The 1996 Challenge Cup was the 95th staging of the Challenge Cup tournament. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup due to sponsorship from Silk Cut, it was the first Challenge Cup of the summer era. The tournament featured 40 teams playing 42 games, the culmination of which was the final at London's Wembley Stadium between Super League I teams St. Helens and Bradford Bulls.

Prize money The following is a table of prize amounts received by each club depending on which round of the Challenge Cup was reached. No prizes were awarded in the first two rounds of the competition, but amateur clubs who reached the Third Round each received £1,000. Round Prize fund Third round £3,500 Fourth round £3,500 Fifth round £6,000 Quarter Final £9,000 Semi Final £12,500 Runners-up £35,000 Winners £70,000

First round Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Beverley 14–10 Bisons 2 Blackpool Gladiators 14–10 Fryston 3 Dudley Hill 22–29 Thatto Heath 4 Eastmoor 24–6 Upton & Frickley 5 Egremont 12–8 Hensingham 6 Hemel Hempstead 32–8 Worth Village 7 Heworth 34–6 Student RL Old Boys 8 Leigh Miners 32–14 Mysons 9 Lock Lane 36–9 Humberside University 10 Mayfield 22–4 Simms Cross 11 Millom 12–22 Skirlaugh 12 Nottingham City 10–74 West Bowling 13 Oldham St Annes 28–12 Underbank Rangers 14 Saddleworth 43–6 Lowca 15 Thornhill 33–11 Blackbrook 16 West Hull 100–2 Durham University 17 Wigan St Patricks 34–4 Haydock 18 Woolston Rovers 62–4 Sir John Moores Univ

Second round Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Eastmoor 17–16 Leigh Miners 2 Lock Lane 22–14 Beverley 3 Oldham St Annes 12–15 Thatto Heath 4 Saddleworth 8–17 Heworth 5 Skirlaugh 19–8 Mayfield 6 Thornhill 44–26 Hemel Hempstead 7 West Hull 35–18 Blackpool Gladiators 8 Wigan St Patricks 6–13 West Bowling 9 Woolston Rovers 20–20 Egremont Replay Egremont 13–6 Woolston Rovers

Third round Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Barrow Braves 14–0 Doncaster Dragons 2 Bramley 22–18 Heworth 3 Carlisle 36–6 West Bowling 4 Chorley Chieftains 12–27 Thatto Heath 5 Highfield 20–35 West Hull 6 Hull Kingston Rovers 44–12 Eastmoor 7 Hunslet Hawks 30–8 Skirlaugh 8 Leigh Centurions 58–6 Egremont 9 Swinton Lions 52–4 Thornhill 10 York 30–10 Lock Lane

Fourth round Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Bradford Bulls 60–18 Batley Bulldogs 2 Carlisle 18–34 Wakefield Trinity 3 Castleford 16–58 St. Helens 4 Dewsbury 12–10 London Broncos 5 Huddersfield 14–35 Sheffield Eagles 6 Hull Sharks 52–18 Hunslet Hawks 7 Hull Kingston Rovers 0–24 Leigh Centurions 8 Keighley Cougars 12–9 Barrow Braves 9 Oldham Bears 4–26 Warrington 10 Rochdale Hornets 54–8 Thatto Heath 11 Salford Reds 35–12 Featherstone Rovers 12 Swinton Lions 22–27 Leeds 13 West Hull 10–6 York 14 Whitehaven 6–18 Halifax 15 Wigan 74–12 Bramley 16 Workington Town 10–17 Widnes

Fifth round Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Dewsbury 16–36 Widnes 2 Halifax 24–20 Sheffield Eagles 3 Hull Sharks 42–10 Keighley Cougars 4 Leigh Centurions 12–44 Bradford Bulls 5 Rochdale Hornets 20–58 St. Helens 6 Salford Reds 26–16 Wigan 7 Warrington 10–30 Leeds 8 West Hull 8–40 Wakefield Trinity

Quarter-final Tie noHome teamScoreAway team 1 Bradford Bulls 30–18 Wakefield Trinity 2 Halifax 24–35 Leeds 3 Hull Sharks 0–20 Widnes 4 Salford Reds 26–46 St. Helens

Semi finals

Final

Bradford BullsPos.St. HelensNathan GrahamFBStephen PrescottPaul CookWGDanny ArnoldMatt CallandCEScott GibbsPaul LoughlinCEPaul NewloveJon ScalesWGAnthony SullivanGraeme BradleyKarle HammondRobbie Paul (c)HBBobbie Goulding (c)Brian McDermottPRApollo PereliniBernard DwyerHKKeiron CunninghamJon HamerPRAndy LeathemJeremy DonougherSRChris JoyntSonny NickleSRSimon BoothSimon KnoxLFAndy NortheyKarl FairbankInt.Tommy MartynPaul MedleyInt.Ian PickavanceJason DonohueInt.Vila MatautiaCarlos HassanInt.Alan HunteBrian SmithCoachShaun McRae The 1996 tournament's final featured Super League clubs St. Helens and Bradford Bulls, and was played on Saturday, 27 April at London's Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 78,550. The match was refereed by Stuart Cummings and at half time Bradford led 14-12. Trailing 26-12 from the 53rd to the 57th minute, St Helens overcame this 14-point deficit, the biggest in Challenge Cup final history for a winning team, to prevail by 40-32. This also made it the highest-scoring Challenge Cup final in history.

Bradford's 32 points set a new record for most points scored in a Challenge Cup final-losing team. Bradford's scrum half back, Robbie Paul, became the fourth player ever to achieve what was a Challenge Cup final record of three tries, and was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.

See also Super League I

References