| Duration | 5 Rounds |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Highest attendance | 96,000 |
| Broadcast partners | BBC |
| Winners |
Leeds |
| Runners-up |
St. Helens |
| Lance Todd Trophy |
George Nicholls |
The 1977–78 Challenge Cup was the 77th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Leeds and St. Helens at Wembley.
Leeds beat St. Helens on Saturday 13 May 1978 in front of a crowd of 96,000. [1]
The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Saints forward, George Nicholls. [2]
This was Leeds’ eleventh Cup final win in fifteen appearances and their second in successive years. [3]
First round
The first round consisted of all 30 professional rugby league clubs, plus two amateur teams, Dewsbury Celtic and Pilkington Recs.
The match between Leeds and Halifax was televised by the BBC, and became infamous for a stray dog which invaded the pitch several times during the match. [4]
| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb | Leeds | Halifax | 25-5 |
| 24 Feb | St Helens | Huyton | 36-8 |
| 24 Feb | Salford | Bramley | 9-7 |
| 25 Feb | York | Warrington | 10-16 |
| 26 Feb | Blackpool | Huddersfield | 7-9 |
| 26 Feb | Bradford Northern | Barrow | 21-13 |
| 26 Feb | Dewsbury Celtic | Wigan | 5-15 |
| 26 Feb | Dewsbury | New Hunslet | 13-22 |
| 26 Feb | Hull FC | Hull Kingston Rovers | 9-7 |
| 26 Feb | Leigh | Featherstone Rovers | 14-23 |
| 26 Feb | Oldham | Doncaster | 21-7 |
| 26 Feb | Pilkington Recs | Castleford | 22-23 |
| 26 Feb | Swinton | Batley | 13-0 |
| 26 Feb | Whitehaven | Wakefield Trinity | 13-21 |
| 26 Feb | Widnes | Rochdale Hornets | 15-8 |
| 26 Feb | Workington Town | Keighley | 16-5 |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar | Wigan | Bradford Northern | 10-22 |
| 12 Mar | Featherstone Rovers | New Hunslet | 23-7 |
| 12 Mar | Huddersfield | Salford | 13-3 |
| 12 Mar | Hull FC | Widnes | 8-20 |
| 12 Mar | Oldham | St Helens | 11-26 |
| 12 Mar | Wakefield Trinity | Leeds | 6-28 |
| 12 Mar | Warrington | Swinton | 29-4 |
| 12 Mar | Workington Town | Castleford | 8-8 |
| 14 Mar - replay | Castleford | Workington Town | 8-8 |
| 16 Mar - 2nd replay | Workington Town | Castleford | 13-20 |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar | Featherstone Rovers | Castleford | 25-15 |
| 19 Mar | Leeds | Bradford Northern | 16-8 |
| 19 Mar | St Helens | Huddersfield | 31-5 |
| 19 Mar | Warrington | Widnes | 6-0 |
Semi-finals
| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr | Leeds | Featherstone Rovers | 14-9 |
| 08 Apr | St Helens | Warrington | 12-8 |
Final
13 May 1978
|
| Leeds | 14 – 12 | St Helens |
|---|---|---|
| Try:
Atkinson,
Smith,
Cookson Goal: Oulton Drop goal: Ward (2), Holmes |
Report |
Try:
Liptrot,
Francis Goal: Pimblett (3) |
Wembley,
London
Attendance: 96,000 Referee: Billy Thompson ( Huddersfield) [5] Player of the Match: George Nicholls [6] |
|
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References
- ^ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
- ^ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "The Joy of Six: animals in sport". The Guardian. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (15 May 1978). "Leeds saved by courage". The Guardian. London. p. 15.
- ^ Henry, Reg (15 May 1978). "Leeds land knockout in Wembley classic". The Times. London. p. 8.
External links
- Challenge Cup official website Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Challenge Cup 1977/78 results at Rugby League Project