1998 Challenge Cup

The 1998 Challenge Cup, known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 97th staging of the Challenge Cup, a rugby league cup competition.

1998 Silk Cut Challenge Cup
Duration8 Rounds
Highest attendance60,669
Broadcast partners BBC Sport
Winners Sheffield Eagles
Runners-up Wigan Warriors
Lance Todd Trophy Mark Aston

The competition ended with the final on 2 May 1998, which was played at Wembley Stadium.

The tournament was won by Sheffield Eagles, who beat Wigan Warriors 17–8 in the final, and is generally considered to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Challenge Cup final.[1][2] The Lance Todd Trophy was won by Mark Aston.[3]

First round

The first round consisted of 60 teams, including clubs in National Conference Division 1 and Division 2, and other amateur clubs from around the country.[4] Additionally, Dublin Blues became the first ever Irish team to take part in the cup.[5] Matches were played on 5–6 December 1997, with the replay being played on 13 December 1997.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Worth Village 32–4 Fulham Travellers
2 Charleston w/o West London Colonials
Walkover for Charleston – West London Colonials withdrew
3 West Bowling 18–24 Thornhill
4 Redhill 36–12 Wigan St Judes
5 Oulton 36–16 Loughborough University
6 Wigan Rose Bridge w/o Kells
Walkover for Wigan Rose Bridge – Kells withdrew
7 Normanton 14–14 Folly Lane
Replay Folly Lane 22–15 Normanton
8 Leigh East 18–4 East Hull
9 Skirlaugh w/o Blackpool Gladiators
Walkover for Skirlaugh – Blackpool Gladiators withdrew
10 Moldgreen 18–8 Barrow Island
11 Blackbrook 17–23 Haydock
12 Dewsbury Moor 32–7 Dublin Blues
13 Teesside Steelers 10–48 Leeds University
14 New Earswick All Blacks 6–34 BRK
15 Milford 6–16 Queens
16 London Skolars 10–12 Myton
17 Ideal ABI 5–30 Hunslet Warriors
18 Ellenborough 40–14 Crosfields
19 Siddal 40–6 Lindley Swifts
20 Eccles 12–26 Featherstone Lions
21 Broughton Red Rose 14–24 Hull Dockers
22 Millom 22–2 York Acorn
23 Ovenden 18–16 Dodworth
24 Waterhead 28–4 Westgate Redoubt
25 Stanningley 50–16 Nottingham Crusaders
26 Shaw Cross 0–20 Clayton
27 Farnworth 26–12 Lowca
28 Queensbury 24–16 East Leeds
29 John Moores Univ 16–40 Eastmoor
30 Norland w/o Westfield
Walkover for Norland – Westfield withdrew

Second round

The 30 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 14 clubs from the National Conference Premier Division. Matches were played on 20–21 December 1997, with the replay and postponed matches being played on 27–28 December 1997.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Charleston 8–34 Saddleworth Rangers
2 Eastmoor Dragons 40–8 Leeds University
3 Worth Village 4–52 Thornhill
4 Moldgreen 22–20 Siddal
5 Redhill 14–19 Castleford Lock Lane
6 Folly Lane 37–14 Askam
7 Hunslet Warriors 14–6 Millom
8 BRK 20–18 Leigh East
9 Walney Central 12–12 Leigh Miners Rangers
Replay Leigh Miners Rangers 46–4 Walney Central
10 Woolston Rovers 22–0 Oldham St Annes
11 Haydock 11–0 Waterhead
12 Stanningley 10–37 Farnworth
13 Wigan Rose Bridge 8–37 West Hull
14 Myton Warriors 0–52 Norland
15 Ellenborough Rangers 28–22 Queensbury
16 Dudley Hill 14–42 Skirlaugh Bulls
17 Queens 42–18 Beverley
18 Heworth 12–4 Clayton
19 Ovenden 30–22 Wigan St Patricks
20 Dewsbury Moor 8–27 Oulton Raiders
21 Rochdale Mayfield 4–28 Featherstone Lions
22 Egremont Rangers 22–12 Hull Dockers

Play-off

An additional play-off match between Oldham R.L.F.C. and one of the winners of the second round took place before the next round. This was due to Oldham being originally excluded from the cup, as the original club had been liquidated at the end of the previous season, but the Rugby Football League (RFL) later allowed the club to enter the competition following an appeal, with several of the remaining amateur clubs in the competition offering to play Oldham for a place in the next round.[6] The match took place on 18 January 1998.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team Attendance
1 Oldham R.L.F.C. 36–14 Heworth 2,943

Third round

The 22 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 18 clubs from the First Division and Second Division. Matches were played on 31 January and 1 February 1998.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team Attendance
1 Keighley Cougars 66–16 Saddleworth Rangers 3,116
2 York 37–5 Norland 965
3 Rochdale Hornets 44–4 Leigh Miners Rangers 737
4 Doncaster Dragons 18–23 Featherstone Lions 1,012
5 Wakefield Trinity 44–6 BRK 1,369
6 Swinton Lions 74–6 Folly Lane 2,425
7 Widnes Vikings 48–8 Oldham R.L.F.C. 4,500
8 Dewsbury Rams 40–2 Thornhill 2,355
9 Hull Kingston Rovers 34–16 Queens 1,584
10 Lancashire Lynx 46–0 West Hull 488
11 Workington Town 12–8 Haydock 1,139
12 Bramley 10–16 Ellenborough Rangers 500
13 Featherstone Rovers 56–0 Woolston Rovers 1,126
14 Batley Bulldogs 44–2 Oulton Raiders 849
15 Hunslet Hawks 44–12 Skirlaugh Bulls 830
16 Barrow 52–8 Farnworth 927
17 Leigh Centurions 44–4 Hunslet Warriors 1,259
18 Whitehaven Warriors 48–7 Castleford Lock Lane 830
19 Eastmoor Dragons 14–20 Egremont Rangers 600
20 Mold Green 10–20 Ovenden 900

Fourth round

The 20 winners of the previous round were joined by an additional 12 clubs from the Super League. Matches were played on 14–15 February 1998, with the replay being played on 18 February 1998.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team Attendance
1 Egremont Rangers 18–0 Workington Town 3,054
2 Barrow 22–36 Widnes Vikings 2,415
3 Lancashire Lynx 28–28 Dewsbury Rams 756
Replay Dewsbury Rams 31–14 Lancashire Lynx 850
4 Halifax Blue Sox 28–8 Huddersfield Giants 5,862
5 Leeds Rhinos 12–15 Castleford Tigers 7,067
6 Batley Bulldogs 20–44 London Broncos 956
7 Leigh Centurions 11–66 Sheffield Eagles 1,391
8 Wakefield Trinity 6–42 Warrington Wolves 2,844
9 Featherstone Lions 20–56 Hull Kingston Rovers 1,913
10 Ellenborough Rangers 14–12 Hunslet Hawks 1,338
11 Rochdale Hornets 10–48 Bradford Bulls 5,466
12 Swinton Lions 39–21 York 780
13 Ovenden 0–74 Salford Reds 1,415
14 Whitehaven Warriors 12–26 Hull Sharks 2,030
15 Keighley Cougars 0–76 Wigan Warriors 4,700
16 Featherstone Rovers 24–56 St. Helens 2,759

Fifth round

Matches were played on 28 February and 1 March 1998.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team Attendance
1 Hull Sharks 78–0 Ellenborough Rangers 3,013
2 Dewsbury Rams 0–56 Wigan Warriors 3,350
3 Widnes Vikings 6–48 Salford Reds 5,000
4 St. Helens 35–22 Warrington Wolves 8,499
5 London Broncos 21–18 Halifax Blue Sox 3,092
6 Sheffield Eagles 84–6 Egremont Rangers 2,500
7 Hull Kingston Rovers 46–24 Swinton Lions 2,551
8 Castleford Tigers 26–21 Bradford Bulls 10,283

Quarter finals

Matches were played on 14–15 March 1998.[4]

Tie no Home team Score Away team Attendance
1 London Broncos 46–18 Hull Kingston Rovers 4,111
2 Salford Reds 41–10 Hull Sharks 6,210
3 Castleford Tigers 22–32 Sheffield Eagles 7,467
4 Wigan Warriors 22–10 St. Helens 17,179

Semi finals

The semi finals were played at neutral venues on 28 and 29 March 1998. Sheffield Eagles won 22–18 against Salford Reds, reaching the Challenge Cup final for the first time in their history, but the match was overshadowed when a man invaded the pitch and attacked referee Stuart Cummings immediately after the end of the game.[7] Wigan Warriors won 38–8 in a one-sided game against London Broncos.

28 March 1998
Sheffield Eagles 22 – 18 Salford Reds
Tries: Taewa, Jackson, Aston, Laughton
Goals: Aston (3)		 Report Tries: Rogers, White, Edwards
Goals: Blakeley (2)
Drop goals: Crompton, Blakeley
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 6,961
Referee: Stuart Cummings
29 March 1998
London Broncos 8 – 38 Wigan Warriors
Tries: Fatnowna, Mardon Report Tries: Moore (2), Radlinski (2), Bell, Robinson
Goals: Farrell (7)
Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield
Attendance: 11,058
Referee: Russell Smith

Final
2 May 1998
Sheffield Eagles 17 – 8 Wigan Warriors
Tries: Pinkney, Crowther, Turner
Goals: Aston (2)
Drop goals: Aston		 Report Tries: Bell
Goals: Farrell (2)
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 60,669
Referee: Stuart Cummings
FB1Waisale Sovatabua
RW2Nick Pinkney
RC3Whetu Taewa
LC4Keith Senior
LW6Matt Crowther
SO22Dave Watson
SH7Mark Aston
PR8Paul Broadbent (c)
HK9Johnny Lawless
PR10Dale Laughton
SR11Paul Carr
SR12Darren Shaw
LF19Rod Doyle
Substitutions:
IC24Martin Wood
IC25Lynton Stott
IC15Darren Turner
IC17Michael Jackson
Coach:
John Kear
FB1Kris Radlinski
RW5Mark Bell
RC4Gary Connolly
LC3Danny Moore
LW2Jason Robinson
SO6Henry Paul
SH7Tony Smith
PR10Tony Mestrov
HK9Robbie McCormack
PR17Stephen Holgate
SR11Denis Betts
SR12Simon Haughton
LF13Andy Farrell (c)
Substitutions:
IC8Neil Cowie
IC20Lee Gilmour
IC16Terry O'Connor
IC14Mick Cassidy
Coach:
John Monie

References
  1. "Challenge Cup final: Sky Sports classics looks at finals gone by". Sky Sports. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  2. "What is the biggest Challenge Cup upset?". 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  3. Davies, Jonathan (3 May 1998). "Rugby League: A game plan to beat the best". The Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  4. "Rugby League Challenge Cup". Rugby League World. Archived from the original on 2001-01-26. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  5. Hadfield, Dave (6 December 1997). "Rugby League: Arnold becomes a Giant". The Independent. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  6. Hadfield, Dave (18 January 1998). "Rugby League: Oldham pray for a long run". The Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  7. "Violence mars weekend sport". BBC News. 29 March 1998. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
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