Smiths want to focus on a competition that gives them the chance of playing another final at Twickenham.”

Smiths won the Senior Cup for the first time in 2023 when they beat Cheltenham North 30-29 in the final at Newlands.

Meanwhile, Spreadbury is still waiting to hear whether Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Saracens plan to withdraw from the Senior Cup.

They, too, have quarter-finals of the Community Cup on Saturday 2nd May with Tewkesbury competing in the Counties 2 South Plate while Cheltenham Saracens have been drawn at home to London Exiles in the Counties 3 & Below Central Plate.

The Plate finals will take place on Saturday 16th May while the Championship finals will be played on Saturday 23rd May.

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