Challenge Cup

The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly know just as the Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the worlds oldest cup competition in either code of rugby. A concurrent Women's Challenge Cup and Wheelchair Challenge Cup have been held since 2012 and 2016 respectively. The competition is open to all eligible clubs down to Tier 5. Some amateur clubs have to qualify to enter in Round One while others can apply through the RFL to enter. The final is traditionally played at Wembley Stadium although it has been played at other venues Wembley is seen as the home of the competition. "Abide with Me", sung before the game, has become a rugby league anthem. The current holders of the Challenge Cup are Leigh Leopards, beating Hull Kingston Rovers, 17-16 in the 2023 Final on 12 August 2023 at Wembley Stadium , winning the competition for the third time. The game was tied at 80 minutes with Leigh winning on Golden point (The first final to be decided this way) with a dropkick by Lachlan Lam. 2023 was also the first final to feature the womens challenge cup on the same day at Wembley Wigan are the most successful club in the history of the competition, winning the Cup a record 20 times. Wigan are also the last team to win inside 80 minutes and at a stadium other than Wembley, being the 2022 final held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to the World Cup being held in England the same year. The clubs that formed the Northern Union had long been playing in local knock-out cup competitions under the auspices of the Rugby Football Union. The rugby union authorities refused to sanction a nationwide tournament, however, fearing that this would inevitably lead to professionalism. After the schism of 1895, the northern clubs were free to go ahead, and they started the Northern Rugby Football Union Challenge Cup. In 1896 Fattorini's of Bradford were commissioned to manufacture the Challenge Cup at a cost of just £60.