1903 Challenge Cup

The 1903 Challenge Cup was the 7th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1] It featured clubs from the 1902-03 Northern Rugby Football Union season.

1903 Challenge Cup

Duration	6 rounds
Highest attendance	32,507
Winners	Halifax
Runners-up	Salford

First Round

Date	Team One	Score One	Team Two	Score Two
14 Feb	Birkenhead	15	Werneth	0
14 Feb	Bradford	10	Huddersfield	5
14 Feb	Bramley	10	Pontefract	5
14 Feb	Broughton Rangers	0	Oldham	2
14 Feb	Castleford	2	Thrum Hall	0
14 Feb	Dewsbury	0	Leeds	15
14 Feb	Halifax	34	Salterhebble	0
14 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	2	York	6
14 Feb	Hunslet	18	Cleckheaton	5
14 Feb	Keighley	37	Heckmondwike	0
14 Feb	Kendal Hornets	3	Morecambe	5
14 Feb	Kinsley	0	Brighouse Rangers	8
14 Feb	Leigh	0	Swinton	0
14 Feb	Manningham	0	Idle	0
14 Feb	Millom	10	Lancaster	0
14 Feb	Ossett	0	Otley	0
14 Feb	Parton	9	Workington	5
14 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	33	Alverthorpe	0
14 Feb	Runcorn	7	Widnes	2
14 Feb	St Helens	6	Warrington	3
14 Feb	Seaton Rangers	2	Barrow	5
14 Feb	South Shields	58	St. Paul's	0
14 Feb	Sowerby Bridge	5	Batley	14
14 Feb	Stockport	0	Wigan	8
14 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	3	Holbeck	0
14 Feb	Wath Brow Hornets	5	Whitehaven Recs	0
14 Feb	Windhill	0	Normanton	8
18 Feb	Idle	0	Manningham	12
18 Feb	Otley	2	Ossett	0
18 Feb	Swinton	5	Leigh	7

Second Round

Date	Team One	Score One	Team Two	Score Two
21 Feb	Bramley	0	Bradford	9
21 Feb	Brighouse Rangers	12	South Shields	2
21 Feb	Castleford	0	Halifax	0
21 Feb	Hull Marlborough	0	Hull FC	45
21 Feb	Maryport	2	Parton	2
21 Feb	Morecambe	0	Millom	0
21 Feb	Normanton	2	Batley	9
21 Feb	Oldham	4	Wigan	0
21 Feb	Outwood Church	0	Hunslet	7
21 Feb	Runcorn	18	Birkenhead	0
21 Feb	St Helens	2	Rochdale Hornets	8
21 Feb	Salford	11	Leigh	0
21 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	0	Leeds	13
21 Feb	Wath Brow Hornets	5	Barrow	15
21 Feb	York	17	Otley	2
24 Feb	Keighley	12	Manningham	0
25 Feb	Halifax	10	Castleford	3
25 Feb	Millom	10	Morecambe	2
25 Feb	Parton	0	Maryport	5

Third Round

Date	Team One	Score One	Team Two	Score Two
07 Mar	Barrow	7	Batley	2
07 Mar	Bradford	0	Oldham	2
07 Mar	Halifax	0	Brighouse Rangers	0
07 Mar	Hunslet	5	Leeds	2
07 Mar	Keighley	2	York	2
07 Mar	Millom	0	Hull FC	7
07 Mar	Rochdale Hornets	0	Salford	15
07 Mar	Runcorn	17	Maryport	3
10 Mar	Brighouse Rangers	2	Halifax	8
11 Mar	York	12	Keighley	9

Quarter Finals

Date	Team One	Score One	Team Two	Score Two
21 Mar	Barrow	0	Hull FC	3
21 Mar	Oldham	8	Hunslet	0
21 Mar	Runcorn	0	Halifax	2
21 Mar	York	2	Salford	25

Semi Finals

Date	Team One	Score One	Team Two	Score Two
04 Apr	Halifax	8	Hull FC	5
04 Apr	Salford	0	Oldham	0
08 Apr	Salford	8	Oldham	0

Final

The final was contested by Halifax and Salford at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.[2] on Saturday 25 April 1903, in front of a crowd of 32,507. Halifax were victorious, beating Salford 7–0.[3]

25 April 1903

Halifax	7 – 0	Salford
	Report

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 32,507

1 William Little 2 William R. Wedgwood, or W. B. Wedgewood 3 W. "Wax" Williams, or W. W. Williams 4 Archie Rigg 5 Herbert Hadwen 6 Johnny Morley 7 Joe Riley 8 Jack Riley 9 Ike Bartle 10 Fred Mallinson 11 Jack Swinbank 12 Walter Morton 13 Fred Hammond 14 Billy Bulmer 15 R. S. "Bob" Winskill

1 Dai Smith 2 A. Norris 3 R. Nesser 4 James Lomas 5 T. G. Bell 6 E. Hartner 7 S. Griffiths 8 J. Williams 9 Jack Rhapps 10 Pat Tunney 11 G. Heath 12 W. Brown 13 Herbert Buckler 14 B. Shaw 15 H. Shore

References

1. John Huxley; David Howes (1980). Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. London: Robert Hale. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-7091-8133-7.
2. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
3. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2017.

External links

• Challenge Cup official website
• Challenge Cup 1902/03 results at Rugby League Project