The Challenge Cup of rugby league was instituted in the 1896–97 and the final was contested between Batley and St. Helens at Headingley, Leeds. In the seasons during the Second World War the final was played over two legs, with the aggregate score being used. The final was played 67 at many neutral venues up to and including 1928 after which it was mostly played at Wembley Stadium until 1939 just prior to the Second World War apart from 1932 when it was switched to Central Park, Wigan. In the war years, apart from 1940, it was played at various venues between 1941 and 1945 after which it returned to Wembley in 1946 when the final permanently became a Wembley final.

In 1909–10 Leeds and Hull F.C. drew 7–7 for the first time in a final at Huddersfield and a replay resulted in a Leeds win. There have been 3 replays, the latest being 1981–82 at Elland Road between Hull F.C. and Widnes.

List of Finals

‡Winning team won the Double (League title and Challenge Cup)
†Winning team won the Domestic Treble
§Winning team won All Four Cups
(replay)Replay
(G.P.)Match went to Golden point
  • (In bracket, title count):
SeasonChampions (number of titles)ScoreRunners upVenueAttendance
1896–97Batley (1)10–3St HelensHeadingley13,492
1897–98Batley (2)7–0Bradford F.C.27,941
1898–99Oldham (1)19–9HunsletFallowfield15,763
1899–00Swinton (1)16–8Salford17,864
1900–01Batley (3)6–0WarringtonHeadingley29,563
1901–02Broughton Rangers (1) ‡25–0SalfordAthletic Ground15,006
1902–03Halifax (1) ‡7–0SalfordHeadingley32,507
1903–04Halifax (2)8–3WarringtonThe Willows17,041
1904–05Warrington (1)6–0Hull Kingston RoversHeadingley19,638
1905–06Bradford F.C. (1)5–0Salford15,834
1906–07Warrington (2)17–3OldhamWheater's Field18,500
1907–08Hunslet (1) §14–0Hull F.C.Fartown18,000
1908–09Wakefield Trinity (1)17–0Hull F.C.Headingley23,587
1909–10Leeds7–7Hull F.C.Fartown19,413
Leeds (1)26–12 (replay)Hull F.C.11,608
1910–11Broughton Rangers (2)4–0WiganThe Willows8,000
1911–12Dewsbury (1)8–5OldhamHeadingley15,271
1912–13Huddersfield (1) †9–5Warrington22,754
1913–14Hull F.C. (1)6–0Wakefield TrinityThrum Hall19,000
1914–15Huddersfield (2) §37–3St HelensWatersheddings8,000
1919–20Huddersfield (3)21–10WiganHeadingley14,000
1920–21Leigh (1)13–0HalifaxWheater's Field25,000
1921–22Rochdale (1)10–9Hull F.C.Headingley32,596
1922–23Leeds (2)28–3Hull F.C.Belle Vue29,335
1923–24Wigan (1)21–4OldhamAthletic Ground41,831
1924–25Oldham (2)16–3Hull Kingston RoversHeadingley28,335
1925–26Swinton (2)9–3OldhamAthletic Ground27,000
1926–27Oldham (3)26–7SwintonCentral Park33,448
1927–28Swinton (3) §5–3Warrington33,909
1928–29Wigan (2)13–2DewsburyWembley Stadium (Original)41,500
1929–30Widnes (1)10–3St Helens36,544
1930–31Halifax (3)22–8York40,365
1931–32Leeds (3)11–8SwintonCentral Park29,000
1932–33Huddersfield (4)21–17WarringtonWembley Stadium (Original)41,874
1933–34Hunslet (2)11–5Widnes41,280
1934–35Castleford (1)11–8Huddersfield39,000
1935–36Leeds (4)18–2Warrington51,250
1936–37Widnes (2)18–5Keighley47,699
1937–38Salford (1)7–4Barrow51,243
1938–39Halifax (4)20–3Salford55,453
1940–41Leeds (5)19–2HalifaxOdsal28,500
1941–42Leeds (6)15–10Halifax15,250
1942–43Dewsbury (2)16–9LeedsCrown Flatt10,470
0–6Headingley16,000
1943–44Bradford (1)3–0WiganCentral Park22,000
8–0Odsal30,000
1944–45Huddersfield (5)7–4BradfordFartown9,041
6–5Odsal17,500
1945–46Wakefield Trinity (2)13–12WiganWembley Stadium (Original)54,730
1946–47Bradford (2)8–4Leeds77,605
1947–48Wigan (3)8–3Bradford91,465
1948–49Bradford (3)12–0Halifax95,050
1949–50Warrington (3)19–0Widnes94,249
1950–51Wigan (4)10–0Barrow94,262
1951–52Workington Town (1)18–10Featherstone Rovers72,093
1952–53Huddersfield (6)15–10St Helens89,588
1953–54Warrington4–4Halifax81,841
Warrington (4) ‡8–4 (replay)HalifaxOdsal102,569
1954–55Barrow (1)21–12Workington TownWembley Stadium (Original)66,513
1955–56St Helens (1)13–2Halifax79,341
1956–57Leeds (7)9–7Barrow76,318
1957–58Wigan (5)13–9Workington Town66,109
1958–59Wigan (6)30–13Hull F.C.79,811
1959–60Wakefield Trinity (3)38–5Hull F.C.79,773
1960–61St Helens (2)12–6Wigan94,672
1961–62Wakefield Trinity (4)12–6Huddersfield81,263
1962–63Wakefield Trinity (5)25–10Wigan84,492
1963–64Widnes (3)13–5Hull Kingston Rovers84,488
1964–65Wigan (7)20–16Hunslet89,016
1965–66St Helens (3) †21–2Wigan98,536
1966–67Featherstone Rovers (1)17–12Barrow76,290
1967–68Leeds (8)11–10Wakefield Trinity87,100
1968–69Castleford (2)11–6Salford97,939
1969–70Castleford (3)7–2Wigan95,255
1970–71Leigh (2)24–7Leeds85,514
1971–72St Helens (4)16–13Leeds89,495
1972–73Featherstone Rovers (2)33–14Bradford72,395
1973–74Warrington (5)24–9Featherstone Rovers77,400
1974–75Widnes (4)14–7Warrington85,098
1975–76St Helens (5)20–5Widnes89,982
1976–77Leeds (9)16–7Widnes80,871
1977–78Leeds (10)14–12St Helens96,000
1978–79Widnes (5)12–3Wakefield Trinity94,218
1979–80Hull Kingston Rovers (1)10–5Hull F.C.95,000
1980–81Widnes (6)18–9Hull Kingston Rovers92,496
1981–82Hull F.C.14–14Widnes92,147
Hull F.C. (2)18–9 (replay)WidnesElland Road41,171
1982–83Featherstone Rovers (3)14–12Hull F.C.Wembley Stadium (Original)84,969
1983–84Widnes (7)19–6Wigan80,116
1984–85Wigan (8)28–24Hull F.C.97,801
1985–86Castleford (4)15–14Hull Kingston Rovers82,134
1986–87Halifax (5)19–18St Helens91,267
1987–88Wigan (9)32–12Halifax94,273
1988–89Wigan (10)27–0St Helens78,000
1989–90Wigan (11) ‡36–14Warrington77,729
1990–91Wigan (12) ‡13–8St Helens75,532
1991–92Wigan (13) †28–12Castleford77,386
1992–93Wigan (14) ‡20–14Widnes77,684
1993–94Wigan (15) §26–16Leeds78,348
1994–95Wigan (16) †30–10Leeds78,550
1996St Helens (6) ‡40–32Bradford75,994
1997St Helens (7)32–22Bradford78,022
1998Sheffield (1)17–8Wigan60,669
1999Leeds (11)52–16London73,242
2000Bradford (4)24–18LeedsMurrayfield67,247
2001St Helens (8)13–6BradfordTwickenham68,250
2002Wigan (17)21–12St HelensMurrayfield62,140
2003Bradford (5) §22–20LeedsMillennium Stadium71,212
2004St Helens (9)32–16Wigan73,734
2005Hull F.C. (3)25–24Leeds74,213
2006St Helens (10) §42–12HuddersfieldTwickenham65,187
2007St Helens (11)30–8CatalansWembley Stadium84,241
2008St Helens (12)28–16Hull F.C.82,821
2009Warrington (6)25–16Huddersfield76,560
2010Warrington (7)30–6Leeds85,217
2011Wigan (18)28–18Leeds78,482
2012Warrington (8)35–18Leeds79,180
2013Wigan (18) ‡16–0Hull F.C.78,137
2014Leeds (12)23–10Castleford77,914
2015Leeds (13) †50–0Hull Kingston Rovers80,140
2016Hull F.C. (4)12–10Warrington76,235
2017Hull F.C. (5)18–14Wigan68,525
2018Catalans (1)20–14Warrington50,672
2019Warrington (9)18–4St Helens62,717
2020Leeds (14)17–16Salford0
2021St Helens (13) ‡26–12Castleford40,000
2022Wigan (20)16–14HuddersfieldTottenham Hotspur Stadium51,628
2023Leigh (3)17–16 (G.P.)Hull Kingston RoversWembley Stadium58,213
2024Wigan (21) §18–8Warrington64,845
2025Hull Kingston Rovers (2) †8–6Warrington63,278

Notes

Results by club

TeamWinnersRunners-upYears won
Wigan Warriors21121924, 1929, 1948, 1951, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2011, 2013, 2022, 2024
Leeds Rhinos14121910, 1923, 1932, 1936, 1941, 1942, 1957, 1968, 1977, 1978, 1999, 2014, 2015, 2020
St Helens13101956, 1961, 1966, 1972, 1976, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021
Warrington Wolves9121905, 1907, 1950, 1954, 1974, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019
Widnes Vikings761930, 1937, 1964, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1984
Huddersfield Giants651913, 1915, 1920, 1933, 1945, 1953
Hull FC5121914, 1982, 2005, 2016, 2017
Halifax71903, 1904, 1931, 1939, 1987
Bradford Bulls61944, 1947, 1949, 2000, 2003
Wakefield Trinity31909, 1946, 1960, 1962, 1963
Castleford Tigers431935, 1969, 1970, 1986
Oldham341899, 1925, 1927
Swinton Lions21900, 1926, 1928
Featherstone Rovers1967, 1973, 1983
Batley Bulldogs01897, 1898, 1901
Leigh Leopards1921, 1971, 2023
Hull Kingston Rovers271980, 2025
Hunslet21908, 1934
Dewsbury Rams11912, 1943
Broughton Rangers §01902, 1911
Salford Red Devils171938
Barrow Raiders41955
Workington Town21952
Bradford FC §11906
Catalans Dragons±2018
Rochdale Hornets01922
Sheffield Eagles1998
York01–
Keighley Cougars
London Broncos
  • § Denotes club now defunct
  • ± Denotes a non-English club.

Venues

Current venue

Pre-match at the 2014 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium
DateVenueLocationCapacity
2007–2021; 2023–Wembley StadiumWembley, London90,000

Former venues

Teams walk out during the 2006 Challenge Cup Final at Twickenham Stadium
During the 2022 Challenge Cup Final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The Challenge Cup final has been held at 12 neutral venues.

VenueLocationCapacityLast Use
Wembley Stadium (Original)Wembley, London82,0002000
Twickenham StadiumTwickenham, London82,0002006
Millennium StadiumCardiff, South Glamorgan74,5002005
Murrayfield StadiumEdinburgh, Midlothian67,1442002
Tottenham Hotspur StadiumTottenham, London62,8502022
Athletic GroundsRochdale, Greater Manchester41,8311926
FartownHuddersfield, West Yorkshire35,0001945
Thrum HallHalifax, West Yorkshire29,0001914
WatersheddingsOldham, Greater Manchester28,0001942
OdsalBradford, West Yorkshire27,5001915
HeadingleyLeeds, West Yorkshire21,5001925
Wheater's FieldBroughton, Greater Manchester20,0001921
Central ParkWigan, Greater Manchester18,0001944
FallowfieldManchester, Greater Manchester15,0001900
Belle VueWakefield, West Yorkshire12,6001923
The WillowsWeaste, Greater Manchester11,3631911
Crown Flatt (Old Ground)Dewsbury, West Yorkshire10,0001943

Replay venues

In the event of a draw a replay will be played at a neutral venue. There have been three replays.

YearVenueLocationCapacity
1909-10FartownHuddersfield, West Yorkshire35,000
1953-54OdsalBradford, West Yorkshire27,500
1981-82Elland RoadLeeds, West Yorkshire39,000

See also

External links

  • : RFL
  • : RFL List of finals (1897–2008, includes venues and attendances)
  • : Rugby League Project