1902–03 Challenge Cup Explained
| 1903 Challenge Cup |
| Duration: | 6 rounds |
| Highest Attendance: | 32,507 |
| Season: | 1902–03 |
| Season Champs: | Halifax |
| Season Champ Name: | Winners |
| Second Place: | Salford |
| Prevseason Link: | 1902 Challenge Cup |
| Prevseason Year: | 1902 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1904 Challenge Cup |
| Nextseason Year: | 1904 |
The 1903 Challenge Cup was the 7th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1] It featured clubs from the 1902-03 Northern Rugby Football Union season.
First round
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 14 Feb | Birkenhead | 15 | Werneth | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Bradford | 10 | Huddersfield | 5 |
| 14 Feb | Bramley | 10 | Pontefract | 5 |
| 14 Feb | Broughton Rangers | 0 | Oldham | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Castleford | 2 | Thrum Hall | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Dewsbury | 0 | Leeds | 15 |
| 14 Feb | Halifax | 34 | Salterhebble | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2 | York | 6 |
| 14 Feb | Hunslet | 18 | Cleckheaton | 5 |
| 14 Feb | Keighley | 37 | Heckmondwike | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Kendal Hornets | 3 | Morecambe | 5 |
| 14 Feb | Kinsley | 0 | Brighouse Rangers | 8 |
| 14 Feb | Leigh | 0 | Swinton | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Manningham | 0 | Idle | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Millom | 10 | Lancaster | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Ossett | 0 | Otley | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Parton | 9 | Workington | 5 |
| 14 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 33 | Alverthorpe | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Runcorn | 7 | Widnes | 2 |
| 14 Feb | St Helens | 6 | Warrington | 3 |
| 14 Feb | Seaton Rangers | 2 | Barrow | 5 |
| 14 Feb | South Shields | 58 | St. Paul's | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Sowerby Bridge | 5 | Batley | 14 |
| 14 Feb | Stockport | 0 | Wigan | 8 |
| 14 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 3 | Holbeck | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Wath Brow Hornets | 5 | Whitehaven Recs | 0 |
| 14 Feb | Windhill | 0 | Normanton | 8 |
| 18 Feb | Idle | 0 | Manningham | 12 |
| 18 Feb | Otley | 2 | Ossett | 0 |
| 18 Feb | Swinton | 5 | Leigh | 7 | |
Second round
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 21 Feb | Bramley | 0 | Bradford | 9 |
| 21 Feb | Brighouse Rangers | 12 | South Shields | 2 |
| 21 Feb | Castleford | 0 | Halifax | 0 |
| 21 Feb | Hull Marlborough | 0 | Hull FC | 45 |
| 21 Feb | Maryport | 2 | Parton | 2 |
| 21 Feb | Morecambe | 0 | Millom | 0 |
| 21 Feb | Normanton | 2 | Batley | 9 |
| 21 Feb | Oldham | 4 | Wigan | 0 |
| 21 Feb | Outwood Church | 0 | Hunslet | 7 |
| 21 Feb | Runcorn | 18 | Birkenhead | 0 |
| 21 Feb | St Helens | 2 | Rochdale Hornets | 8 |
| 21 Feb | Salford | 11 | Leigh | 0 |
| 21 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 0 | Leeds | 13 |
| 21 Feb | Wath Brow Hornets | 5 | Barrow | 15 |
| 21 Feb | York | 17 | Otley | 2 |
| 24 Feb | Keighley | 12 | Manningham | 0 |
| 25 Feb | Halifax | 10 | Castleford | 3 |
| 25 Feb | Millom | 10 | Morecambe | 2 |
| 25 Feb | Parton | 0 | Maryport | 5 | |
Third round
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 07 Mar | Barrow | 7 | Batley | 2 |
| 07 Mar | Bradford | 0 | Oldham | 2 |
| 07 Mar | Halifax | 0 | Brighouse Rangers | 0 |
| 07 Mar | Hunslet | 5 | Leeds | 2 |
| 07 Mar | Keighley | 2 | York | 2 |
| 07 Mar | Millom | 0 | Hull FC | 7 |
| 07 Mar | Rochdale Hornets | 0 | Salford | 15 |
| 07 Mar | Runcorn | 17 | Maryport | 3 |
| 10 Mar | Brighouse Rangers | 2 | Halifax | 8 |
| 11 Mar | York | 12 | Keighley | 9 | |
Quarterfinals
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 21 Mar | Barrow | 0 | Hull FC | 3 |
| 21 Mar | Oldham | 8 | Hunslet | 0 |
| 21 Mar | Runcorn | 0 | Halifax | 2 |
| 21 Mar | York | 2 | Salford | 25 | |
Semifinals
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 04 Apr | Halifax | 8 | Hull FC | 5 |
| 04 Apr | Salford | 0 | Oldham | 0 |
| 08 Apr | Salford | 8 | Oldham | 0 | |
Final
The final was contested by Halifax and Salford at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.[2] on Saturday 25 April 1903, in front of a crowd of 32,507. Halifax were victorious, beating Salford 7–0.[3]
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. John Huxley. David Howes. 1980. Robert Hale. London. 0-7091-8133-7. 41–43.
- Book: Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. Raymond Fletcher. David Howes. 1995. Headline Book Publishing . London . 0-7472-7817-2. 191.
- Web site: RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour . 27 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144113/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 . 3 April 2009 . dead .
