1996 Challenge Cup

1996 Silk Cut Challenge Cup
Duration8 Rounds
Highest attendance78,550
Broadcast partnersUnited Kingdom BBC Sport
Winners St. Helens
Runners-up Bradford Bulls
Lance Todd Trophy Robbie Paul

The 1996 Challenge Cup was the 95th staging of the Challenge Cup tournament. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup due to sponsorship from Silk Cut, it was the first Challenge Cup of the summer era. The tournament featured 40 teams playing 42 games, the culmination of which was the final at London's Wembley Stadium between Super League I teams St. Helens and Bradford Bulls.[1]

Prize money

The following is a table of prize amounts received by each club depending on which round of the Challenge Cup was reached. No prizes were awarded in the first two rounds of the competition, but amateur clubs who reached the Third Round each received £1,000.[2]

Round Prize fund
Third round £3,500
Fourth round £3,500
Fifth round £6,000
Quarter Final £9,000
Semi Final £12,500
Runners-up £35,000
Winners £70,000

First round

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Beverley 14–10 Bisons
2 Blackpool Gladiators 14–10 Fryston
3 Dudley Hill 22–29 Thatto Heath
4 Eastmoor 24–6 Upton & Frickley
5 Egremont 12–8 Hensingham
6 Hemel Hempstead 32–8 Worth Village
7 Heworth 34–6 Student RL Old Boys
8 Leigh Miners 32–14 Mysons
9 Lock Lane 36–9 Humberside University
10 Mayfield 22–4 Simms Cross
11 Millom 12–22 Skirlaugh
12 Nottingham City 10–74 West Bowling
13 Oldham St Annes 28–12 Underbank Rangers
14 Saddleworth 43–6 Lowca
15 Thornhill 33–11 Blackbrook
16 West Hull 100–2 Durham University
17 Wigan St Patricks 34–4 Haydock
18 Woolston Rovers 62–4 Sir John Moores Univ

Second round

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Eastmoor 17–16 Leigh Miners
2 Lock Lane 22–14 Beverley
3 Oldham St Annes 12–15 Thatto Heath
4 Saddleworth 8–17 Heworth
5 Skirlaugh 19–8 Mayfield
6 Thornhill 44–26 Hemel Hempstead
7 West Hull 35–18 Blackpool Gladiators
8 Wigan St Patricks 6–13 West Bowling
9 Woolston Rovers 20–20 Egremont
Replay Egremont 13–6 Woolston Rovers

Third round

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Barrow Braves 14–0 Doncaster Dragons
2 Bramley 22–18 Heworth
3 Carlisle 36–6 West Bowling
4 Chorley Chieftains 12–27 Thatto Heath
5 Highfield 20–35 West Hull
6 Hull Kingston Rovers 44–12 Eastmoor
7 Hunslet Hawks 30–8 Skirlaugh
8 Leigh Centurions 58–6 Egremont
9 Swinton Lions 52–4 Thornhill
10 York 30–10 Lock Lane

Fourth round

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Bradford Bulls 60–18 Batley Bulldogs
2 Carlisle 18–34 Wakefield Trinity
3 Castleford 16–58 St. Helens
4 Dewsbury 12–10 London Broncos
5 Huddersfield 14–35 Sheffield Eagles
6 Hull Sharks 52–18 Hunslet Hawks
7 Hull Kingston Rovers 0–24 Leigh Centurions
8 Keighley Cougars 12–9 Barrow Braves
9 Oldham Bears 4–26 Warrington
10 Rochdale Hornets 54–8 Thatto Heath
11 Salford Reds 35–12 Featherstone Rovers
12 Swinton Lions 22–27 Leeds
13 West Hull 10–6 York
14 Whitehaven 6–18 Halifax
15 Wigan 74–12 Bramley
16 Workington Town 10–17 Widnes

Fifth round

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Dewsbury 16–36 Widnes
2 Halifax 24–20 Sheffield Eagles
3 Hull Sharks 42–10 Keighley Cougars
4 Leigh Centurions 12–44 Bradford Bulls
5 Rochdale Hornets 20–58 St. Helens
6 Salford Reds 26–16 Wigan
7 Warrington 10–30 Leeds
8 West Hull 8–40 Wakefield Trinity

Quarter-final

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Bradford Bulls 30–18 Wakefield Trinity
2 Halifax 24–35 Leeds
3 Hull Sharks 0–20 Widnes
4 Salford Reds 26–46 St. Helens

Semi finals

9 March 1996
St. Helens 24 – 14 Widnes
Try: Sullivan, Hunte, Hammond, Northey
Goal: Goulding (4) 		Report
 Try: Spruce, Devereux, D. Hulme
Goal: Tyrer
Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 13,424
Referee: Russell Smith
23 March 1996
Bradford Bulls 28 – 6 Leeds
Try: Scales (3), Calland, Knox
Goal: Cook (4) 		Report
 Try: Cummins
Goal: Holroyd

Final

27 April 1996
St Helens 40 – 32 Bradford Bulls
Tries: Prescott (2), Arnold (2), Cunningham, Booth, Pickavance, Perelini
Goals: Goulding (4)
 Tries: Paul (3), Scales, Dwyer
Goals: Cook (6)
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 78,550
Player of the Match: Robbie Paul
Bradford Bulls Pos. St. Helens
Nathan Graham FB Stephen Prescott
Paul Cook WG Danny Arnold
Matt Calland CE Scott Gibbs
Paul Loughlin CE Paul Newlove
Jon Scales WG Anthony Sullivan
Graeme Bradley Stand-off Karle Hammond
Robbie Paul (c) HB Bobbie Goulding (c)
Brian McDermott PR Apollo Perelini
Bernard Dwyer HK Keiron Cunningham
Jon Hamer PR Andy Leathem
Jeremy Donougher SR Chris Joynt
Sonny Nickle SR Simon Booth
Simon Knox LF Andy Northey
Karl Fairbank Int. Tommy Martyn
Paul Medley Int. Ian Pickavance
Jason Donohue Int. Vila Matautia
Carlos Hassan Int. Alan Hunte
Brian Smith Coach Shaun McRae

The 1996 tournament's final featured Super League clubs St. Helens and Bradford Bulls, and was played on Saturday, 27 April [3] at London's Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 78,550.[4] The match was refereed by Stuart Cummings and at half time Bradford led 14-12.[5] Trailing 26-12 from the 53rd to the 57th minute, St Helens overcame this 14-point deficit, the biggest in Challenge Cup final history for a winning team, to prevail by 40-32. This also made it the highest-scoring Challenge Cup final in history.[6]

Bradford's 32 points set a new record for most points scored in a Challenge Cup final-losing team. Bradford's scrum half back, Robbie Paul, became the fourth player ever to achieve what was a Challenge Cup final record of three tries, and was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Challenge Cup 1996". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  2. ^ Fletcher, Raymond (1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. Headline Book Publishing. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
  3. ^ "Grandstand - BBC One London - 27 April 1996 - BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Past Winners". thechallengecup.com. Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  5. ^ "steveprescottfoundation.co.uk". Steve Prescott Stats. Steve Prescott Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Challenge Cup Records". thechallengecup.com. Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Lance Todd Trophy". thechallengecup.com. Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.