The 1980–81 Yorkshire Cup was the seventy-third occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held.

Leeds winning the trophy by beating Hull Kingston Rovers by the score of 8-7.

The match was played at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield, now in West Yorkshire. The attendance was 9,751 and receipts were £15,578.

This was Leeds' eighth victory (and the second of two consecutive victories - for the third time within the sequence) in what has been eight times in the space of thirteen seasons.

Background

This season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, no new entrants and no "leavers" and so the total of entries remained the same at sixteen.

This in turn resulted in no byes in the first round.

Competition and results

Round 1

Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sat 16 Aug 1980Leeds47-8YorkHeadingley2921
2Sun 17 Aug 1980Bradford Northern10-6BatleyOdsal3173
3Sun 17 Aug 1980Dewsbury5-15BramleyCrown Flatt1100
4Sun 17 Aug 1980Featherstone Rovers16-12Hull F.C.Post Office Road7025
5Sun 17 Aug 1980Halifax8-18CastlefordThrum Hall2926
6Sun 17 Aug 1980Hull Kingston Rovers21-17Wakefield TrinityCraven Park (1)7628
7Sun 17 Aug 1980Hunslet22-4DoncasterMount Pleasant550
8Sun 17 Aug 1980Keighley16-25HuddersfieldLawkholme Lane1550

Round 2 - Quarter-finals

Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sun 24 Aug 1980Castleford26-25BramleyWheldon Road2215
2Sun 24 Aug 1980Huddersfield20-13Bradford NorthernFartown4080
3Sun 24 Aug 1980Hull Kingston Rovers33-12Featherstone RoversCraven Park (1)9088
4Sun 24 Aug 1980Leeds31-12HunsletHeadingley3940

Round 3 – Semi-finals

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Wed 10 Sep 1980Castleford7-11Hull Kingston RoversWheldon Road7328
2Thu 11 Sep 1980Leeds17-13HuddersfieldHeadingley4418

Final

Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
Saturday 8 November 1980Leeds8-7Hull Kingston RoversFartown9,751£15,5781

Teams and scorers

LeedsHull Kingston Rovers
teams
Neil Hague (see note 2)1Ian Robinson
Alan Smith2Gary McHugh
David Smith3Mike Smith
John Atkinson (see note 3)4Phil Hogan
Willie Oulton (see note 4)5Wally Youngman
John Holmes6Dave Hall
Kevin Dick7Paul Harkin
Mick Harrison8Roy Holdstock
David Ward9xRaymond Price
Steve Pitchford10Steve Crooks
Graham Eccles11Phil Lowe
Phil Cookson12Len Casey (c)
David Heron13Mick Crane
?14?
Carrol (for Phil Cookson)15Paul Rose (for Steve Crooks)
Robin DewhurstCoachRoger Millward
8score7
2HT7
Scorers
Tries
Alan Smith (1)TGary McHugh (1)
Goals
Kevin Dick (2)GPhil Hogan (2)
Drop Goals
Kevin Dick (1)DG
RefereeRonald "Ronnie" Campbell (Widnes)
White Rose Trophy for Man of the matchKevin Dick - Leeds - scrum-half
sponsored by
Competition SponsorWebster's Brewery (Samuel Webster & Sons Ltd)

Scoring - Try = three points - Goal = two points - Drop goal = one point

The road to success

First roundSecond roundSemi-finalsFinal
Leeds47
York8
Leeds31
Hunslet12
Hunslet22
Doncaster4
Leeds17
Huddersfield13
Keighley16
Huddersfield25
Huddersfield20
Bradford Northern13
Bradford Northern10
Batley6
Leeds8
Hull Kingston Rovers7
Halifax8
Castleford18
Castleford26
Bramley25
Dewsbury5
Bramley15
Castleford7
Hull Kingston Rovers11
Hull Kingston Rovers21
Wakefield Trinity17
Hull Kingston Rovers33
Featherstone Rovers12
Featherstone Rovers16
Hull F.C.12

Notes and comments

1 * Fartown was the home ground of Huddersfield from 1878 to the end of the 1991-92 season to Huddersfield Town FC's Leeds Road stadium, and then to the McAlpine Stadium in 1994. Fartown remained as a sports/Rugby League ground but is now rather dilapidated, and is only used for staging amateur rugby league games.

2 * Neil Hague -The player number given is as shown in the Rothmans Yearbook 1990-91 and also 1991-92. The RUGBYLEAGUEproject shows Neil Hague as a centre (numbered as 4)

3 * John Atkinson - The player number given is as shown in the Rothmans Yearbook 1990-91 and also 1991-92. The RUGBYLEAGUEproject shows John Atkinson as winger (numbered as 5)

4 * Willie Oulton The player number given is as shown in the Rothmans Yearbook 1990-91 and also 1991-92. The RUGBYLEAGUEproject shows Willie Oulton as the full back (numbered as 1)

See also

External links