1907–08 Challenge Cup
The 1908 Challenge Cup was the 12th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1] Run by the Northern Rugby Football Union, 32 teams took part between 29 February and 25 April 1908. Hunslet won the competition after defeating Hull F.C. in the final.
| Duration | 5 rounds |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Highest attendance | 18,000 |
| Winners |  Hunslet |
| Runners-up |  Hull F.C. |
Calendar
The 32 team knockout tournament was held over five rounds.[2]
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Round One | Saturday, 29 February 1908 |
| Round One replay | Wednesday, 4 March 1908 |
| Round Two | Saturday, 14 March 1908 |
| Round Three | Saturday, 28 March 1908 |
| Semifinals | Saturday, 11 April 1908 |
| Final | Saturday, 25 April 1908 |
First round
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Barrow | 28 | Millom | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Batley | 32 | Barrow St.George's | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Beverley | 3 | Merthyr | 15 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Dewsbury | 2 | Oldham | 13 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Half-Acre | 2 | York | 7 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Huddersfield | 3 | Broughton Rangers | 8 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Hull FC | 9 | Swinton | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Leeds | 5 | Hunslet | 14 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Leigh | 18 | Bradford Northern | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Runcorn | 12 | Keighley | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Salford | 15 | Widnes | 2 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wakefield Trinity | 19 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Warrington | 11 | Halifax | 7 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Whitehaven Recs | 13 | St Helens | 8 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wigan Highfield | 3 | Bramley | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wigan | 20 | Rochdale Hornets | 3 |
| Wednesday, 4 March 1908 | Bramley | 8 | Wigan Highfield | 6 |
Second round
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Barrow | 41 | Bramley | 3 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Batley | 4 | Wakefield Trinity | 8 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 18 | Wigan | 6 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Hull FC | 15 | Salford | 9 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Hunslet | 15 | Oldham | 8 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Leigh | 16 | York | 11 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Merthyr | 33 | Whitehaven Recs | 5 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Runcorn | 2 | Warrington | 6 |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Barrow | 0 | Hunslet | 8 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 7 | Warrington | 2 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Hull FC | 19 | Wakefield Trinity | 0 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Leigh | 8 | Merthyr | 2 |
Semifinals
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 2 | Hunslet | 16 |
| 11 April 1908 | Hull FC | 7 | Leigh | 0 |
Final
The final was contested by Hunslet and Hull F.C. at Fartown in Huddersfield.[3]
The final was played on Saturday 25 April 1908, where Hunslet beat Hull F.C. 14-0 at Fartown in front of a crowd of 18,000.[4]
Hull's 14-0 in the final to win their first Cup in their first final.[5][6]
Teams:
Hunslet: Herbert Place, Fred Farrar, Billy Eagers, Walter Goldthorpe, Billy Batten, Albert Goldthorpe, Fred Smith, Harry Wilson, Bill Brookes, Bill Jukes, John "Jack" Randall, John Higson, Tom Walsh
Hull: Harry Taylor, L. Parry, G. T. Cottrell, F. J. Cook, (E. or Ned) Rogers, Harry Wallace, Billie Anderson, Tom Herridge, J. Owen, W. J. Carroll, G. Kilburn, H. Fulton, William Holder
References
- John Huxley; David Howes (1980). Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. London: Robert Hale. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-7091-8133-7.
- Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "Challenge Cup 1907/08 - Results". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
- "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- "A complete history of Hull's Challenge Cup finals". Hull Daily Mail. Local World. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2017.