The 2001 Challenge Cup (officially known as the 2001 Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby league football tournament which began its preliminary stages in December 2000 and ended with the final on 28 April 2001. Bradford Bulls were the reigning champions, following their 24–18 victory over Leeds Rhinos in the 2000 Challenge Cup at Murrayfield Stadium.

Round 1 Ties were scheduled to be played over the weekend of 2–3 December 2000, although two matches did not take place until 9 and 16 December. HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance Cottingham Tigers 2–17 Hensingham ARLFC 2 December 2000 Dewsbury Moor ARLFC 17–18 Eastmoor ARLFC 2 December 2000 East Leeds 14–12 Elland ARLFC 2 December 2000 Ecces ARLFC 25–16 RL Conference Lionhearts 2 December 2000 Hull Dockers 28–4 West Bowling ARLFC 2 December 2000 Leigh East 10–15 Shaw Cross RLFC 2 December 2000 London Skolars 18–10 Crosfields ARLFC 2 December 2000 Milford Marlins 16–26 Wigan St Judes 2 December 2000 Millom RLFC 34–8 Normanton Knights 2 December 2000 Newcastle University 36–22 Hunslet Warriors 2 December 2000 Rochdale Mayfield 32–16 Castleford Panthers 2 December 2000 Royal Air Force 12–32 Heworth 2 December 2000 Royal Navy 18–6 Waterhead 2 December 2000 Hillsborough Hawks 10–18 Featherstone Lions 2 December 2000 Siddal 28–8 Dewsbury Celtic 2 December 2000 Thatto Heath ALRFC 24–22 Keighley Albion & Bingley 2 December 2000 Widnes St Maries 38–18 Blackbrook 2 December 2000 York Acorn 0–18 Halton Simms Cross 2 December 2000 Clayton ARLFC 10–20 Leeds Metropolitan University 3 December 2000 New Earswick 36–20 Bangor Vikings 3 December 2000 Welsh Students 15–18 Askam ARLFC 3 December 2000 Wigan Rose Bridge 72–0 Glasgow Bulls 3 December 2000 Queensbury 24–0 Charleston Knights 9 December 2000 Wath Brow Hornets 41–6 The Army 16 December 2000 Source:

Round 2 Ties were due to be played over the weekend of 16–17 December 2000 but the round was not completed until 13 January 2001.

HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance Askam ARLFC 12–2 Millom 16 December 2000 East Leeds 28–10 London Skolars 16 December 2000 Halton Simms Cross 8–0 Shaw Cross 16 December 2000 New Earswick 11–7 Thatto Heath 16 December 2000 Newcastle University 8–51 Leigh Miners Rangers 16 December 2000 Rochdale Mayfield 15–10 Dudley Hill 16 December 2000 Royal Navy 12–13 Eccles ALRFC 16 December 2000 Saddleworth ALRFC 0–30 Oldham St Annes 16 December 2000 Siddal 22–12 Hull Dockers 16 December 2000 Skirlaugh 16–38 Oulton Raiders 16 December 2000 Thornhill Trojans 18–10 Leeds Metropolitan University 16 December 2000 Walney Central 4–13 Queensbury ALRFC 16 December 2000 Wigan Rose Bridge 26–8 Redhill ARLFC 16 December 2000 Wigan St Judes 15–9 Widnes St Maries 16 December 2000 Wigan St Patricks 4–3 Ideal Isberg 16 December 2000 Eastmoor Dragons 0–34 West Hull 6 January 2001 Heworth 12–10 Featherstone Lions 6 January 2001 Wath Brow Hornets 8–11 Castleford Lock Lane 6 January 2001 Woolston Rovers 32–11 Hensingham ALRFC 13 January 2001 Source:

Notes A. After extra time

Round 3 Ties were played over the weekend of 26–28 January 2001.

HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance Halton Simms Cross 10–42 Villeneuve Leopards 26 January 2001 Auto Quest Stadium Karl Kirkpatrick 809 Dewsbury Rams 48–10 Leigh Miners Rangers 27 January 2001 The Rams Stadium Nick Oddy 1,260 Wigan Rose Bridge 0–52 York Wasps 27 January 2001 Spotland Stadium Julian King 731 Barrow Border Raiders 40–16 Askam ARLFC 28 January 2001 Craven Park Grant Maxwell 2,092 Batley Bulldogs 70–0 Heworth 28 January 2001 Mount Pleasant Ian Chatterton 573 Chorley Lynx 8–22 Woolston Rovers 28 January 2001 Victory Park Robert Connolly 559 Doncaster Dragons 44–14 Siddal 28 January 2001 Belle Vue Peter Taberner 1,341 Featherstone Rovers 56–0 Eccles ALRFC 28 January 2001 Lionheart Stadium Paul Lee 1,045 Gateshead Thunder 34–20 Wigan St Judes 28 January 2001 Gateshead International Stadium Steve Ganson 501 Hull Kingston Rovers 44–0 Toulouse Spacers 28 January 2001 Craven Park Steve Nicholson 1,649 Hunslet Hawks 38–6 Thornhill Trojans 28 January 2001 South Leeds Stadium Ben Thaler 629 Keighley Cougars 76–0 Rochdale Mayfield 28 January 2001 Cougar Park Ron Laughton 1,764 Leigh Centurions 28–5 West Hull 28 January 2001 Hilton Park Russell Smith 1,547 Oldham R.L.F.C. 64–0 Queensbury ARLFC 28 January 2001 Boundary Park Colin Morris 1,559 Sheffield Eagles 42–0 East Leeds 28 January 2001 Don Valley Stadium Steve Addy 778 Swinton Lions 44–12 New Earswick 28 January 2001 Gigg Lane John Farrell 478 Whitehaven 34–16 Oldham St Annes 28 January 2001 Recreation Ground Darren Gillespie 616 Widnes Vikings 70–2 Wigan St Patricks 28 January 2001 Auto Quest Stadium Richard Silverwood 2,465 Workington Town 38–0 Castleford Lock Lane 28 January 2001 Derwent Park Mike Dawber 867 York Wasps 24–12 Oulton Raiders 28 January 2001 Huntington Stadium Paul Carr 914 Source:

Round 4 Ties were played between 10–14 February 2001 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance St. Helens 22–8 Wigan Warriors 10 February 2001 Knowsley Road Stuart Cummings 13,593 Barrow Border Raiders 4–56 Halifax Blue Sox 11 February 2001 Craven Park Richard Silverwood 2,160 Bradford Bulls 54–10 Widnes Vikings 11 February 2001 Odsal Stadium Ian Smith 7,760 Dewsbury Rams 4–18 Castleford Tigers 11 February 2001 Ram Stadium Karl Kirkpatrick 3,384 Doncaster Dragons 14–12 Sheffield Eagles 11 February 2001 Belle Vue John Farrell 1,344 Huddersfield Giants 28–6 Featherstone Rovers 11 February 2001 Alfred McAlpine Stadium Steve Ganson 2,527 Keighley Cougars 20–34 Hull F.C. 11 February 2001 Cougar Park Robert Connolly 4,401 Leigh Centurions 16–12 Salford City Reds 11 February 2001 Hilton Park Russell Smith 6,408 London Broncos 44–6 Batley Bulldogs 11 February 2001 Broadfield Stadium Steve Addy 1,204 Swinton Lions 10–106 Leeds Rhinos 11 February 2001 Gigg Lane Colin Morris 3,239 Warrington Wolves 48–6 Woolston Rovers 11 February 2001 Wilderspool Stadium Steve Nicholson 6,008 Workington Town 6–56 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 11 February 2001 Derwent Park Paul Lee 1,710 York Wasps 8–22 Villeneuve Leopards 11 February 2001 Huntington Stadium Julian King 471 Oldham R.L.F.C. 17–6 Hull Kingston Rovers 13 February 2001 Boundary Park 2,008 Rochdale Hornets 38–4 Hunslet Hawks 13 February 2001 Spotland Stadium Nick Oddy 605 Gateshead Thunder 0–56 Whitehaven 14 February 2001 Gateshead International Stadium Source:

Round 5 The fifth round fixtures were played over the weekend of 24–25 February 2001. HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance Castleford Tigers 12–42 Leeds Rhinos 24 February 2001 Wheldon Road Robert Connolly 11,418 Halifax Blue Sox 18–68 Bradford Bulls 25 February 2001 The Shay Russell Smith 6,129 Huddersfield Giants 38–24 Doncaster Dragons 25 February 2001 Alfred McAlpine Stadium Ian Smith 2,176 Hull F.C. 30–20 London Broncos 25 February 2001 The Boulevard Stuart Cummings 6,701 Oldham R.L.F.C. 6–26 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 25 February 2001 Boundary Park Nick Oddy 3,071 Rochdale Hornets 19–26 Villeneuve Leopards 25 February 2001 Spotland Stadium Peter Taberner 817 Warrington Wolves 20–10 Leigh Centurions 25 February 2001 Wilderspool Stadium Steve Ganson 8,844 Whitehaven 22–34 St. Helens 25 February 2001 Recreation Ground Karl Kirkpatrick 4,750 Source:

Quarter-finals The quarter finals was played over the weekend of 9–11 March 2001 HomeScoreAwayMatch informationDate and timeVenueRefereeAttendance Hull F.C. 18–20 Leeds Rhinos 10 March 2001 The Boulevard Russell Smith 10,123 St. Helens 54–16 Huddersfield Giants 9 March 2001 Knowsley Road Karl Kirkpatrick 7,899 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 0–38 Bradford Bulls 11 March 2001 Belle Vue Stuart Cummings 5,280 Warrington Wolves 32–0 Villeneuve Leopards 11 March 2001 Wilderspool Stadium Robert Connolly 4,805 Source:

Semi-finals The ties were played on 31 March and 1 April 2001.

Final The 100th Challenge Cup final was played on 28 April 2001 and was the first to be played at Twickenham Stadium. Hear'Say performed before the match. St Helen's stand off Sean Long was the winner of the Lance Todd Trophy.

Teams St Helens: Paul Wellens, Sean Hoppe, Kevin Iro, Paul Newlove, Anthony Sullivan; Tommy Martyn, Sean Long, David Fairleigh, Keiron Cunningham, Sonny Nickle, Chris Joynt (c), Peter Shiels, Paul Sculthorpe Subs: Steve Hall, Anthony Stewart, Vila Matautia, Tim Jonkers Coach: Ian Millward

Bradford: Michael Withers, Tevita Vaikona, Scott Naylor, Shane Rigon, Leon Pryce, Henry Paul, Robbie Paul (c), Joe Vagana, James Lowes, Brian McDermott, Jamie Peacock, Daniel Gartner, Mike Forshaw Subs: Paul Deacon, Paul Anderson, Lee Gilmour, Stuart Fielden Coach: Brian Noble

UK Broadcasting rights The tournament was screened in the United Kingdom by the BBC.

Round BBC live match Round 4 St Helens vs Wigan Leigh vs Salford Round 5 Castleford vs Leeds Halifax Vs Bradford Bulls Quarter-finals Hull Fc vs Leeds Wakefield vs Bradford Semi-finals St. Helens v Leeds RhinosWarrington Wolves v Bradford Bulls Final Bradford Bulls v St. Helens

References

External links Challenge Cup on the Rugby Football League's website