The 1900 Challenge Cup was the 4th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Swinton and Salford at Fallowfield Stadium in Manchester on Saturday 28 April 1900. Swinton won 16–8 in front of a crowd of 17,864. The cup was presented by Mrs Smith, wife of the President of the Northern Union.
First round The 30 ties of the first round were all played on Saturday 17 March 1900. 64 teams had been in the draw but Holbeck and Bramley received byes as their opponents, Whitehaven Town and Rothwell respectively withdrew from the competition before the games were played. HomeScoreAway Altrincham 24–0 Pontefract Alverthorpe 2–8 Workington Barrow 2–3 Bradford Birkenhead 4–6 Werneth Brighouse Rangers 16–5 Todmorden Broughton Rangers 22–7 Lancaster Castleford 0–0 Batley Dewsbury 3–0 Wigan Featherstone 2–19 Halifax Goole 8–6 Heckmondwike Hebden Bridge 0–15 Wakefield Trinity Huddersfield 22–0 Idle Hull FC 52–0 Wath Brow Hornets Hull Kingston Rovers 3–0 Millom Kendal Hornets 0–9 Maryport Leeds Parish Church 5–0 Seaton Rangers Liversedge 8–12 Leigh Manningham 3–3 Oldham Morecambe 19–0 Whitehaven Recreation Normanton 5–0 Leeds Ossett 5–0 Elland Outwood Church 5–24 Widnes Radcliffe 13–0 Whitworth Runcorn 42–0 Birstall St Helens 0–6 Warrington Salford 9–0 York Stockport 2–0 Hunslet Swinton 53–0 Eastmoor Tyldesley 12–0 Brookland Windhill 0–11 Rochdale HornetsSource:
The two drawn matches were replayed on Tuesday 20 March; Batley beat Castleford 5–0 and Oldham beat Manningham 18–3.
Second round The second-round games were played on Saturday 24 March 1900.
HomeScoreAway Altrincham 3–15 Leeds Parish Church Bradford 12–0 Ossett Bramley 8–5 Hull FC Brighouse Rangers 0–4 Wakefield Trinity Dewsbury 0–2 Widnes Halifax 5–10 Oldham Holbeck 8–17 Swinton Huddersfield 13–0 Workington Leigh 2–9 Salford Morecambe 0–7 Broughton Rangers Normanton 0–3 Batley Radcliffe 2–0 Werneth Rochdale Hornets 13–5 Hull Kingston Rovers Runcorn 12–0 Maryport Stockport 5–2 Tyldesley Warrington 44–0 GooleSource:
Third round The third round matches were played on Saturday 31 March 1900.
HomeScoreAway Bradford 0–0 Runcorn Bramley 3–3 Widnes Broughton Rangers 5–3 Wakefield Trinity Leeds Parish Church 7–2 Batley Rochdale Hornets 3–0 Warrington Salford 6–5 Huddersfield Stockport 24–3 Radcliffe Swinton 14–2 OldhamSource:
The Widnes v Bramley tie was replayed on Tuesday 3 April with Widnes winning 8–0. Runcorn and Bradford replayed their game the following evening and drew again, this time 3–3. With the quarter-finals to be played on the following Saturday, the two clubs had to play a second replay on the following, Thursday, evening. In this third meeting Runcorn came out on top 6–2 in a match played on neutral ground at Broughton Rovers.
Quarter-finals Saturday 7 April 1900 saw the four quarter final games played.
HomeScoreAway Leeds Parish Church 5–5 Runcorn Salford 11–3 Rochdale Hornets Stockport 0–3 Widnes Swinton 9–0 Broughton RangersSource:
Leeds parish Church and Runcorn replayed the match on 11 April and Leeds Parish Church won 8–6.
Semifinals The semi finals were played on 14 April 1900 HomeScoreAwayVenue Salford 11–0 Widnes Watersheddings, Oldham Swinton 8–0 Leeds Parish Church Fartown, HuddersfieldSource:
Final
1 Alf Chorley2 Jack Lewis3 Bobby Messer4 Bob Valentine5 Vernon Hampson6 Dai Davies7 Joey Morgan8 Evan Vigors9 George Harris10 Jack Preston11 Dick Jones12 Jim Valentine13 Charlie Pollitt14 Jack Evans15 Ben Murphy1 Dan Smith2 Arthur Pearson3 Tom Williams4 E. T. Harter5 Herbert Hadwen6 Ben Griffiths7 Ivor Grey8 Hugh Shore9 Robert Shaw10 Pat Tunney11 Miles Gledhill12 William Brown13 George Fisher14 Jack Williams15 Jack Rhapps
Notes
References
External links Challenge Cup official website Challenge Cup 1899/1900 results at Rugby League Project at Swinton Lions official website