Hong Kong Sapling Cup
JC Sapling Cup (Chinese: 賽馬會菁英盃), more commonly known as Sapling Cup (Chinese: 菁英盃), is a Hong Kong domestic football competition contested by all the teams in the Hong Kong Premier League. The objective of the Cup is to provide more playing opportunities for youth players in Hong Kong.
The current logo for the JC Sapling Cup, starting from 2022–23. | |
| Founded | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Region | Hong Kong |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Current champions | Southern (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Kitchee (2 titles) |
| 2023–24 Hong Kong Sapling Cup | |
HK$120,000 will go to the winners, with the runners-up getting HK$60,000. The two other losing semi-finalists will each receive HK$30,000, with the six remaining teams getting HK$15,000 each. Players will also be rewarded for their performances, with the best under-22 player from each team winning HK$3,000. The best of the best will earn an additional HK$5,000.[1]
The current Sapling Cup holder is Southern.
Competition name and Rules Edit
| Season | Name due to sponsorship | Logo | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Henderson Sapling Cup | During the course of competition, each team must have on the pitch no fewer than two players under the age of 21 and no more than six foreign players at any time, or to send no more than four foreign players at any time. | |
| 2016–17 | R&F Properties Sapling Cup | ||
| 2017–18 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | During the course of competition, each team must have on the pitch no fewer than two players under the age of 22 and no more than four foreign players at any time. | |
| 2018–19 | |||
| 2019–20 | During the course of competition, each team must have on the pitch no fewer than three players under the age of 22 and no more than four foreign players at any time. | ||
| 2020–21 | |||
| 2021–22 | |||
| 2022–23 | JC Sapling Cup (Sponsorship from The Hong Kong Jockey Club) | ||
| 2023–24 | |||
| 2024–25 |
Finals Edit
Key Edit
| * | Match went to extra time |
| † | Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time |
Results Edit
| Season | Winner | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Pegasus | 1–1 † | South China | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,150 |
| 2016–17 | Tai Po | 2–1 | Pegasus | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,956 |
| 2017–18 | Kitchee | 2–1 | Tai Po | Hong Kong Stadium | 2,165 |
| 2018–19 | Lee Man | 3–2 * | Yuen Long | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,685 |
| 2019–20 | Kitchee | 3–1 | Southern | Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground | 0[1] |
| 2020–21 | Eastern | 2–0 | Happy Valley | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,243 |
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | ||||
| 2022–23 | Southern | 2–0 | Lee Man | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,519 |
Notes Edit
- ^ Match was played behind closed doors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong.[2]
Performance by clubs Edit
| Club | Winners | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchee | 2 | 2019–20 | 0 | – |
| Pegasus | 1 | 2015–16 | 1 | 2016–17 |
| Tai Po | 1 | 2016–17 | 1 | 2017–18 |
| Lee Man | 1 | 2018–19 | 1 | 2022–23 |
| Southern | 1 | 2022–23 | 1 | 2020–21 |
| Eastern | 1 | 2020–21 | 0 | – |
| South China | 0 | – | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Yuen Long | 0 | – | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Happy Valley | 0 | – | 1 | 2020–21 |
See also Edit
References Edit
External links Edit
- FA Cup, The Hong Kong Football Association website.
- Hong Kong Football
- RSSSF – Hongkong – List of FA Cup winners