| 1952–53 Challenge Cup | |
| Duration: | 5 rounds |
| Season: | 1952–53 |
| Season Champs: | Huddersfield |
| Season Champ Name: | Winners |
| Mvp: | Peter Ramsden |
| Mvp Link: | Lance Todd Trophy |
| Prevseason Link: | 1951–52 Challenge Cup |
| Prevseason Year: | 1951–52 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1953–54 Challenge Cup |
| Nextseason Year: | 1953–54 |
The 1952–53 Challenge Cup was the 52nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb | Barrow | 20 | Featherstone Rovers | 8 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Batley | 6 | Bradford Northern | 15 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Belle Vue Rangers | 10 | Keighley | 2 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Halifax | 14 | Dewsbury | 7 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Huddersfield | 36 | Castleford | 14 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | 12 | Doncaster | 0 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Hunslet | 14 | Workington Town | 12 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Leigh | 34 | Bramley | 10 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Liverpool | 3 | Swinton | 26 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Orford Tannery | 2 | Warrington | 46 | |||||
| 07 Feb | St Helens | 20 | Oldham | 4 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Salford | 24 | York | 14 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 9 | Leeds | 33 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Whitehaven | 13 | Hull FC | 6 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Widnes | 28 | NDLB | 0 | |||||
| 07 Feb | Wigan | 27 | Rochdale Hornets | 7 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Bramley | 3 | Leigh | 11 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Castleford | 2 | Huddersfield | 6 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Doncaster | 5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | 5 | Barrow | 15 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Hull FC | 14 | Whitehaven | 5 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Keighley | 7 | Belle Vue Rangers | 0 | |||||
| 14 Feb | NDLB | 3 | Widnes | 22 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Oldham | 5 | St Helens | 5 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Swinton | 12 | Liverpool | 4 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Warrington | 46 | Orford Tannery | 8 | |||||
| 14 Feb | Workington Town | 12 | Hunslet | 8 | |||||
| 17 Feb | Dewsbury | 2 | Halifax | 16 | |||||
| 18 Feb | Leeds | 32 | Wakefield Trinity | 9 | |||||
| 18 Feb | York | 3 | Salford | 8 | |||||
| 19 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 15 | Wigan | 24 | |||||
| 23 Feb | Bradford Northern | 17 | Batley | 3 |
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb | Bradford Northern | 18 | Salford | 4 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Huddersfield | 21 | Barrow | 7 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | 14 | Swinton | 3 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Leeds | 26 | Widnes | 17 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Leigh | 7 | Halifax | 7 | |||||
| 28 Feb | St Helens | 28 | Belle Vue Rangers | 0 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Warrington | 10 | Workington Town | 2 | |||||
| 28 Feb | Wigan | 18 | Hull FC | 10 | |||||
| 04 Mar | Halifax | 4 | Leigh | 7 |
A club record 69,429 people watch the Challenge Cup 3rd Round tie at Odsal between Bradford Northern and Huddersfield. Larger crowds had watched matches at Odsal, but this was the largest involving the home side.[2]
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar | Bradford Northern | 7 | Huddersfield | 17 | |||||
| 14 Mar | Leigh | 3 | St Helens | 12 | |||||
| 14 Mar | Warrington | 25 | Leeds | 8 | |||||
| 14 Mar | Wigan | 25 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 6 |
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar | Huddersfield | 7 | Wigan | 0 | |||||
| 28 Mar | Warrington | 3 | St Helens | 9 |
In the final, Huddersfield beat St. Helens 15-10 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 89,588. This produced a record gate taking for a Challenge Cup final of £31,000.[3]
This was Huddersfield’s sixth Cup final win in seven Final appearances, including one win during the Second World War.[4] coached by William R. 'Bill' Smith, their stand-off half, Peter Ramsden, became the youngest player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match at 19.[5] the Huddersfield team also featured Australian Pat Devery and New Zealand's Peter Henderson.
The draw for the first round of the cup was broadcast live on television, and was the first time a rugby league cup draw had been televised.[6]
The final itself was untelevised, as the Rugby League Council refused permission to broadcast the match due to concerns that this would impact the attendance.[7]