1908–09 Challenge Cup Explained

1908–09 Challenge Cup
Duration:6 rounds
Highest Attendance:23,587
Season:1908–09
Season Champs: Wakefield Trinity
Season Champ Name:Winners
Prevseason Link:1907–08 Challenge Cup
Prevseason Year:1907–08
Nextseason Link:1909–10 Challenge Cup
Nextseason Year:1909–10

The 1908–09 Challenge Cup was the 13th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]

The cup was won by Wakefield Trinity who beat Hull F.C. 17-0 at Headingley, Leeds on 24 April 1909 in front of a crowd of 23,587.[2] This was the first time Wakefield Trinity had won the cup as well as the club's first appearance in the final.[3]

Before the competition proper started in February 1909, a three round qualifying competition had been held in December 1908 and January 1909, to whittle 32 clubs down to five to join the 26 senior clubs who were exempt from the qualifying rounds.[4] The 32 clubs attempting to qualify included junior teams and most of the newly formed Welsh senior teams who were in their first season in the Northern Union.[5] [6]

First round

The first round draw was made on 21 January 1909 with the ties played on 27 February 1909.[7]

Challenge Cup first round
width=19%Homewidth=6%Scorewidth=19%Away
Barrow36–0Barrow St.George's
Beverley7–2Ebbw Vale
Bradford Northern3–13Wakefield Trinity
Bramley13–23Broughton Rangers
Halifax15–8St Helens
Huddersfield25–2Widnes
Hunslet25–5Mid-Rhondda
Leigh6–5Batley
Normanton10–20Hull FC
Oldham8–7Hull Kingston Rovers
Pemberton Rovers6–41Keighley
Rochdale Hornets3–3Swinton
Runcorn23–5Egremont
Salford28–0Dewsbury
Warrington3–5Leeds
Wigan20–7York
Source:[8]

The single drawn match between Swinton and Rochdale was replayed on 3 March with Swinton winning 3–0.[9]

Second round

The draw for the second round was made on 2 March with the ties played on 13 March.[10]

Challenge Cup second round
width=19%Homewidth=6%Scorewidth=19%Away
Broughton Rangers0–4Salford
Halifax53–2Beverley
Huddersfield34–3Barrow
Hunslet15–9Leeds
Leigh3–9Wakefield Trinity
Runcorn9–11Hull FC
Swinton3–3Oldham
Wigan47–0Keighley
Source:[11]

Swinton were, again, involved in the only drawn tie, but this time they lost the replay 17–3 to Oldham on 16 March.[12]

Third round

The third round produced one all-Yorkshire tie and three Lancashire v Yorkshire ties when the draw was made on 16 March, the ties to be played on 27 March.[13]

Challenge Cup third round
width=19%Homewidth=6%Scorewidth=19%Away
Huddersfield10–10Wigan
Oldham6–13Hull F.C.
Salford7–13Halifax
Wakefield Trinity19–0Hunslet
Source:[14]

The replayed tie was played on 31 March with Wigan prevailing 16–3.[15]

Semi-finals

The semi-final games were played at neutral venues on 10 April, the draw being made on 29 March.[16]

Challenge Cup semi-finals
width=19%Team onewidth=6%Scorewidth=19%Team twowidth=11%Venue
Halifax4–10Hull F.C.Fartown, Huddersfield
Wigan2–14Wakefield TrinityWheater's Field, Broughton
Source:[17]

Final

The final was played at Leeds' Headingley stadium on Saturday 24 April 1909. The official attendance was given as 23,587 but several commentators assessed the attendance as nearer 30,000.[18]

Challenge Cup Final teams
Wakefield TrinityNumberHull F.C.
Fullback
Jimmy Metcalfe1Harry Taylor
Threequarter backs
Ernest Bennett2J. Dechan
Ezra Sidwell3G. Connell
Billy Lynch4George Cottrell
William Simpson5E. Rogers
Halfbacks
Thomas Newbould6Harry Wallace
Harry Slater7Billie Anderson
Forwards
Nealy Crosland8Tom Herridge
James Auton9William Holder
Joseph Taylor10Frank Boylen
11S. Britton
Jack Walton12H. Havelock
Herbert Kershaw13W. J. Carroll
Source:[19]

See also

1908–09 Northern Rugby Football Union season

Notes and References

  1. Book: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. John. Huxley. David. Howes. 1980. Robert Hale. London. 0-7091-8133-7. 41–43.
  2. 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 .
  3. Web site: A complete history of Hull's Challenge Cup finals. Hull Daily Mail. Local World. 22 August 2013. 26 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924045202/http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/complete-history-Hull-FC-s-Challenge-Cup-finals/story-19692285-detail/story.html. 24 September 2015.
  4. News: Northern Rugby Union. Cup Qualifying Competition . . 15 July 1908 . 2 . 16127 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  5. News: Northern Union Cup Preliminary Round . . 13 December 1908 . 13 . 1294 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  6. News: Northern Union Cup . . 1 January 1909 . 11 . 1697 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  7. News: Northern Union Cup Draw . . 22 January 1909 . 7 . 3683 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  8. News: The Northern Union Challenge Cup . . 28 February 1909 . 12 . 1305 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  9. News: Northern Union Cup . . 4 March 1909 . 6 . 3896 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  10. News: Northern Union Cup. The Second Round Draw . . 3 March 1909 . 2 . 16,324 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  11. News: Northern Union Cup . . 17 March 1909 . 6 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  12. News: Northern Union Cup. Replay . . 17 March 1909 . 6 . 8906 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  13. News: Northern Union Cup Draw. An Attractive List . . 17 March 1909 . 2 . 16336 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  14. News: Northern Union Cup. Exit Of Salford and Oldham . . 29 March 1909 . 2 . 16346 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  15. News: Northern Union Cup. Huddersfield Beaten in the Re-play at Wigan . . 1 April 1909 . 6 . 21673 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  16. News: Northern Union Cup Semi-Final . . 30 March 1909 . 8 . 19670 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  17. News: The Northern Union Cup. County Cupholders Beaten: A Yorkshire Final . . 12 April 1909 . 2 . 1750 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  18. News: Northern Union Cup Final . . 30 April 1909 . 11 . 5296 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  19. Book: Hoole, Les . The Rugby League Challenge Cup: An Illustrated History 1897–1998 . 1998 . 978-1-78091-462-6 . Breedon Books.