The 1995–96 Regal Trophy was a British rugby league knockout tournament. It was the 25th and final season that the competition was held, and was the seventh staging of the competition since it was renamed the Regal Trophy.
The last final was won by Wigan, who beat local rivals St. Helens 25-16 at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield. The attendance was 17,590.
Background This season saw a reduction in the number of entrants, the number decreasing to forty-two.
The inclusion of two French clubs continued, but the number of invitations to the top junior clubs was reduced by six from eleven last season, to just five this season.
The ten first round winners added to the twenty-two clubs given byes, gave a total of entrants into the second round of thirty-two. There were no drawn matches during this season's competition
Competition and results
Round 1
Involved 10 matches and 20 clubs with 22 byes Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sat 30 Sep 1995Leigh16-19AS Saint EstèveHilton Park154312Sat 30 Sep 1995York24-22SM Pia XIIIRyedale Stadium53123Sun 1 Oct 1995Barrow29-11Park AmateursCraven Park52034Sun 1 Oct 1995Bramley20-17Woolston RoversClarence Field, Kirkstall3504, 55Sun 1 Oct 1995Carlisle38-10Doncaster DragonsGifford Park43566Sun 1 Oct 1995Chorley Chieftains92-0Nottingham CityVictory Park4257Sun 1 Oct 1995Highfield48-18Hemel HempsteadValerie Park, Prescott22078Sun 1 Oct 1995Hull Kingston Rovers72-6Blackpool GladiatorsCraven Park (2)10879Sun 1 Oct 1995Hunslet Hawks34-24Ellenborough RangersElland Road247810Sun 1 Oct 1995Swinton44-20West HullGigg Lane5009
Round 2 Involved 16 matches and 32 clubs. The 10 winners of the first round were joined by the 11 Championship clubs and 11 First Division clubs in the second round. Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sat 11 Nov 1995Keighley Cougars14–42St. HelensCougar Park3,7372Sat 11 Nov 1995Workington Town30–14AS Saint EstèveDerwent Park1,37613Sun 12 Nov 1995Batley21–14Wakefield TrinityMount Pleasant1,5224Sun 12 Nov 1995Bradford Bulls22–0Sheffield EaglesOdsal3,3535Sun 12 Nov 1995Bramley4–22Hunslet HawksClarence Field65056Sun 12 Nov 1995Carlisle19–18CastlefordGifford Park8507Sun 12 Nov 1995Chorley Chieftains10–68WarringtonVictory Park1,2368Sun 12 Nov 1995Dewsbury17–6BarrowCrown Flatt6629Sun 12 Nov 1995Halifax20–18SwintonThrum Hall2,99410Sun 12 Nov 1995Huddersfield22–21Featherstone RoversAlfred McAlpine Stadium2,33711Sun 12 Nov 1995Hull F.C.56–18YorkBoulevard2,41112Sun 12 Nov 1995Hull Kingston Rovers10–14Rochdale HornetsCraven Park1,54813Sun 12 Nov 1995Leeds46–22SalfordHeadingley7,58914Sun 12 Nov 1995London Broncos82–0HighfieldBarnet Copthall51215Sun 12 Nov 1995Widnes32–8Oldham BearsNaughton Park3,47216Sun 12 Nov 1995Wigan68–26WhitehavenCentral Park6,133
Round 3 Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sat 25 Nov 1995London Broncos18-22HalifaxBarnet Copthall8002Sun 26 Nov 1995Batley22-35WarringtonMount Pleasant1,7543Sun 26 Nov 1995Dewsbury14-26Rochdale HornetsCrown Flatt9274Sun 26 Nov 1995Huddersfield0-32WiganAlfred McAlpine Stadium6,0265Sun 26 Nov 1995Hull F.C.26-38St. HelensBoulevard4,180106Sun 26 Nov 1995Hunslet Hawks17-22CarlisleSouth Leeds Stadium1,3557Sun 26 Nov 1995Leeds42-28Bradford BullsHeadingley10,0938Sun 26 Nov 1995Workington Town8-32WidnesDerwent Park2,500
Quarter-finals Wigan won their tie against Widnes after extra time. Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttNotes1Sat 9 Dec 1995Widnes23–28WiganNaughton Park3,7712Sun 10 Dec 1995Leeds44–22CarlisleHeadingley5,1303Sun 10 Dec 1995St. Helens46–18HalifaxKnowsley Road7,4194Sun 10 Dec 1995Warrington38–20Rochdale HornetsWilderspool2,731
Semi-finals The semi-final between St Helens and Warrington was originally scheduled to take place on 30 December 1995, but was postponed due to a frozen pitch. The result in the rescheduled fixture was a record defeat for Warrington.
Final
Teams and scorers
WiganNo.St. HelensGary Connolly1Steve PrescottJason Robinson2Joey HayesVa'aiga Tuigamala3Scott GibbsKris Radlinski4Paul NewloveMartin Offiah5Anthony SullivanHenry Paul6Karle HammondShaun Edwards (c)7Bobbie Goulding (c)Neil Cowie8Apollo PereliniMartin Hall9Keiron CunninghamTerry O'Connor10Ian PickavanceScott Quinnell11Chris JoyntMick Cassidy12Simon BoothSimon Haughton13Dean BusbyRob Smyth14Andy Northey (for Anthony Sullivan 47-mins)Martin Dermott (for Scott Quinnell 59-mins)15Vila Matautia (for Ian Pickavance 25-mins) - Ian Pickavance (returned to replace Dean Busby 58-mins)Graeme WestCoachEric Hughes
Prize money As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows :- Finish PositionCash prizeNo. receiving prizeTotal cashWinner?1?Runner-up?1?semi-finalist?2?loser in Rd 3?4?loser in Rd 2?8?Loser in Rd 1?16?Loser in Prelim Round?10?Grand Total
The road to success This tree excludes any First round fixtures
Notes and comments 1 * AS Saint Estève was a French rugby league team from Perpignan, which in 2000 it merged with nearby neighbours XIII Catalan to form Union Treiziste Catalaneto compete in the Super Leagueas the Catalans Dragons. 2 * Pia are a French League Club playing at Stade Daniel-Ambert 3 * Park Amateurs were a Junior (amateur) club from Halifax 4 * Woolston Rovers are a Junior (amateur) club from Warrington, becoming Warrington Woolston Rovers in 2003 and Warrington Wizards in 2002. the ground is the old Warrington Home Ground of Wilderspool 5 * At the time Bramley were playing their home matches at Clarence Field, Kirkstall, Leeds 6 * Doncaster Dragons were now playing at Belle Vue 7 * Hemel Stags are a semi professional club based in Hemel Hempstead and playing at the Pennine Way stadium (capacity 2000) 8 * Ellenborough Rangers are a Junior (amateur) club from the Ellenborough suburb of Maryport, Cumbria 9 * West Hull are a Junior (amateur) club from Hull 10 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject gives the attendance as 4,180, but Hull official archives gives 4,180 and St Helens official archives give 5,102
Postscript To date, this was the last season for the John Player sponsored trophy competitions, which had taken place annually since its inauguration in the 1971-72 for a period of 25 seasons. It was unfortunately such a short period for what was intended to be the "League Cup" and that very few of the professional clubs managed to have their name inscribed on the trophy, or even reach the semi-final stage The reasons given by the ruling body, the Rugby Football League for the competition's demise, were that it was deemed the trophy was adding to fixture congestion for more successful sides and a clean sweep was needed to herald the "Summer Rugby" image of the game.
Records from the John Player trophy competition
RecordNo.No.cup winnerrunner-upIn FinalRecordMost appearances9Wigan8Widnes7WarringtonMost wins8Wigan4WarringtonMost consecutive wins2Wigan (3 times)85-86, 86-87, 88-89, 89-90, 94-95, 95-96Most consecutive appearances4Wigan92-93, 93-94, 94-95, 95-96Highest Score40-10Wiganv Warrington 1994-95Highest Agg score40-10as lastLowest Agg score3-2Bradford Northernv Widnes 1974-75Widest margin33-2Castlefordv Wigan 1993-94Biggest Attendance25,326 - Boothferry ParkHull Kingston Rovers v Hull F.C. 1981-82Smallest Attendance4,512 - The WillowsCastleford v Blackpool Borough 1976-77Highest Receiptsunknown - but possibly £94,874 - Widnes v Wigan 1988-89Individual in a finalMost tries 3Ellery HanleyWigan v Halifax 1989-90Most goals8Frano BoticaWigan v Warrington 1994-956Derek WhiteheadWarrington v Rochdale Hornets 1973-74Most points16 (8g)Frano BoticaWigan v Warrington 1994-9515 (6g+1t)Derek WhiteheadWarrington v Rochdale Hornets 1973-74In competitionHighest Score142-4Huddersfieldv Blackpool Gladiators (Sat '26-11-1994)Other record scores at the time138-0Barrowv Nottingham City (Thu '24-11-1994)2-92Runcorn Highfieldv Wigan (Sun '13-11-1988)90-12Wakefield Trinityv Highfield (Tue '27-10-1992)82-0Widnesv Dewsbury (Sun '30-11-1986)2-70Batleyv Leigh (Sun '24-11-1985)64-0Whitehavenv Doncaster (Sun '18-11-1984)17-68Carlislev Leigh (Sun '20-11-1983)67-11Hull Kingston Roversv Oldham (Sun '24-'09-1978)9-51Blackpool Boroughv Leeds (Sun '24-'09-1972)Highest score v junior club88-5Castlefordv Millom (Sun '16-'09-1973)Highest winning margin138see aboveHighest aggregate score146see abovePlayers RecordsMost tries 9Greg AustinHuddersfield v Blackpool Gladiators 1994-956Steve RowanBarrow v Nottingham City 1994-956Vincent GribbinWhitehaven v Doncaster 1984-85Most goals17Darren CarterBarrow v Nottingham City 1994-9517Geoffrey "Sammy" LloydCastleford v Millom 1973-74Most points43 (17g+3t)Geoffrey "Sammy" LloydCastleford v Millom 1973-7442 (17g+2t)Darren CarterBarrow v Nottingham City 1994-95
See also 1995-96 Rugby Football League season Regal Trophy Rugby league county cups
References
External links