2016 Challenge Cup
Duration | 9 Rounds |
---|---|
Number of teams | 75 |
Lowest attendance | 55 Oxford vs Lock Lane (3rd Round)[1][note 1] |
Broadcast partners | BBC Sport Sky Sports |
Biggest home win | Halifax 80 – 4 Lock Lane (5th round) |
Biggest away win | Pilkington Recs 0–78 Halifax (4th round) |
The 2016 Challenge Cup, (also known as the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup[2] for sponsorship reasons) was the 115th staging of the rugby league tournament for teams in the European Super League, the British National Leagues and a number of invited amateur clubs.
The defending champions are Leeds Rhinos who retained the trophy beating Hull Kingston Rovers 50-0 at Wembley Stadium on 29 August 2015.[3]
The format of the competition is eight knock-out rounds followed by a final. The first two rounds are comprised entirely of amateur teams. The nine winners of the second round ties are joined in round 3 by the 15 Championship 1 teams. For the fourth round the 12 Championship teams are included in the draw. Starting in 2015 and continuing for the 2016 competition round 5 sees four Super league teams entering the competition. These are the four teams that finished in the bottom four positions of the 2015 Super League and are Widnes Vikings, Hull KR, Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. These are the same four teams that joined at this stage in the 2015 competition. The remaining eight Super League teams join in round 6.
First round
The draw for the first round of the 2016 Challenge Cup was held on 7 January 2016 at Wembley Stadium and featured 36 amateur teams from around the United Kingdom including two student teams, all three armed services and the police. Home teams were drawn by Tom Briscoe and the away teams drawn by Lizzie Jones.
Fixtures for the first round were played over the weekend of the 30 - 31 January 2016.
Second round
The draw for the second round was held at RAF Coningsby on 2 February 2016 and the teams were drawn by Sheffield Eagles coach Mark Aston and Batley Bulldogs coach John Kear.
Ties were played on 13 February.
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
Millom | 12 – 46 | Pilkington Recs | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Coronation Field | N Bennett | ||||||
Shaw Cross Sharks | 6 – 40 | Lock Lane | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Shaw Cross Club | B Pearson | ||||||
Hunslet Club Parkside | 18 – 19 | West Hull | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Hillidge Road | S Race | ||||||
York Acorn | 28 – 10 | Distington | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Acorn Sports & Social Club | P Marklove | ||||||
Hull Dockers | 12 – 14 | Featherstone Lions | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | The Willows Sports & Social Club | M Griffiths | ||||||
Egremont Rangers | 22 – 26 | Rochdale Mayfield | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Gillfoot Park | M Mannifield | ||||||
Siddal | 18 – 16 | Northumbria University | 13 February 2016, 14:00 | Siddal Sport & Community Centre | M Rossleigh | ||||||
Kells | 42 – 6 | Underbank Rangers | 13 February 2016, 14:30 | Old Arrowthwaite | G Dolan | ||||||
Wath Brow Hornets | 30 – 4 | Oulton Raiders | 13 February 2016, 14:30 | Cleator Club | J Jones | ||||||
Source:[5] |
Third round
The third round draw was held on 16 February at North Wales Crusaders ground, The Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium, Wrexham. The draw was made by Paul Rowley and Lee Briers. The 12 ties are to be played over the last weekend of February.
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
Siddal RLFC | 30 – 4 | Newcastle Thunder | 27 February 2016, 14:00 | Reactiv Park | B Pearson | 405 | |||||
Rochdale Mayfield | 14 - 40 | Rochdale Hornets | 27 February 2016, 14:00 | Mayfield Sports Centre | G Hewer | 937 | |||||
Pilkington Recs | 13 – 0 | London Skolars | 27 February 2016, 14:30 | Ruskin Drive | L Moore | 500 (estimated) | |||||
Kells ARLFC | 12 – 6 | Hemel Stags | 27 February 2016, 14:30 | Copeland Athletics Club | J Callaghan | 250 (estimated) | |||||
Featherstone Lions | 37 – 20 | South Wales Scorpions | 27 February 2016, 15:00 | Mill Pond Stadium | S Mikalauskas | 400 (estimated) | |||||
Wath Brow Hornets | 14 – 32 | Toulouse Olympique | 27 February 2016, 15:00 | Cleator Moor | D Merrick | 400 (estimated) | |||||
West Hull | 0 – 54 | Doncaster | 28 February 2016, 14:00 | West Hull Community Park | T Crashley | 268 | |||||
North Wales Crusaders | 36 – 40 | Gloucestershire All Golds | 28 February 2016, 14:30 | Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium | J Bloem | 324 | |||||
Oxford RLFC | 22 – 37 | Lock Lane | 28 February 2016, 14:30 | Maidenhead RFC | B Robinson | 55 | |||||
York City Knights | 66 – 0 | York Acorn | 28 February 2016, 15:00 | Bootham Crescent | A Sweet | 2,293 | |||||
Hunslet Hawks | 46 – 12 | Barrow Raiders | 28 February 2016, 15:00 | South Leeds Stadium | T Grant | 354 | |||||
Keighley Cougars | 54 – 28 | Coventry Bears | 28 February 2016, 15:00 | Cougar Park | J Roberts | 421 | |||||
Source:[1] |
Fourth round
The draw for the fourth round was made on 1 March at the White Lion pub in Swinton. The draw was made by retired players Adrian Morley and Paul Wellens.[6] The 24 teams in the draw comprise the 7 Championship 1 teams and 5 National Conference League teams who won through from the third round and the 12 teams of the Championship.
Ties were played over the weekend of 18–20 March.[6]
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
Hunslet Hawks | 48 – 6 | Doncaster | 18 March 2016, 19:30 | South Leeds Stadium | A Sweet | 337 | |||||
Dewsbury Rams | 31 – 30 | Bradford Bulls | 18 March 2016, 20:00 | Tetley's Stadium | C Campbell | 2,021 | |||||
Featherstone Lions | 16 – 30 | Lock Lane | 19 March 2016, 14:00 | The Big Fellas Stadium | C Straw | 1,738 | |||||
Pilkington Recs | 0 – 78 | Halifax RLFC | 19 March 2016, 14:30 | Langtree Park | T Crashley | 837 | |||||
Batley Bulldogs | 37 – 36 | Whitehaven RLFC | 19 March 2016, 15:00 | Mount Pleasant | J Cobb | 457 | |||||
Sheffield Eagles | 32 – 28 | Swinton Lions | 19 March 2016, 15:30 | SHU Sports Park | T Grant | 412 | |||||
Toulouse Olympique | 62 – 28 | Gloucestershire All Golds | 19 March 2016, 15:30 | Stade Ernest-Argelès | M Woodhead | 1,053 | |||||
Leigh Centurions | 68 – 14 | Workington Town | 19 March 2016, 18:00 | Leigh Sports Village | C Kendall | 2,049 | |||||
London Broncos | 26 – 48 | Featherstone Rovers | 19 March 2016, 20:00 | Trailfinders Sports Ground | S Ansell | 294 | |||||
Oldham Roughyeds | 40 – 6 | Kells | 20 March 2016, 15:00 | Bower Fold | J Bloem | 385 | |||||
Rochdale Hornets | 48 – 20 | Siddal RLFC | 20 March 2016, 15:00 | Spotland Stadium | W Turley | 653 | |||||
York City Knights | 20 – 12 | Keighley Cougars | 20 March 2016, 15:00 | Bootham Crescent | J Roberts | 624 | |||||
Source:[7] |
Fifth round
The fifth round draw was made on Tuesday 22 March. This round sees the first entry of Super League clubs when the teams that finished 9th – 12th in the 2015 season are in the draw. The draw was made by Sam Tomkins and Chris Hill (Hill was a late replacement for Sean Long). Ties were played over the weekend of 15–17 April.[8]
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 44 – 10 | Sheffield Eagles | 15 April 2016, 20:00 | Rapid Solicitors Stadium | Ben Thaler | 2,257 | |||||
Dewsbury Rams | 30 – 16 | York City Knights | 15 April 2016, 20;00 | Tetley's Stadium | Andy Sweet | 707 | |||||
Hull Kingston Rovers | 22 – 36 | Oldham Roughyeds | 16 April 2016, 14:00 | KC Lightstream Stadium | Sam Ansell | 3,056 | |||||
Toulouse Olympique | 10 – 8 | Leigh Centurions | 16 April 2016 16:00 | Stade Ernest-Argelès | Chris Kendall | 2,133 | |||||
Batley Bulldogs | 28 – 10 | Featherstone Rovers | 16 April 2016 17:00 | Fox's Biscuits Stadium | Gareth Hewer | 1,461 | |||||
Rochdale Hornets | 6 – 62 | Widnes Vikings | 17 April 2016, 15:00 | Spotland Stadium | James Child | 1,242 | |||||
Hunslet Hawks | 14 – 50 | Salford Red Devils | 17 April 2016, 15:00 | South Leeds Stadium | Chris Campbell | 834 | |||||
Halifax RLFC | 80 – 4 | Lock Lane | 17 April 2016, 15:00 | The MBi Shay | Jamie Bloem | 1,108 | |||||
Source:[9] |
The tie between Batley and Featherstone was shown live on Sky Sports 5.[10]
Sixth round
The draw for the sixth round was made on 21 April 2016 live on BBC Radio 4 Today programme. The teams will be drawn by Today presenter John Humphrys and former England and Great Britan international player Martin Offiah.[11] Ties will be played over 6–8 May 2016.
Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
Batley Bulldogs | – | Catalans Dragons | 6 May 2016, 20:00 | Fox's Biscuits Stadium | |||||||
Huddersfield Giants | – | Leeds Rhinos | 6 May 2016, 20:00 | John Smith's Stadium | |||||||
Castleford Tigers | – | Salford Red Devils | 7 May 2016, 14:30 | Mend-a-Hose Jungle | |||||||
Oldham Roughyeds | – | Warrington Wolves | 7 May 2016, 15:00 | Bower Fold | |||||||
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | – | Toulouse Olympique | 8 May 2016, 14:00 | Rapid Solicitors Stadium | |||||||
Dewsbury Rams | – | Wigan Warriors | 8 May 2016, 15:00 | Tetley's Stadium | |||||||
Halifax RLFC | – | Widnes Vikings | 8 May 2016, 15:00 | The MBi Shay | |||||||
St Helens | – | Hull FC | 8 May 2016, 16:30 | Langtree Park | |||||||
Source: |
Sky will be televising the Batley v Catalans game on Friday 6 May. The BBC will broadcast Castleford v Salford on Saturday 7 May and St Helens v Hull on Sunday 8 May.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Ladbrokes Challenge Cup scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3008. League Publications. 29 February 2016. p. 40.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Ladbrokes replace Tetley's as title sponsor". BBC Sport. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ "Challenge Cup final:Hull KR 0-50 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ "Ladbrokes Challenge Cup scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3004. League Publications. 1 February 2016. p. 29.
- ^ "Round Two scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3006. League Publications. 15 February 2016. p. 30.
- ^ a b "Morley and Wellens to conduct fourth round draw". 28 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3011. League Publications. 21 March 2016. p. 39.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: League leaders Widnes draw Rochdale". BBC Sport. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ "Scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3015. League Publications. 18 April 2016. p. 39.
- ^ "Batley v Featherstone to be shown live on Sky". loverugbyleague.com. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4's Today programme to host sixth round draw". rugby-league.com. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Televised Challenge Cup games revealed". 22 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
Notes
- ^ Attendances for 1st and 2nd rounds are not recorded, the 3rd round attendances are the first that are verified