1940–41 Challenge Cup

The 1940–41 Challenge Cup was the 40th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The competition was re-introduced after a season’s absence. The competition was won by Leeds who beat Halifax 19–2 in the final on 17 May 1941.

1940–41 Challenge Cup
Duration5 rounds
Number of teams21
Winners Leeds
Runners-up Halifax
Biggest home win64–5 by Hunslet vs Liverpool Stanley
Biggest away win0–22 by Wakefield Trinity vs Batley

At the August 1940 rugby league council meeting it was proposed the complete the league season, play the county cup competitions and then finish the season with the Challenge Cup.[1] A decision on the structure of the Challenge Cup was deferred at the December meeting of the council but in January the dates for the competition were finalised.[2][3] The competition was to be played on consecutive weekends commencing 12 April 1941, there would be three rounds then the four teams in the semi-finals would play on a home and away two-legged basis on the first two weekends in May 1941 with the final on a neutral venue on 17 May.[3] Players were not allowed to play for more than one club in the competition and there were to be no replays. Extra time of 20 minutes was to be played and in the event of the scores still being level then the game would continue until one team scored.[3] Medals would not be presented to the players in the final, instead war savings certificates[lower-greek 1] were to be awarded, four to each player on the winning team and three to each player on the losing team.[3]

Invitations to all 27 member clubs, even those who had not played in the league this season, were distributed in February 1941 and by the date of the draw 21 clubs had entered. Hull Kingston Rovers, Widnes, Barrow and Rochdale Hornets who had not participated in the league at all in 1940–41 declined to enter; Salford and Warrington who had played some or all of the league games but had both suspended operations in January 1941 also declined to take part in the Cup.[5] So that clubs could make the necessary travel arrangements the first three rounds were all drawn on 26 March 1941; the first round consisting of five ties involving 10 clubs. The remaining 11 clubs were given a bye into the second round of eight matches.[6]

First round

The five first-round ties were all played on Saturday 12 April 1941. The extra-time rules imposed for the competition had an immediate use as the game between Featherstone Rovers and Castleford took until the 118th minute of play to conclude. After 80 minutes the score was 3–3 and during extra-time both teams scored a goal to finish 5–5 after 100 minutes of play. A further 18 minutes had been played before Castleford's Jim Croston scored the decisive try that gave Castleford an 8–5 victory.[7]

Home Score Away Venue
Featherstone Rovers 5–8 Castleford Post Office Road
Halifax 24–12 Broughton Rangers Thrum Hall
Hunslet 18–8 Leigh Parkside
Oldham 9–13 Dewsbury Watersheddings
Wakefield Trinity 25–0 Keighley Belle Vue
Source:[8]

Second round

The eight second round ties were played on Saturday 19 April.

Home Score Away Venue
Batley 9–8 Hull F.C. Mount Pleasant
Bradford Northern 25–8 Swinton Odsal Stadium
Castleford 21–13 St Helens Wheldon Road
Dewsbury 5–6 Leeds Crown Flatt
Huddersfield 60–7 Bramley Fartown
Hunslet 64–5 Liverpool Stanley Parkside
Wakefield Trinity 22–0 Wigan Belle Vue
York 6–13 Halifax Clarence Street
Source:[9]

Third round

The third round ties were played on 26 April 1941

Home Score Away Venue
Batley 0–22 Wakefield Trinity Mount Pleasant
Bradford Northern 18–4 Castleford Odsal Stadium
Halifax 10–5 Huddersfield Thrum Hall
Hunslet 10–17 Leeds Parkside
Source:[10]

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played at the beginning of May on Saturday 3 and Saturday 10 May 1941. Halifax beat Wakefield Trinity 16–12 on aggregate and Leeds beat Bradford 22–12 on aggregate.[11]

leg Home Score Away Venue Attendance Receipts
1st Halifax 11–2 Wakefield Trinity Thrum Hall 7752 £377
2nd Wakefield Trinity 10–5 Halifax Belle Vue 7,000 £405
1st Leeds 10–10 Bradford Northern Headingley Stadium 16,000 £835
2nd Bradford Northern 2–12 Leeds Odsal Stadium 22,500 £1,212
Source:1st Leg[12] 2nd Leg[13]

Final
17 May 1941
3:30pm BST (UTC+01:00)
Leeds 19 – 2 Halifax
Try: Jenkins, Hey (2), Lawrenson (2)
Goal: Eaton (2)
 Goal: Meek
Odsal Stadium, Bradford
Attendance: 28,500
Referee: P. Cowell
Leeds Position Halifax
EatonFBBassett
Batten[lower-alpha 1]WGBevan
EvansCESmith
HeyCERule
Lawrensen[lower-alpha 2]WGDoyle
MorrisSOTodd
JenkinsSHMcCue[upper-alpha 1]
ProsserPROsborne[upper-alpha 2]
MurphyHKMeek
Bennett[lower-alpha 1]PRIrving
SatterthwaiteSRMillington[upper-alpha 1]
Pearson[lower-alpha 3]SRBrereton
TattersfieldLFBeverley
  1. Guest players from Hunslet
  2. Guest player from Wigan
  3. Guest player from Bramley
  1. Guest players from Widnes
  2. Guest player from Salford
Source:[14]

The final was played at Bradford's Odsal Stadium on Saturday 17 May 1941. Both teams featured a number of guest players[lower-greek 2]

A crowd of 28,500 saw Leeds take a half-time lead 5–2 through a Jenkins try and an Eaton goal with Meek kicking a goal for Halifax. In the second half Leeds scored a further four tries with Lawrenson and Hey scoring two each to which Eaton added another goal. Halifax's cause wasn't helped by the loss of loose forward Beverley through injury part way through the half; with no substitutions allowed it meant Halifax had to play the last 15 minutes with only 12 players.[16]

Notes
  1. War savings certificates had a face value of 15 shillings and attracted interest until they were worth 20s 6d after 10 years.[4] The value of the prizes to the players was therefore £3 to the winning team's players and £2 5s to the members of the losing team.
  2. At the outbreak of the war the Rugby Football League authorised players to play for any club with the permission of the club they were registered with. This was to alleviate travelling for players who make have been working away from home on war-work.[15]

References
  1. "Rugby League Plans". Yorkshire Evening Post (15, 564). 31 August 1940. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. "Rugby League Title". Liverpool Daily Post (26, 655). 19 December 1940. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Rugby League Cup: Saving Certificates Instead of Medals". Hull Daily Mail (17, 225). 16 January 1941. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Osborne, J.A.C. (1956). "Part 1, Chapter VII, Committee on Small Savings" (PDF). In Allport, R.E.H. (ed.). War History of the Bank of England 1939/45. Bank of England. p. 203.
  5. "R.L. Cup Outlook". Yorkshire Evening Post (15, 472). 29 March 1941. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Rugby League Cup: Draw for the first three rounds". Yorkshire Evening Post (15, 739). 26 March 1941. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Rugby League Cup: Yorkshire well on top". Yorkshire Evening Post (15, 754). 14 April 1941. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Rugby League Cup". The Observer (7, 820). 13 April 1941. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Rugby League Cup". The Observer (7, 821). 20 April 1941. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Rugby League Cup (Third Round)". The Observer (7, 822). 27 April 1941. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  11. "Rugby League Cup: Leeds and Halifax in Final". Liverpool Daily Post (26, 775). 12 May 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "Rugby League Cup — Semi-Finals". The Observer (7, 823). 4 May 1941. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "Rugby League Cup — (Semi-Finals)". The Observer (7, 824). 11 May 1941. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  14. Hoole, Les (2015). The Rugby League Challenge Cup: An Illustrated History 1897–1998 (paperback ed.). DB. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-78091-462-6.
  15. "New Yorkshire Emergency Rugby League". Hull Daily Mail (16, 819). 25 September 1939. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Leeds's Fine Cup Final Record". Yorkshire Post (29, 259). 19 May 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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