# 1979–80 Challenge Cup

The 1979–80 Challenge Cup, for sponsorship reasons known as the 1979–80 State Express Challenge Cup was the 79th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was the first Hull Cup final derby, with a heavy entourage of supporters from the East and West of the city making the trip to London. Hull Kingston Rovers defeated Hull 10–5 at Wembley before a crowd of 95,000.
The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Rovers' prop, Brian Lockwood, despite Rovers' Steve Hubbard's scoring 9 out of his side's 10 points.
This was Hull Kingston Rovers' first, and to date, only Cup final Win in six Final appearances.

## First round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 9 Feb | Wigan | Hull Kingston Rovers | 13-18 |
| 10 Feb | Ace Amateurs | Widnes | 5-22 |
| 10 Feb | Barrow | Batley | 31-11 |
| 10 Feb | Blackpool | Bradford Northern | 7-26 |
| 10 Feb | Dewsbury | Oldham | 2-24 |
| 10 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | Halifax | 13-17 |
| 10 Feb | Huddersfield | Whitehaven | 11-4 |
| 10 Feb | Hull FC | Millom | 33-10 |
| 10 Feb | Huyton | Salford | 0-25 |
| 10 Feb | Keighley | Castleford | 5-21 |
| 10 Feb | Leigh | Leeds | 5-12 |
| 10 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | Doncaster | 11-3 |
| 10 Feb | St Helens | Workington Town | 16-0 |
| 10 Feb | Swinton | Warrington | 2-25 |
| 10 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | Hunslet | 24-17 |
| 10 Feb | York | Bramley | 17-16 |

## Second round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 23 Feb | St Helens | Bradford Northern | 10-11 |
| 24 Feb | Barrow | Halifax | 4-10 |
| 24 Feb | Huddersfield | Widnes | 3-48 |
| 24 Feb | Hull FC | York | 18-8 |
| 24 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Castleford | 28-3 |
| 24 Feb | Oldham | Wakefield Trinity | 5-10 |
| 24 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | Salford | 5-20 |
| 24 Feb | Warrington | Leeds | 8-2 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 8 Mar | Salford | Widnes | 8-9 |
| 9 Mar | Bradford Northern | Hull FC | 0-3 |
| 9 Mar | Halifax | Wakefield Trinity | 7-3 |
| 9 Mar | Hull Kingston Rovers | Warrington | 23-11 |

## Semi-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 22 Mar | Halifax | Hull Kingston Rovers | 7-20 |
| 29 Mar | Widnes | Hull FC | 5-10 |

## Final

* 3 May 1980
| Hull Kingston Rovers | 10 – 5 | Hull |
| Try: Hubbard Goal: Hubbard (3) Drop goal: Millward | Report | Try: Wilby Goal: Lloyd |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 95,000 Referee: Fred Lindop (Wakefield) Player of the Match: Brian Lockwood
| FB | 1 | David Hall |
| RW | 2 | Steve Hubbard | 79' |
| RC | 3 | Mike Smith |
| LC | 4 | Steve Hartley |
| LW | 5 | Clive Sullivan |
| SO | 6 | Roger Millward (c) |
| SH | 7 | Allan Agar |
| PR | 8 | Roy Holdstock |
| HK | 9 | David Watkinson |
| PR | 10 | Brian Lockwood |
| SR | 11 | Paul Rose | 72' |
| SR | 12 | Phil Lowe |
| LF | 13 | Len Casey |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Phil Hogan | 79' |
| IC | 15 | John Millington | 72' |
| Player-coach: ||
| Roger Millward ||
| FB | 1 | Paul Woods |
| RW | 2 | Graham Bray |
| RC | 3 | Graham Walters |
| LC | 4 | Tim Wilby |
| LW | 5 | Paul Prendiville |
| SO | 6 | John Newlove | 71' |
| SH | 7 | Clive Pickerill |
| PR | 8 | Keith Tindall |
| HK | 9 | Ron Wileman |
| PR | 10 | Charlie Stone | 71' |
| SR | 11 | Charlie Birdsall |
| SR | 12 | Sammy Lloyd |
| LF | 13 | Steve Norton (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Vince Farrar | 71' |
| IC | 15 | Brian Hancock | 71' |
| Coach: ||
| Arthur Bunting ||