The Challenge Cup of rugby league was instituted in the 1896–97 and the final was contested between Batley and St. Helens at Headingley, Leeds. In the seasons during the Second World War the final was played over two legs, with the aggregate score being used. The final was played at many neutral venues up to and including 1928 after which it was mostly played at Wembley Stadium until 1939 just prior to the Second World War apart from 1932 when it was switched to Central Park, Wigan. In the war years, apart from 1940, it was played at various venues between 1941–45 after which it returned to Wembley in 1946 when the final permanently became a Wembley final.
In 1909–10 Leeds and Hull F.C. drew 7–7 for the first time in a final at Huddersfield and a replay resulted in a Leeds win. There have been 3 replays, the latest being 1981–82 at Elland Road between Hull F.C. and Widnes.
(R) | Replay | |
Match went to Golden point | ||
Winning team won the Double | ||
§ | Winning team won the Treble | |
Winning team won All Four Cups |
Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
1896–97 | Batley | 10–3 | St Helens | Headingley | 13,492 |
1897–98 | Batley (2) | 7–0 | Bradford F.C. | 27,941 | |
1898–99 | Oldham | 19–9 | Hunslet | Fallowfield | 15,763 |
1899–1900 | Swinton | 16–8 | Salford | 17,864 | |
1900–01 | Batley (3) | 6–0 | Warrington | Headingley | 29,563 |
1901–02 | Broughton Rangers | 25–0 | Salford | Athletic Ground | 15,006 |
1902–03 | Halifax | 7–0 | Salford | Headingley | 32,507 |
1903–04 | Halifax (2) | 8–3 | Warrington | The Willows | 17,041 |
1904–05 | Warrington | 6–0 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Headingley | 19,638 |
1905–06 | Bradford F.C. | 5–0 | Salford | 15,834 | |
1906–07 | Warrington (2) | 17–3 | Oldham | Wheater's Field | 18,500 |
1907–08 | Hunslet# | 14–0 | Hull F.C. | Fartown | 18,000 |
1908–09 | Wakefield Trinity | 17–0 | Hull F.C. | Headingley | 23,587 |
1909–10 | Leeds | 7–7 | Hull F.C. | Fartown | 19,413 |
Leeds | 26–12 (R) | Hull F.C. | 11,608 | ||
1910–11 | Broughton Rangers (2) | 4–0 | Wigan | The Willows | 8,000 |
1911–12 | Dewsbury | 8–5 | Oldham | Headingley | 15,271 |
1912–13 | Huddersfield§ | 9–5 | Warrington | 22,754 | |
1913–14 | Hull FC | 6–0 | Wakefield Trinity | Thrum Hall | 19,000 |
1914–15 | Huddersfield# (2) | 37–3 | St Helens | Watersheddings | 8,000 |
1919–20 | Huddersfield (3) | 21–10 | Wigan | 14,000 | |
1920–21 | Leigh | 13–0 | Halifax | Wheater's Field | 25,000 |
1921–22 | Rochdale Hornets | 10–9 | Hull FC | Headingley | 32,596 |
1922–23 | Leeds (2) | 28–3 | Hull FC | Belle Vue | 29,335 |
1923–24 | Wigan | 21–4 | Oldham | Athletic Ground | 41,831 |
1924–25 | Oldham (2) | 16–3 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Headingley | 28,335 |
1925–26 | Swinton (2) | 9–3 | Oldham | Athletic Ground | 27,000 |
1926–27 | Oldham (3) | 26–7 | Swinton | Central Park | 33,448 |
1927–28 | Swinton# (3) | 5–3 | Warrington | 33,909 | |
1928–29 | Wigan (2) | 13–2 | Dewsbury | Wembley Stadium | 41,500 |
1929–30 | Widnes | 10–3 | St Helens | 36,544 | |
1930–31 | Halifax (3) | 22–8 | York | 40,365 | |
1931–32 | Leeds (3) | 11–8 | Swinton | Central Park | 29,000 |
1932–33 | Huddersfield (4) | 21–17 | Warrington | Wembley Stadium | 41,874 |
1933–34 | Hunslet (2) | 11–5 | Widnes | 41,280 | |
1934–35 | Castleford | 11–8 | Huddersfield | 39,000 | |
1935–36 | Leeds (4) | 18–2 | Warrington | 51,250 | |
1936–37 | Widnes (2) | 18–5 | Keighley | 47,699 | |
1937–38 | Salford | 7–4 | Barrow | 51,243 | |
1938–39 | Halifax (4) | 20–3 | Salford | 55,453 | |
1940–41 | Leeds (5) | 19–2 | Halifax | Odsal | 28,500 |
1941–42 | Leeds (6) | 15–10 | Halifax | 15,250 | |
1942–43 | Dewsbury | 16–9 | Leeds | Crown Flatt | 10,470 |
0–6 | Headingley | 16,000 | |||
1943–44 | Bradford Northern | 3–0 | Wigan | Central Park | 22,000 |
8–0 | Odsal | 30,000 | |||
1944–45 | Huddersfield (5) | 7–4 | Bradford Northern | Fartown | 9,041 |
6–5 | Odsal | 17,500 | |||
1945–46 | Wakefield Trinity (2) | 13–12 | Wigan | Wembley Stadium | 54,730 |
1946–47 | Bradford Northern (2) | 8–4 | Leeds | 77,605 | |
1947–48 | Wigan (3) | 8–3 | Bradford Northern | 91,465 | |
1948–49 | Bradford Northern (3) | 12–0 | Halifax | 95,050 | |
1949–50 | Warrington (3) | 19–0 | Widnes | 94,249 | |
1950–51 | Wigan (4) | 10–0 | Barrow | 94,262 | |
1951–52 | Workington Town | 18–10 | Featherstone Rovers | 72,093 | |
1952–53 | Huddersfield (6) | 15–10 | St Helens | 89,588 | |
1953–54 | Warrington | 4–4 | Halifax | 81,841 | |
Warrington (4) | 8–4 (R) | Halifax | Odsal | 102,569 | |
1954–55 | Barrow | 21–12 | Workington Town | Wembley Stadium | 66,513 |
1955–56 | St Helens | 13–2 | Halifax | 79,341 | |
1956–57 | Leeds (7) | 9–7 | Barrow | 76,318 | |
1957–58 | Wigan (5) | 13–9 | Workington Town | 66,109 | |
1958–59 | Wigan (6) | 30–13 | Hull FC | 79,811 | |
1959–60 | Wakefield Trinity (3) | 38–5 | Hull FC | 79,773 | |
1960–61 | St Helens (2) | 12–6 | Wigan | 94,672 | |
1961–62 | Wakefield Trinity (4) | 12–6 | Huddersfield | 81,263 | |
1962–63 | Wakefield Trinity (5) | 25–10 | Wigan | 84,492 | |
1963–64 | Widnes (3) | 13–5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 84,488 | |
1964–65 | Wigan (7) | 20–16 | Hunslet | 89,016 | |
1965–66 | St Helens§ (3) | 21–2 | Wigan | 98,536 | |
1966–67 | Featherstone Rovers | 17–12 | Barrow | 76,290 | |
1967–68 | Leeds (8) | 11–10 | Wakefield Trinity | 87,100 | |
1968–69 | Castleford (2) | 11–6 | Salford | 97,939 | |
1969–70 | Castleford (3) | 7–2 | Wigan | 95,255 | |
1970–71 | Leigh (2) | 24–7 | Leeds | 85,514 | |
1971–72 | St Helens (4) | 16–13 | Leeds | 89,495 | |
1972–73 | Featherstone Rovers (2) | 33–14 | Bradford Northern | 72,395 | |
1973–74 | Warrington (5) | 24–9 | Featherstone Rovers | 77,400 | |
1974–75 | Widnes (4) | 14–7 | Warrington | 85,098 | |
1975–76 | St Helens (5) | 20–5 | Widnes | 89,982 | |
1976–77 | Leeds (9) | 16–7 | Widnes | 80,871 | |
1977–78 | Leeds (10) | 14–12 | St Helens | 96,000 | |
1978–79 | Widnes (5) | 12–3 | Wakefield Trinity | 94,218 | |
1979–80 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 10–5 | Hull FC | 95,000 | |
1980–81 | Widnes (6) | 18–9 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 92,496 | |
1981–82 | Hull FC | 14–14 | Widnes | 92,147 | |
Hull FC (2) | 18–9 (R) | Widnes | Elland Road | 41,171 | |
1982–83 | Featherstone Rovers (3) | 14–12 | Hull FC | Wembley Stadium | 84,969 |
1983–84 | Widnes (7) | 19–6 | Wigan | 80,116 | |
1984–85 | Wigan (8) | 28–24 | Hull FC | 97,801 | |
1985–86 | Castleford (4) | 15–14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 82,134 | |
1986–87 | Halifax (5) | 19–18 | St Helens | 91,267 | |
1987–88 | Wigan (9) | 32–12 | Halifax | 94,273 | |
1988–89 | Wigan (10) | 27–0 | St Helens | 78,000 | |
1989–90 | Wigan (11) | 36–14 | Warrington | 77,729 | |
1990–91 | Wigan (12) | 13–8 | St Helens | 75,532 | |
1991–92 | Wigan§ (13) | 28–12 | Castleford | 77,386 | |
1992–93 | Wigan (14) | 20–14 | Widnes | 77,684 | |
1993–94 | Wigan# (15) | 26–16 | Leeds | 78,348 | |
1994–95 | Wigan§ (16) | 30–10 | Leeds | 78,550 | |
1996 | St Helens (6) | 40–32 | Bradford | 75,994 | |
1997 | St Helens (7) | 32–22 | Bradford | 78,022 | |
1998 | Sheffield | 17–8 | Wigan | 60,669 | |
1999 | Leeds (11) | 52–16 | London | 73,242 | |
2000 | Bradford (4) | 24–18 | Leeds | Murrayfield | 67,247 |
2001 | St Helens (8) | 13–6 | Bradford | Twickenham | 68,250 |
2002 | Wigan (17) | 21–12 | St Helens | Murrayfield | 62,140 |
2003 | Bradford# (5) | 22–20 | Leeds | Millennium Stadium | 71,212 |
2004 | St Helens (9) | 32–16 | Wigan | 73,734 | |
2005 | Hull F.C. (3) | 25–24 | Leeds | 74,213 | |
2006 | St Helens# (10) | 42–12 | Huddersfield | Twickenham | 65,187 |
2007 | St Helens (11) | 30–8 | Catalans | Wembley Stadium | 84,241 |
2008 | St Helens (12) | 28–16 | Hull F.C. | 82,821 | |
2009 | Warrington (6) | 25–16 | Huddersfield | 76,560 | |
2010 | Warrington (7) | 30–6 | Leeds | 85,217 | |
2011 | Wigan (18) | 28–18 | Leeds | 78,482 | |
2012 | Warrington (8) | 35–18 | Leeds | 79,180 | |
2013 | Wigan (19) | 16–0 | Hull F.C. | 78,137 | |
2014 | Leeds (12) | 23–10 | Castleford | 77,914 | |
2015 | Leeds§ (13) | 50–0 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 80,140 | |
2016 | Hull F.C. (4) | 12–10 | Warrington | 76,235 | |
2017 | Hull F.C. (5) | 18–14 | Wigan | 68,525 | |
2018 | Catalans | 20–14 | Warrington | 50,672 | |
2019 | Warrington (9) | 18–4 | St Helens | 62,717 | |
2020 | Leeds (14) | 17–16 | Salford | 0 | |
2021 | St Helens (13) | 26–12 | Castleford | 40,000 |