The 1978–79 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the 14th staging of the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition, and was held in 1978.
Previous two times runner-up Widnes won the trophy by beating the previous year's winners and cup holders St. Helens by 13-7. The match was played at Knowsley Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. 10,250 fans attended, and the receipts were £7,017.
Background
This season Batley dropped out after only one season, but Bramley returned; thus the number of entrants remaining the same at twenty-two.
The format remained as a knock-out competition from the preliminary round through to the final.
The preliminary round involved twelve clubs, to reduce the numbers taking part in the competition proper to just sixteen.
^Rochdale Hornets progressed to the next round after Wigan were expelled from the competition for fielding an ineligible player.[10]
1 * At the time this was the second highest score, only to be equalled about two months later in the Second round
2 * The RUGBYLEAGUEprojects[1] gives the attendance as 10,099 but this appears to be the attendance at the previous year's final added in error
3 * This match was televised
5 * At the time this equalled the second highest score
6 * Postponed due to pending court case brought by Wigan against the RFL[2]
7 * Postponed
8 * The Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990–1991[11] and 1991-92[12] and the RUGBYLEAGUEprojects[1] gives the attendance as 10,250 but the official St. Helens archives[5] give it as 10,500
9 * Knowsley Road was the home of St Helens R.F.C. from 1890 until its closure in 2010. The final capacity was 17,500 although the record attendance was 35,695 set on 26 December 1949 for a league game between St Helens and Wigan.