1940–41 Challenge Cup

Rugby league competition 1940–41 Challenge Cup 5 rounds 21 64–5 by Hunslet vs Liverpool Stanley 0–22 by Wakefield Trinity vs Batley 1940–41 Leeds 16 Leeds Winners Halifax 16 Halifax 1938–39 Challenge Cup 1938–39 1941–42 Challenge Cup 1941–42 The 1940–41 Challenge Cup was the 40th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The competition was re-introduced after a season’s absence. The competition was won by Leeds who beat Halifax 19–2 in the final on 17 May 1941. At the August 1940 rugby league council meeting it was proposed the complete the league season, play the county cup competitions and then finish the season with the Challenge Cup.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000273/19400831/071/0002 Rugby League Plans Yorkshire Evening Post 31 August 1940 2 ((15,564)) subscription British Newspaper Archive A decision on the structure of the Challenge Cup was deferred at the December meeting of the council but in January the dates for the competition were finalised.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000650/19401219/126/0005 Rugby League Title Liverpool Daily Post 19 December 1940 5 ((26,655)) subscription British Newspaper Archivehttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19410116/056/0005 Rugby League Cup: Saving Certificates Instead of Medals Hull Daily Mail 16 January 1941 5 ((17,225)) subscription British Newspaper Archive The competition was to be played on consecutive weekends commencing 12 April 1941, there would be three rounds then the four teams in the semi-finals would play on a home and away two-legged basis on the first two weekends in May 1941 with the final on a neutral venue on 17 May. Players were not allowed to play for more than one club in the competition and there were to be no replays. Extra time of 20 minutes was to be played and in the event of the scores still being level then the game would continue until one team scored. Medals would not be presented to the players in the final, instead war savings certificatesWar savings certificates had a face value of 15 shillings and attracted interest until they were worth 20s 6d after 10 years.Osborne J.A.C. Allport R.E.H. War History of the Bank of England 1939/45 https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/archive/bank-of-england-1939-45-ww2 https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/archive/ww/boe-1939-1945-part1-chaptervii.pdf Part 1, Chapter VII, Committee on Small Savings 1956 Bank of England 203 The value of the prizes to the players was therefore £3 to the winning team's players and £2 5s to the members of the losing team. were to be awarded, four to each player on the winning team and three to each player on the losing team. Invitations to all 27 member clubs, even those who had not played in the league this season, were distributed in February 1941 and by the date of the draw 21 clubs had entered. Hull Kingston Rovers, Widnes, Barrow and Rochdale Hornets who had not participated in the league at all in 1940–41 declined to enter; Salford and Warrington who had played some or all of the league games but had both suspended operations in January 1941 also declined to take part in the Cup.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19410329/078/0006 R.L. Cup Outlook Yorkshire Evening Post 29 March 1941 6 ((15,472)) subscription British Newspaper Archive So that clubs could make the necessary travel arrangements the first three rounds were all drawn on 26 March 1941; the first round consisting of five ties involving 10 clubs. The remaining 11 clubs were given a bye into the second round of eight matches.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19410326/163/0012 Rugby League Cup: Draw for the first three rounds Yorkshire Evening Post 26 March 1941 12 ((15,739)) subscription British Newspaper Archive First round The five first-round ties were all played on Saturday 12 April 1941. The extra-time rules imposed for the competition had an immediate use as the game between Featherstone Rovers and Castleford took until the 118th minute of play to conclude. After 80 minutes the score was 3–3 and during extra-time both teams scored a goal to finish 5–5 after 100 minutes of play. A further 18 minutes had been played before Castleford's Jim Croston scored the decisive try that gave Castleford an 8–5 victory.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19410414/092/0007 Rugby League Cup: Yorkshire well on top Yorkshire Evening Post 14 April 1941 7 ((15,754)) subscription British Newspaper Archive HomeScoreAwayVenue Featherstone Rovers 5–8 Castleford Post Office Road Halifax 24–12 Broughton Rangers Thrum Hall Hunslet 18–8 Leigh Parkside Oldham 9–13 Dewsbury Watersheddings Wakefield Trinity 25–0 Keighley Belle Vue Source:https://www.newspapers.com/image/257872495/ Rugby League Cup The Observer 13 April 1941 8 ((7,820)) subscription newspapers.com Second round The eight second round ties were played on Saturday 19 April. HomeScoreAwayVenue Batley 9–8 Hull F.C. Mount Pleasant Bradford Northern 25–8 Swinton Odsal Stadium Castleford 21–13 St Helens Wheldon Road Dewsbury 5–6 Leeds Crown Flatt Huddersfield 60–7 Bramley Fartown Hunslet 64–5 Liverpool Stanley Parkside Wakefield Trinity 22–0 Wigan Belle Vue York 6–13 Halifax Clarence Street Source:https://www.newspapers.com/image/257872625/ Rugby League Cup The Observer 20 April 1941 8 ((7,821)) subscription newspapers.com Third round The third round ties were played on 26 April 1941 HomeScoreAwayVenue Batley 0–22 Wakefield Trinity Mount Pleasant Bradford Northern 18–4 Castleford Odsal Stadium Halifax 10–5 Huddersfield Thrum Hall Hunslet 10–17 Leeds Parkside Source:https://www.newspapers.com/image/257872728/ Rugby League Cup (Third Round) The Observer 27 April 1941 8 ((7,822)) subscription newspapers.com Semi-finals The semi-finals were played at the beginning of May on Saturday 3 and Saturday 10 May 1941. Halifax beat Wakefield Trinity 16–12 on aggregate and Leeds beat Bradford 22–12 on aggregate.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19410512/087/0003 Rugby League Cup: Leeds and Halifax in Final Liverpool Daily Post 12 May 1941 3 ((26,775)) subscription British Newspaper Archive legHomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceReceipts 1st Halifax 11–2 Wakefield Trinity Thrum Hall 7,752 £377 2nd Wakefield Trinity 10–5 Halifax Belle Vue 7,000 £405 1st Leeds 10–10 Bradford Northern Headingley Stadium 16,000 £835 2nd Bradford Northern 2–12 Leeds Odsal Stadium 22,500 £1,212 Source:1st leghttps://www.newspapers.com/image/257872865/ Rugby League Cup — Semi-Finals The Observer 4 May 1941 8 ((7,823)) subscription newspapers.com 2nd leghttps://www.newspapers.com/image/257872986/ Rugby League Cup — (Semi-Finals) The Observer 11 May 1941 8 ((7,824)) subscription newspapers.com Final 17 May 1941 3:30 pm BST (UTC+01:00) Leeds 19 – 2 Halifax Jenkins, Hey (2), Lawrenson (2) Eaton (2) Meek Odsal Stadium, Bradford 28,500 P. Cowell LeedsPositionHalifax Eaton FB Bassett BattenHunslet Guest players from Hunslet WG Bevan Evans CE Smith Hey CE Rule LawrensenWigan Guest player from Wigan WG Doyle Morris SO Todd Jenkins SH McCueWidnes Guest players from Widnes Prosser PR OsborneGuest player from Salford Murphy HK Meek BennettHunslet PR Irving Satterthwaite SR MillingtonWidnes PearsonBramley Guest player from Bramley SR Brereton Tattersfield LF Beverley Source:Hoole Les The Rugby League Challenge Cup: An Illustrated History 1897–1998 paperback 2015 DB 978-1-78091-462-6 87 The final was played at Bradford's Odsal Stadium on Saturday 17 May 1941. Both teams featured a number of guest playersAt the outbreak of the war the Rugby Football League authorised players to play for any club with the permission of the club they were registered with. This was to alleviate travelling for players who make have been working away from home on war-work.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000324/19390925/053/0005 New Yorkshire Emergency Rugby League Hull Daily Mail 25 September 1939 5 ((16,819)) subscription British Newspaper Archive A crowd of 28,500 saw Leeds take a half-time lead 5–2 through a Jenkins try and an Eaton goal with Meek kicking a goal for Halifax. In the second half Leeds scored a further four tries with Lawrenson and Hey scoring two each to which Eaton added another goal. Halifax's cause wasn't helped by the loss of lf Beverley through injury part way through the half; with no substitutions allowed it meant Halifax had to play the last 15 minutes with only 12 players.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19410519/059/0003 Leeds's Fine Cup Final Record Yorkshire Post 19 May 1941 3 ((29,259)) subscription British Newspaper Archive Notes References Category:Challenge Cup Challenge Cup