# 1978–79 Rugby Union County Championship

The 1978–79 Rugby Union County Championship was the 79th edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.
Middlesex won their seventh title after defeating Northumberland in the final.

## First Round

| Pos | Northern Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Northumberland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 90 | 37 | 8 |
| 2 | Lancashire | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 41 | 8 |
| 3 | Yorkshire | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 57 | 6 |
| 4 | Durham | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 76 | 4 |
| 5 | Cumbria | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 74 | 2 |
| 6 | Cheshire | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 82 | 2 |
| Pos | Midlands East Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Notts, Lincs & Derby | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 17 | 4 |
| 2 | Leicestershire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | East Midlands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 30 | 0 |
| Pos | Midlands West Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Warwickshire | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 6 | 4 |
| 2 | North Midlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 20 | 2 |
| 3 | Staffordshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 0 |
| Pos | London Group A | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Middlesex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 9 | 4 |
| 2 | Kent | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 2 |
| 3 | Eastern Counties | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 57 | 0 |
| Pos | London Group B | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Surrey | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 27 | 6 |
| 2 | Sussex | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 32 | 4 |
| 3 | Hertfordshire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 62 | 2 |
| 4 | Hampshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 79 | 0 |
| Pos | South-West Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Gloucestershire | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 21 | 5 |
| 2 | Cornwall | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 20 | 5 |
| 3 | Somerset | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 63 | 2 |
| 4 | Devon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 35 | 0 |
| Pos | Southern Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Oxfordshire | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 39 | 6 |
| 2 | Buckinghamshire | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 48 | 4 |
| 3 | Berkshire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 67 | 2 |
| 4 | Dorset & Wilts | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 74 | 0 |

## Second Round

| Venue | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| Newark | Notts, Lincs & Derbys | Warwickshire | 19-12 |
| Richmond | Middlesex | Surrey | 38-30 |
| Cheltenham | Gloucestershire | Oxfordshire | 25-10 |

## Semi finals

| Date | Venue | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 9 Dec | Gosforth | Northumberland | Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire | 19-6 |
| 9 Dec | Gloucester | Gloucestershire | Middlesex | 13-21 |

## Final

* 30 December 1978
| Middlesex | 19–6 | Northumberland |
| Try: Lambert, Hess Con: Charles Ralston Pen: Charles Ralston (3) | | Try: Patrick Con: Young |
* Twickenham Referee: Laurie Prideaux (North Midlands)
| | Charles Ralston | Rosslyn Park |
| | Colin Lambert | Harlequins |
| | Alan Friell | London Scottish |
| | Rick Gordon | London Scottish |
| | T Morrison | London New Zealand |
| | T A Bryan | Northampton |
| | Alan Lawson | London Scottish |
| | Andy Ripley | Rosslyn Park |
| | Adrian Alexander | Harlequins |
| | M A H Hess | Richmond |
| | Chris Ralston (capt) | Richmond |
| | Bob Mordell | Rosslyn Park |
| | Clint McGregor | Saracens |
| | I Thomas | London Welsh |
| | Les Barlow | Rosslyn Park |
| Replacements: ||
| | David Croydon | Saracens (for Gordon 39 mins) |
| | Brian Patrick | Gosforth |
| | Jim Pollock | Northern |
| | Alan MacMillan | Morpeth |
| | Alastair Tindle | Northern |
| | Steve Gustard (capt) | Gosforth |
| | Richard Breakey | Gosforth |
| | Malcolm Young | Gosforth |
| | Roger Uttley | Gosforth |
| | Iain Richardson | Northern |
| | G E Longstaff | Northern |
| | Steve Bainbridge | Gosforth |
| | P J Gordon | Morpeth |
| | A D Johnson | Alnwick |
| | John Blissett | Gosforth |
| | L W Smith | Alnwick |
| Replacements: ||
| | I Pringle | Morpeth (for Longstaff HT) |