# Hong Kong Sapling Cup

Hong Kong Sapling Cup (Chinese: 菁英盃), currently known as JC Sapling Cup (Chinese: 賽馬會菁英盃) for sponsorship reasons, 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.
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.
The current Sapling Cup holder is Rangers.

## Competition name and Rules

| Season | Name due to sponsorship | Format | Rules |
| 2015–16 | Henderson Sapling Cup (Sponsorship from Henderson Land Development) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a single round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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 (Sponsorship from R&F Properties) | Participating teams compete in a single-elimination tournament. | 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. |
| 2017–18 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a single round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a single round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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. |
| 2019–20 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | The participating teams are divided into two groups for a double round-robin tournament. Top team in each group advances to the final. | 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 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a double round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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. |
| 2021–22 | Sapling Cup (No sponsorship) | Participating teams compete in a double round-robin tournament. | 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. |
| 2022–23 | JC Sapling Cup (Sponsorship from Hong Kong Jockey Club) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a double round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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. |
| 2023–24 | JC Sapling Cup (Sponsorship from Hong Kong Jockey Club) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a double round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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. |
| 2024–25 | JC Sapling Cup (Sponsorship from Hong Kong Jockey Club) | Participating teams are divided into two groups for a single round-robin tournament. Top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. | 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. |

## Finals
### Key

| * | Match went to extra time |
| † | Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time |

### Results

| 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 |
| 2020–21 | Eastern | 2–0 | Happy Valley | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,243 |
| 2021–22 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong |
| 2022–23 | Southern | 2–0 | Lee Man | Mong Kok Stadium | 2,519 |
| 2023–24 | Rangers | 1–0 | Kitchee | Mong Kok Stadium | 3,769 |
| 2024–25 | | | | Mong Kok Stadium | |

#### Notes
## Performance by clubs

| Club | Winners | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost |
| Kitchee | 2 | 2019–20 | 1 | 2023–24 |
| 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 | – | – |
| Rangers | 1 | 2023–24 | – | – |
| South China | – | – | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Yuen Long | – | – | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Happy Valley | – | – | 1 | 2020–21 |

## Players record
### Most appearances

    As of the end of 2023–24 season
Bolded players still playing in Hong Kong Sapling Cup.

### Top scorers

    As of the end of 2023–24 season
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
| 1 | Stefan Pereira | 30 | 41 | 0.73 |
| 2 | Mikael | 19 | 33 | 0.58 |
| 2 | Everton Camargo | 19 | 36 | 0.53 |
| 4 | Lucas Silva | 17 | 21 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Juninho | 17 | 32 | 0.53 |
| 6 | Mahama Awal | 15 | 36 | 0.42 |
| 6 | Shu Sasaki | 15 | 48 | 0.31 |
| 8 | Sandro | 14 | 17 | 0.82 |
| 8 | Travis Major | 14 | 19 | 0.74 |
| 10 | Wellingsson de Souza | 13 | 29 | 0.45 |
| 10 | Sun Ming Him | 13 | 32 | 0.41 |
Bold denotes players still playing in the Hong Kong Sapling Cup.