RFL Women's Challenge Cup

The Women's Challenge Cup is a rugby league knockout competition organised by the Rugby Football League. The competition started in 2012.[1]

Women's Challenge Cup
Current season or competition:
2020 RFL Women's Challenge Cup
SportRugby league
Instituted2012
Inaugural season2012
Country England
Winners Leeds Rhinos (2nd title) (2019)
Most titlesThatto Heath Crusaders (4 titles)
WebsiteWomen's Challenge Cup
Broadcast partnerBBC
Related competitionWomen's Super League
Championship
League 1

History

2012–2016: Foundations

The Women's Challenge Cup was set up in 2012 to run alongside the men's competition to give women's rugby teams more competitive games and to give the sport a bigger profile by attaching it to the Challenge Cup. Most teams in the first few years were community clubs and had no links to professional men's clubs. In 2014 the RFL set up an amateur league for the women's game, to help more women's teams get regular game time.

2017–present: Exposure

In 2018 the competition started to receive a much higher profile, with the final being broadcast live on the BBC Sport website.[2] In 2019 bookmakers Coral agreed to sponsor the competition – in addition to their sponsorship of the men's Challenge Cup – and it was also announced that the final of the 2019 Cup would be played as part of a triple-header with the semi-finals of the men's 2019 Challenge Cup at the University of Bolton Stadium on 27 July 2019.[3]

Finals
Year Winning team Score Losing team Venue
2012 Featherstone Rovers 46–0[4] Bradford Thunderbirds Tetley's Stadium, Dewsbury
2013 Thatto Heath Crusaders 54–12[5] Bradford Thunderbirds Fox's Biscuits Stadium, Batley
2014 Thatto Heath Crusaders 32–24[6] Bradford Thunderbirds Tetley's stadium, Dewsbury
2015 Thatto Heath Crusaders 22–6[7] Featherstone Rovers Odsal Stadium, Bradford
2016 Thatto Heath Crusaders 62–6[8] Leigh Miners Rangers
2017 Bradford Bulls 50–16[9] Featherstone Rovers Heworth RLFC, York
2018 Leeds Rhinos 20–14[10] Castleford Tigers Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington
2019 Leeds Rhinos 16-10[11] Castleford Tigers University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton

Results
Club Wins Runners
up		 Winning Years
1 St. Helens/Thatto Heath Crusaders402013, 2014, 2015, 2016
2 Leeds Rhinos202018, 2019
3 Featherstone Rovers112012
4 Bradford Bulls132017

Sponsorship
YearSponsorName
2019-CoralCoral Women's Challenge Cup

References
  1. "Coral Women's Rugby League Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Rugby Football League. 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  2. "Women's Challenge Cup final and Shield to be streamed live". Bradford Bulls. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  3. "Challenge Cup 2019: RFL confirm new sponsor and semi-finals double-header". The Mail. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  4. "Featherstone win Women's Challenge Cup". Love Rugby League. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  5. "RFL Womens Challenge Cup Final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express (2, 868). 24 June 2013. p. 33.
  6. "Amateur game: Women's Rugby League round-up". Total RL. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. "Stanley racks up points in Challenge Cup triumph". St Helen's Star. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  8. "Women's Rugby League Challenge Cup Final". 4 The Love of Sport. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  9. "Bradford Bulls win Women's RL Challenge Cup". Telegraph & Argus. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  10. "Women's Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos women beat Castleford Tigers 20-14 to lift trophy". BBC Sport. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  11. "Women's Challenge Cup final: Castleford Tigers 10-16 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
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