2005 National League Cup

June 2025 May 2026 October 2017 The 2005 National League Cup (known for commercial reasons as the Northern Rail Cup) was a British rugby league competition. The 2005 competition was the first to feature sides from National League Three: previously the competition had only featured sides from National Leagues One and Two. There were no cross-group games in the 2005 competition, each team therefore played only six games in the group stages. The top team from each of the first five groups progressed to the quarter-final directly. The second-placed team in each of these groups, plus the top team from group six (the group of teams from National League 3), played an additional round to determine the remaining three spots in the quarter-finals. The winners of the 2005 Northern Rail Cup were Hull Kingston Rovers, beating Castleford in the final.https://hullkr-heritage.co.uk/record/2005-northern-rail-cup-winners-v-castleford/ 2005 Northern Rail Cup winners v Castleford hullkr-heritage.co.uk 11 June 2025https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/jul/18/rugbyleague.castleford Stand-in Webster walks tall for Rovers The Guardian 17 July 2005 5 May 2026 Group stages Group 1 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points WHI WOR GAT BAR Whitehaven 6 5 0 1 238 56 182 10 58–10 44–12 44–00 Workington Town 6 4 0 2 184 140 44 8 28–80 44–14 28–18 Gateshead Thunder 6 2 0 4 115 207 –92 4 04–44 30–20 20–29 Barrow Raiders 6 1 0 5 89 223 –134 2 02–42 12–54 28–35 Source:https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/national-league-cup-2005/summary.html 2005 Northern Rail Cup: Summary Rugby League Project 5 May 2026https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/national-league-cup-2005/results.html 2005 Northern Rail Cup: Results Rugby League Project 5 May 2026 Group 2 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points ROC SWI OLD BLA Rochdale Hornets 6 5 0 1 288 118 170 10 54–20 68–26 62–16 Swinton Lions 6 4 1 1 171 150 21 9 20–14 46–14 14–14 Oldham 6 2 0 4 137 241 –104 4 10–54 30–37 22–20 Blackpool Panthers 6 0 1 5 116 203 –87 1 26–36 24–34 16–35 Source: Group 3 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points HFX HKR KEI LON Halifax 6 5 0 1 240 95 145 10 34–26 42–12 60–12 Hull Kingston Rovers 6 5 0 1 244 104 140 10 21–14 36–60 78–20 Keighley Cougars 6 2 0 4 147 181 –34 4 24–50 26–27 38–10 London Skolars 6 0 0 6 62 313 –251 0 00–40 04–56 16–41 Source: Group 4 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points CAS FEV YOR HUN Castleford Tigers 6 6 0 0 237 50 187 12 35–16 52–20 70–00 Featherstone Rovers 6 3 1 2 123 127 –4 7 10–22 21–20 28–18 York City Knights 6 1 1 4 104 141 –37 3 16–24 20–20 34–60 Hunslet Hawks 6 1 0 5 60 206 –146 2 06–34 12–28 18–12 Source: Group 5 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points DON BAT DEW SHE Doncaster Dragons 6 5 0 1 244 105 139 10 54–00 40–10 58–20 Batley Bulldogs 6 4 0 2 124 140 -16 8 28–22 12–10 28–16 Dewsbury Rams 6 2 0 4 135 137 –2 4 27–32 32–22 40–80 Sheffield Eagles 6 1 0 5 93 214 –121 2 20–38 06–34 23–16 Source: Group 6 Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Difference Points BDH WAR HEM BRM Bradford Dudley Hill 6 5 0 1 327 96 231 10 39–12 66–80 76–00 Warrington Wizards 6 2 2 2 146 167 –21 6 52–38 20–20 24–24 Hemel Stags 6 2 1 3 100 190 –90 5 16–52 30–20 14–60 Bramley Buffaloes 6 1 1 4 80 200 –120 3 08–56 16–18 26–12 Source: Knockout stages Home team given first. Source: Play-off Round Swinton Lions 40–24 Batley Bulldogs (1 May) Featherstone Rovers 44–20 Workington Town (1 May) Hull Kingston Rovers 64–14 Bradford Dudley Hill (1 May) Quarter-finals Featherstone Rovers 14–38 Castleford Tigers (29 May) Doncaster Dragons 54–38 Halifax (29 May) Whitehaven 28–22 Rochdale Hornets (29 May) Hull Kingston Rovers 62–0 Swinton Lions (29 May) Semi-finals Hull Kingston Rovers 34–26 Doncaster Dragons (19 June) Castleford Tigers 42–14 Whitehaven (19 June) Final Castleford Tigers 16–18 Hull Kingston Rovers (17 July, Bloomfield Road, Blackpool) References Northern Rail Cup Northern Rail Cup Category:Championship Cup