1971–72 Challenge Cup Explained

1971–72 Challenge Cup
Highest Attendance:	89,495
Tv:	BBC
Season:	1971–72
Season Champs:	St. Helens
Season Champ Name:	Winners
Mvp:	Kel Coslett
Mvp Link:	Lance Todd Trophy
Prevseason Link:	1970–71 Challenge Cup
Prevseason Year:	1970–71
Nextseason Link:	1972–73 Challenge Cup
Nextseason Year:	1972–73

The 1971–72 Challenge Cup was the 71st staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.The final was contested by St. Helens and Leeds at Wembley.

First round

width=150	Date	width=250	Team one	width=250	Team two	width=100	Score
29 Jan	Bramley	Pilkington Recs	19-5
29 Jan	Dewsbury Celtic	Featherstone Rovers	2-34
29 Jan	Doncaster	Wakefield Trinity	3-5
29 Jan	Huyton	Halifax	4-7
29 Jan	Leeds	Widnes	17-8
29 Jan	Leigh	Workington Town	19-4
29 Jan	Oldham	St Helens	6-8
29 Jan	Swinton	Blackpool	33-12
29 Jan	Whitehaven	Castleford	0-17
30 Jan	Barrow	Hunslet	24-6
30 Jan	Bradford Northern	Keighley	17-2
30 Jan	Dewsbury	Huddersfield	4-17
30 Jan	Salford	Wigan	12-16
30 Jan	Warrington	Batley	30-7
30 Jan	York	Rochdale Hornets	13-5
03 Feb	Hull FC	Hull Kingston Rovers	7-5

Second round

width=150	Date	width=250	Team one	width=250	Team two	width=100	Score
19 Feb	Castleford	Warrington	8-8
19 Feb	Halifax	Featherstone Rovers	11-5
20 Feb	Barrow	York	9-9
20 Feb	Bramley	Bradford Northern	8-5
20 Feb	Hull FC	Leeds	5-16
20 Feb	Leigh	Swinton	3-4
20 Feb	St Helens	Huddersfield	32-9
20 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	Wigan	6-5
23 Feb - replay	Warrington	Castleford	11-5
23 Feb - replay	York	Barrow	15-3

Quarter-finals

width=150	Date	width=250	Team one	width=250	Team two	width=100	Score
04 Mar	Bramley	Warrington	7-14
04 Mar	York	St Helens	5-32
05 Mar	Halifax	Swinton	9-8
05 Mar	Leeds	Wakefield Trinity	11-5

Semi-finals

width=150	Date	width=250	Team one	width=250	Team two	width=100	Score
08 Apr	Leeds	Halifax	16-3
15 Apr	St Helens	Warrington	10-10
19 Apr - replay	St Helens	Warrington	10-6

Final

The final was played on Saturday 13 May 1972, in front of a crowd of 89,495. After leading 12-6 at half time, St Helens beat Leeds 16-13.^[1]

The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Saints’ Kel Coslett.^[2]

St Helens scorers were Les Jones (1 try), Graham Rees (1 try), and Kel Coslett (5 goals).

This was St Helens’ fourth Cup final win in eight Final appearances.^[3]


	1	Geoff Pimblett
	2	Les Jones
	3	Billy Benyon
	4	Johnny Walsh
	5	Frank Wilson
	6
	7	Jeff Heaton
	8	Graham Rees
	9	Les Greenall
	10	John Stephens
	11	John Mantle
	12	Eric Chisnall
	13	Kel Coslett (c)
Substitutes:
	14	Alan Whittle (unused)
	15	Kelvin Earl (unused)
Coach:
Jim Challinor


	1
	2	Alan Smith
	3
	4	Les Dyl
	5	John Atkinson
	6	Alan Hardisty (c)^[4]
	7	Keith Hepworth
	8	Terry Clawson
	9	Tony Fisher
	10	Bill Ramsey
	11	Bob Haigh
	12	Phil Cookson
	13	Ray Batten
Substitutes:
	14
	15	Graham Eccles (unused)
Coach:
Derek Turner

External links

Challenge Cup official website
Challenge Cup 1971/72 results at Rugby League Project

Notes and References

Web site: RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour . 2009-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144113/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 . 2009-04-03 . dead .
Book: Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996 . Raymond Fletcher . David Howes. 1995. Headline Book Publishing . London . 0-7472-7817-2. 199 .
Web site: RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour . 2009-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090403144113/http://www.therfl.co.uk/challengecup/page.php?areaid=65 . 2009-04-03 . dead .
Web site: "Rugby League." Times [London, England] 13 May 1972]. Times Digital Archives.