1955–56 Challenge Cup Explained
| 1955–56 Challenge Cup |
| Duration: | 5 rounds |
| Season: | 1955–56 |
| Season Champ Name: | Winners |
| Second Place: | Halifax |
| Mvp: | Alan Prescott |
| Mvp Link: | Lance Todd Trophy |
| Prevseason Link: | 1954–55 Challenge Cup |
| Prevseason Year: | 1954–55 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1956–57 Challenge Cup |
| Nextseason Year: | 1956–57 |
The 1955–56 Challenge Cup was the 55th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]
First round
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
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| 11 Feb | Castleford | 12 | Blackpool | 9 |
| 11 Feb | Huddersfield | 8 | Whitehaven | 4 |
| 11 Feb | Hull FC | 4 | Leeds | 9 |
| 11 Feb | Hunslet | 9 | Bradford Northern | 10 |
| 11 Feb | Keighley | 33 | Triangle Valve | 8 |
| 11 Feb | Leigh | 19 | Doncaster | 10 |
| 11 Feb | Oldham | 31 | Dewsbury | 2 |
| 11 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 55 | Stanningley | 0 |
| 11 Feb | St Helens | 15 | Warrington | 6 |
| 11 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 30 | Bramley | 10 |
| 11 Feb | Widnes | 10 | Halifax | 22 |
| 11 Feb | Wigan | 24 | Featherstone Rovers | 11 |
| 11 Feb | Workington Town | 16 | Salford | 0 |
| 11 Feb | York | 2 | Barrow | 26 |
| 15 Feb | Liverpool | 13 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5 |
| 15 Feb | Swinton | 18 | Batley | 0 | |
Second round
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
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| 3 Mar | Barrow | 47 | Liverpool | 5 |
| 3 Mar | Halifax | 10 | Workington Town | 3 |
| 3 Mar | Keighley | 3 | Wigan | 12 |
| 3 Mar | Leeds | 12 | Oldham | 7 |
| 3 Mar | Leigh | 5 | Wakefield Trinity | 11 |
| 3 Mar | Rochdale Hornets | 2 | Bradford Northern | 5 |
| 3 Mar | St Helens | 48 | Castleford | 5 |
| 3 Mar | Swinton | 6 | Huddersfield | 8 | |
Quarterfinals
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
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| 24 Mar | Leeds | 9 | Halifax | 14 |
| 24 Mar | St Helens | 53 | Bradford Northern | 6 |
| 24 Mar | Wakefield Trinity | 10 | Barrow | 14 |
| 24 Mar | Wigan | 24 | Huddersfield | 2 | |
Semifinals
| width=100 | Date | width=250 | Team one | width=50 | Score one | width=250 | Team two | width=50 | Score two |
|---|
| 7 Apr | Halifax | 11 | Wigan | 10 |
| 7 Apr | St Helens | 5 | Barrow | 5 |
| 11 Apr | St Helens | 10 | Barrow | 5 | |
Final
In the Challenge Cup tournament's final St. Helens faced Halifax. Played on 28 April 1956 at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 79,341, St Helens won 13-2.[2] This was Saints' first Challenge Cup final win in five Final appearances.[3] Alan Prescott, their prop forward was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.
The St Helens team was greeted enthusiastically upon their return to the North. After detraining at Liverpool the team's open-top coach ride to St Helens attracted an estimated 100,000 people despite pouring rain.[4]
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Notes and References
- Web site: Challenge Cup 1955/56. Rugby League Project.
- Web site: 1956 Challenge Cup final. rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. 2 January 2014.
- Web site: RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour . 7 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144113/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 . 3 April 2009 . dead .
- Book: Jeff Hill, Jack Williams. Sport and Identity in the North of England. 1996. Keele University Press. UK. 98 & 99. 9781853310829.
