1947–48 Challenge Cup
| Duration | 5 Rounds |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Broadcast partners | BBC TV |
| Winners |  Wigan |
| Runners-up |  Bradford Northern |
| Lance Todd Trophy | Frank Whitcombe |
The 1947–48 Challenge Cup was the 47th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]
The final was contested by Wigan and Bradford Northern at Wembley Stadium, and was the first ever rugby league match to be televised. Wigan won the match 8–3, with Bradford's Frank Whitcombe receiving the Lance Todd Trophy – the first time the trophy had been awarded to a player on the losing team.
First round[edit]
| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb | Barrow | 18 | Halifax | 4 |
| 07 Feb | Batley | 0 | Dewsbury | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Bramley | 3 | Vine Tavern | 3 |
| 07 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | 3 | Leigh | 18 |
| 07 Feb | Huddersfield | 6 | Bradford Northern | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Hull FC | 23 | Swinton | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | 12 | Oldham | 5 |
| 07 Feb | Keighley | 11 | Risehow & Gillhead | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Leeds | 23 | York | 9 |
| 07 Feb | Liverpool | 0 | Belle Vue Rangers | 9 |
| 07 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 13 | Pemberton Rovers | 0 |
| 07 Feb | St Helens | 48 | Buslingthorpe | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Salford | 2 | Wakefield Trinity | 13 |
| 07 Feb | Warrington | 10 | Workington Town | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Widnes | 5 | Hunslet | 3 |
| 07 Feb | Wigan | 27 | Castleford | 0 |
| 12 Feb | Pemberton Rovers | 0 | Rochdale Hornets | 11 |
| 14 Feb | Belle Vue Rangers | 10 | Liverpool | 8 |
| 14 Feb | Bradford Northern | 15 | Huddersfield | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Buslingthorpe | 2 | St Helens | 13 |
| 14 Feb | Castleford | 7 | Wigan | 19 |
| 14 Feb | Dewsbury | 10 | Batley | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Halifax | 17 | Barrow | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Hunslet | 5 | Widnes | 3 |
| 14 Feb | Leigh | 10 | Featherstone Rovers | 6 |
| 14 Feb | Oldham | 22 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Risehow & Gillhead | 10 | Keighley | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Swinton | 12 | Hull FC | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Vine Tavern | 6 | Bramley | 17 |
| 14 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 20 | Salford | 15 |
| 14 Feb | Workington Town | 0 | Warrington | 7 |
| 14 Feb | York | 0 | Leeds | 13 |
| 19 Feb | Widnes | 0 | Hunslet | 3 |
| 21 Feb | Bramley | 10 | Vine Tavern | 2 |
Second round[edit]
| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb | Barrow | 2 | Keighley | 6 |
| 28 Feb | Dewsbury | 2 | Hunslet | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Hull FC | 22 | Bramley | 0 |
| 28 Feb | Oldham | 5 | St Helens | 0 |
| 28 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 3 | Belle Vue Rangers | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 3 | Bradford Northern | 3 |
| 28 Feb | Warrington | 8 | Leigh | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Wigan | 17 | Leeds | 3 |
| 06 Mar | Bradford Northern | 9 | Wakefield Trinity | 2 |
| 06 Mar | Hunslet | 11 | Dewsbury | 0 |
Quarter-finals[edit]
| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar | Bradford Northern | 30 | Oldham | 0 |
| 13 Mar | Hunslet | 5 | Hull FC | 0 |
| 13 Mar | Keighley | 4 | Rochdale Hornets | 6 |
| 13 Mar | Warrington | 10 | Wigan | 13 |
Semi-finals[edit]
Final[edit]
1 May 1948
|
| Wigan | 8 – 3 | Bradford Northern |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Hilton, Barton Goal: Ward |
Report |
Try: Edwards |
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 91,465 Referee: George Phillips (Widnes)[2] Player of the Match: Frank Whitcombe[3] |
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Coverage[edit]
The final was broadcast live on BBC television, with George Duckworth providing commentary,[4] and was the first time a rugby league match had ever been televised.[5] The match was only broadcast to viewers in the London area, as the first television transmitter in the North of England was not completed until 1951.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Challenge Cup 1947/48". Rugby League Project.
- ^ "1st May 1948: Wigan 8 Bradford Northern 3 (1948 Challenge Cup Final)". cherryandwhite.co.uk. RLFANS.COM. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ "Wigan's Challenge Cup Victory: Bradford Beat Themselves in Game of Many Errors Wigan 8, Bradford 3". The Manchester Guardian. 3 May 1948. p. 6.
- ^ "Rugby League Challenge Cup Final: Bradford Northern v. Wigan". BBC Genome. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "Key Dates & Anniversaries". The Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ "From the archive, 10 October 1951: The North gets its first television transmitter". The Guardian. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
External links[edit]
- Challenge Cup official website
- Challenge Cup 1947/48 results at Rugby League Project