The Provincial Towns Cup trophy is one of the oldest trophies in existence in Irish Rugby. It was purchased in 1892 for £25 from Wests in Grafton Street, Dublin. The Cup bears the title of Leinster Junior Challenge Trophy but it is not as old as the competition itself, which was established in 1888.

In 1883, the Leinster Branch established a sub-committee to investigate the establishment of a Cup competition for Junior Clubs to be run on a similar basis to the Leinster Senior Cup. The sub-committee reported back in 1888 (5 years later!) and recommended that no club should be allowed to enter the Junior Cup that had, in the same or previous year, entered the Senior Cup. The Leinster Branch accepted these recommendations and the first Junior Cup competition was run in 1889.

Nine Clubs entered the first Junior Cup (Blackrock College, Clontarf, Cabra, Rangers, Claremont, Farra, Santry and Athy) and Blackrock College were the first winners. Medals were presented to the winners but there was no cup presented. Clubs were requested to subscribe to the cost of a Cup but the response was slow.

The Leinster Branch records show that Blackrock College paid £2.2.0, Clontarf and Santry £2 each and Athy and Claremont 10/- each. Blackrock College who won the initial Junior Cup in 1889 were the first club to be presented with the Cup when they won the competition in 1892.

Leinster Junior Challenge Cup

(Inaugurated for the 1888/'89 season)

Co. Carlow were the first Provincial club to win the Junior Cup when they won it in 1904. Dundalk followed in 1909 but Co Carlow established themselves as the leading Provincial Club with "back to back" wins in 1912 and 1913. The Junior Cup was suspended in the years 1915 to 1918 due to World War I, but Co. Carlow resumed their winning ways in 1919 (recording 3 consecutive Junior Cup wins).

Kilkenny were victorious in 1920 and Co. Carlow won their 5th Junior Cup in 1922. Enniscorthy emerged as a leading Provincial club with Junior Cup victories in 1923 and 1925 and confirmed the dominance of Provincial clubs since 1912. This competition was the fore runner of the Provincial Towns Cup and the "Provincial Clubs" to have won it are:

The conditions of the competition were changed for the 1926 running of the competition and only Junior Clubs who were located at least 18 miles from the General Post Office in O'Connell Street were eligible to compete. Enniscorthy won the final Leinster Junior Challenge Cup when they defeated Co. Kildare (Naas) by 10 points to 3 points at Lansdowne Road and also won the first Provincial Towns Cup in 1926 when they again defeated Co. Kildare (Naas) by 6 points to nil at Donnybrook. Enniscorthy "three in a row" wins (1925, 1926 and 1927) saw them graded as a Senior Club and they competed in the Senior Cup until 1930-31 season when they were regarded as a Provincial club at their own request.

Provincial Towns Cup: Roll of Honour