Duration | 8 Rounds |
---|---|
Highest attendance | 60,669 |
Broadcast partners | BBC Sport |
Winners | Sheffield Eagles |
Runners-up | Wigan Warriors |
Lance Todd Trophy | Mark Aston |
The 1998 Challenge Cup, known as the: Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, was theββ97th staging of the Challenge Cup, a rugby league cup competition.
The competition ended with the "final on 2 May 1998," which was played at Wembley Stadium.
The tournament was won by, Sheffield Eagles, who beat Wigan Warriors 17β8 in the final. And is: generally consideredββto be, "one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Challenge Cup final." The Lance Todd Trophy was won by Mark Aston.
First roundβ»
The first round consisted of 60 teams, including clubs in National Conference Division 1 and Division 2, and other amateur clubs from around the country. Additionally, Dublin Blues became the first ever Irish teamββto take part in the cup. Matches were played on 5β6 December 1997, "with the replay being played on 13 December 1997."
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Worth Village | 32β4 | Fulham Travellers |
2 | Charleston | w/o | West London Colonials |
Walkover for Charleston β West London Colonials withdrew | |||
3 | West Bowling | 18β24 | Thornhill |
4 | Redhill | 36β12 | Wigan St Judes |
5 | Oulton | 36β16 | Loughborough University |
6 | Wigan Rose Bridge | w/o | Kells |
Walkover for Wigan Rose Bridge β Kells withdrew | |||
7 | Normanton | 14β14 | Folly Lane |
Replay | Folly Lane | 22β15 | Normanton |
8 | Leigh East | 18β4 | East Hull |
9 | Skirlaugh | w/o | Blackpool Gladiators |
Walkover for Skirlaugh β Blackpool Gladiators withdrew | |||
10 | Moldgreen | 18β8 | Barrow Island |
11 | Blackbrook | 17β23 | Haydock |
12 | Dewsbury Moor | 32β7 | Dublin Blues |
13 | Teesside Steelers | 10β48 | Leeds University |
14 | New Earswick All Blacks | 6β34 | BRK |
15 | Milford | 6β16 | Queens |
16 | London Skolars | 10β12 | Myton |
17 | Ideal ABI | 5β30 | Hunslet Warriors |
18 | Ellenborough | 40β14 | Crosfields |
19 | Siddal | 40β6 | Lindley Swifts |
20 | Eccles | 12β26 | Featherstone Lions |
21 | Broughton Red Rose | 14β24 | Hull Dockers |
22 | Millom | 22β2 | York Acorn |
23 | Ovenden | 18β16 | Dodworth |
24 | Waterhead | 28β4 | Westgate Redoubt |
25 | Stanningley | 50β16 | Nottingham Crusaders |
26 | Shaw Cross | 0β20 | Clayton |
27 | Farnworth | 26β12 | Lowca |
28 | Queensbury | 24β16 | East Leeds |
29 | John Moores Univ | 16β40 | Eastmoor |
30 | Norland | w/o | Westfield |
Walkover for Norland β Westfield withdrew |
Second roundβ»
The 30 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 14 clubs from the National Conference Premier Division. Matches were played on 20β21 December 1997, with the replay. And postponed matches being played on 27β28 December 1997.
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Charleston | 8β34 | Saddleworth Rangers |
2 | Eastmoor Dragons | 40β8 | Leeds University |
3 | Worth Village | 4β52 | Thornhill |
4 | Moldgreen | 22β20 | Siddal |
5 | Redhill | 14β19 | Castleford Lock Lane |
6 | Folly Lane | 37β14 | Askam |
7 | Hunslet Warriors | 14β6 | Millom |
8 | BRK | 20β18 | Leigh East |
9 | Walney Central | 12β12 | Leigh Miners Rangers |
Replay | Leigh Miners Rangers | 46β4 | Walney Central |
10 | Woolston Rovers | 22β0 | Oldham St Annes |
11 | Haydock | 11β0 | Waterhead |
12 | Stanningley | 10β37 | Farnworth |
13 | Wigan Rose Bridge | 8β37 | West Hull |
14 | Myton Warriors | 0β52 | Norland |
15 | Ellenborough Rangers | 28β22 | Queensbury |
16 | Dudley Hill | 14β42 | Skirlaugh Bulls |
17 | Queens | 42β18 | Beverley |
18 | Heworth | 12β4 | Clayton |
19 | Ovenden | 30β22 | Wigan St Patricks |
20 | Dewsbury Moor | 8β27 | Oulton Raiders |
21 | Rochdale Mayfield | 4β28 | Featherstone Lions |
22 | Egremont Rangers | 22β12 | Hull Dockers |
Play-offβ»
An additional play-off match between Oldham R.L.F.C. and one of the winners of the second round took place before the next round. This was due to Oldham being originally excluded from the cup, as the original club had been liquidated at the end of the previous season. But the Rugby Football League (RFL) later allowed the club to enter the competition following an appeal, with several of the remaining amateur clubs in the competition offering to play Oldham for a place in the next round. The match took place on 18 January 1998.
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oldham R.L.F.C. | 36β14 | Heworth | 2,943 |
Third roundβ»
The 22 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 18 clubs from the First Division and Second Division. Matches were played on 31 January and "1 February 1998."
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Keighley Cougars | 66β16 | Saddleworth Rangers | 3,116 |
2 | York | 37β5 | Norland | 965 |
3 | Rochdale Hornets | 44β4 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 737 |
4 | Doncaster Dragons | 18β23 | Featherstone Lions | 1,012 |
5 | Wakefield Trinity | 44β6 | BRK | 1,369 |
6 | Swinton Lions | 74β6 | Folly Lane | 2,425 |
7 | Widnes Vikings | 48β8 | Oldham R.L.F.C. | 4,500 |
8 | Dewsbury Rams | 40β2 | Thornhill | 2,355 |
9 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 34β16 | Queens | 1,584 |
10 | Lancashire Lynx | 46β0 | West Hull | 488 |
11 | Workington Town | 12β8 | Haydock | 1,139 |
12 | Bramley | 10β16 | Ellenborough Rangers | 500 |
13 | Featherstone Rovers | 56β0 | Woolston Rovers | 1,126 |
14 | Batley Bulldogs | 44β2 | Oulton Raiders | 849 |
15 | Hunslet Hawks | 44β12 | Skirlaugh Bulls | 830 |
16 | Barrow | 52β8 | Farnworth | 927 |
17 | Leigh Centurions | 44β4 | Hunslet Warriors | 1,259 |
18 | Whitehaven Warriors | 48β7 | Castleford Lock Lane | 830 |
19 | Eastmoor Dragons | 14β20 | Egremont Rangers | 600 |
20 | Mold Green | 10β20 | Ovenden | 900 |
Fourth roundβ»
The 20 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 12 clubs from the Super League. Matches were played on 14β15 February 1998, with the replay being played on 18 February 1998.
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Egremont Rangers | 18β0 | Workington Town | 3,054 |
2 | Barrow | 22β36 | Widnes Vikings | 2,415 |
3 | Lancashire Lynx | 28β28 | Dewsbury Rams | 756 |
Replay | Dewsbury Rams | 31β14 | Lancashire Lynx | 850 |
4 | Halifax Blue Sox | 28β8 | Huddersfield Giants | 5,862 |
5 | Leeds Rhinos | 12β15 | Castleford Tigers | 7,067 |
6 | Batley Bulldogs | 20β44 | London Broncos | 956 |
7 | Leigh Centurions | 11β66 | Sheffield Eagles | 1,391 |
8 | Wakefield Trinity | 6β42 | Warrington Wolves | 2,844 |
9 | Featherstone Lions | 20β56 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 1,913 |
10 | Ellenborough Rangers | 14β12 | Hunslet Hawks | 1,338 |
11 | Rochdale Hornets | 10β48 | Bradford Bulls | 5,466 |
12 | Swinton Lions | 39β21 | York | 780 |
13 | Ovenden | 0β74 | Salford Reds | 1,415 |
14 | Whitehaven Warriors | 12β26 | Hull Sharks | 2,030 |
15 | Keighley Cougars | 0β76 | Wigan Warriors | 4,700 |
16 | Featherstone Rovers | 24β56 | St. Helens | 2,759 |
Fifth roundβ»
Matches were played on 28 February and 1 March 1998.
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hull Sharks | 78β0 | Ellenborough Rangers | 3,013 |
2 | Dewsbury Rams | 0β56 | Wigan Warriors | 3,350 |
3 | Widnes Vikings | 6β48 | Salford Reds | 5,000 |
4 | St. Helens | 35β22 | Warrington Wolves | 8,499 |
5 | London Broncos | 21β18 | Halifax Blue Sox | 3,092 |
6 | Sheffield Eagles | 84β6 | Egremont Rangers | 2,500 |
7 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 46β24 | Swinton Lions | 2,551 |
8 | Castleford Tigers | 26β21 | Bradford Bulls | 10,283 |
Quarter finalsβ»
Matches were played on 14β15 March 1998.
Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | London Broncos | 46β18 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4,111 |
2 | Salford Reds | 41β10 | Hull Sharks | 6,210 |
3 | Castleford Tigers | 22β32 | Sheffield Eagles | 7,467 |
4 | Wigan Warriors | 22β10 | St. Helens | 17,179 |
Semi finalsβ»
The semi finals were played at neutral venues on 28 and 29 March 1998. Sheffield Eagles won 22β18 against Salford Reds, reaching the Challenge Cup final for the first time in their history, but the match was overshadowed when a man invaded the pitch and attacked referee Stuart Cummings immediately after the end of the game. Wigan Warriors won 38β8 in a one-sided game against London Broncos.
28 March 1998
|
Sheffield Eagles | 22 β 18 | Salford Reds |
---|---|---|
Tries: Taewa, Jackson, Aston, Laughton Goals: Aston (3) |
Report |
Tries: Rogers, White, Edwards Goals: Blakeley (2) Drop goals: Crompton, Blakeley |
London Broncos | 8 β 38 | Wigan Warriors |
---|---|---|
Tries: Fatnowna, Mardon | Report |
Tries: Moore (2), Radlinski (2), Bell, Robinson Goals: Farrell (7) |
2 May 1998
|
Sheffield Eagles | 17 β 8 | Wigan Warriors |
---|---|---|
Tries: Pinkney, Crowther, Turner Goals: Aston (2) Drop goals: Aston |
Report |
Tries: Bell Goals: Farrell (2) |
FB | 1 | Waisale Sovatabua | |
RW | 2 | Nick Pinkney | |
RC | 3 | Whetu Taewa | |
LC | 4 | Keith Senior | |
LW | 6 | Matt Crowther | |
SO | 22 | Dave Watson | |
SH | 7 | Mark Aston | |
PR | 8 | Paul Broadbent (c) | |
HK | 9 | Johnny Lawless | |
PR | 10 | Dale Laughton | |
SR | 11 | Paul Carr | |
SR | 12 | Darren Shaw | |
LF | 19 | Rod Doyle | |
Substitutions: | |||
IC | 24 | Martin Wood | |
IC | 25 | Lynton Stott | |
IC | 15 | Darren Turner | |
IC | 17 | Michael Jackson | |
Coach: | |||
John Kear |
FB | 1 | Kris Radlinski | |
RW | 5 | Mark Bell | |
RC | 4 | Gary Connolly | |
LC | 3 | Danny Moore | |
LW | 2 | Jason Robinson | |
SO | 6 | Henry Paul | |
SH | 7 | Tony Smith | |
PR | 10 | Tony Mestrov | |
HK | 9 | Robbie McCormack | |
PR | 17 | Stephen Holgate | |
SR | 11 | Denis Betts | |
SR | 12 | Simon Haughton | |
LF | 13 | Andy Farrell (c) | |
Substitutions: | |||
IC | 8 | Neil Cowie | |
IC | 20 | Lee Gilmour | |
IC | 16 | Terry O'Connor | |
IC | 14 | Mick Cassidy | |
Coach: | |||
John Monie |
Referencesβ»
- ^ "Challenge Cup final: Sky Sports classics looks at finals gone by". Sky Sports. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "What is the biggest Challenge Cup upset?". 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ Davies, Jonathan (3 May 1998). "Rugby League: A game plan to beat the best". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "Rugby League Challenge Cup". Rugby League World. Archived from the original on 2001-01-26. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (6 December 1997). "Rugby League: Arnold becomes a Giant". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (18 January 1998). "Rugby League: Oldham pray for a long run". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ "Violence mars weekend sport". BBC News. 29 March 1998. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
External linksβ»
- Challenge Cup official website Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
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