# 1977–78 Challenge Cup

The 1977–78 Challenge Cup was the 77th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Leeds and St. Helens at Wembley.
Leeds beat St. Helens on Saturday 13 May 1978 in front of a crowd of 96,000.
The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Saints forward, George Nicholls.
This was Leeds’ eleventh Cup final win in fifteen appearances and their second in successive years.

## First round

The first round consisted of all 30 professional rugby league clubs, plus two amateur teams, Dewsbury Celtic and Pilkington Recs.
The match between Leeds and Halifax was televised by the BBC, and became infamous for a stray dog which invaded the pitch several times during the match.
| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 11 Feb | Leeds | Halifax | 25-5 |
| 24 Feb | St Helens | Huyton | 36-8 |
| 24 Feb | Salford | Bramley | 9-7 |
| 25 Feb | York | Warrington | 10-16 |
| 26 Feb | Blackpool | Huddersfield | 7-9 |
| 26 Feb | Bradford Northern | Barrow | 21-13 |
| 26 Feb | Dewsbury Celtic | Wigan | 5-15 |
| 26 Feb | Dewsbury | New Hunslet | 13-22 |
| 26 Feb | Hull FC | Hull Kingston Rovers | 9-7 |
| 26 Feb | Leigh | Featherstone Rovers | 14-23 |
| 26 Feb | Oldham | Doncaster | 21-7 |
| 26 Feb | Pilkington Recs | Castleford | 22-23 |
| 26 Feb | Swinton | Batley | 13-0 |
| 26 Feb | Whitehaven | Wakefield Trinity | 13-21 |
| 26 Feb | Widnes | Rochdale Hornets | 15-8 |
| 26 Feb | Workington Town | Keighley | 16-5 |

## Second round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 11 Mar | Wigan | Bradford Northern | 10-22 |
| 12 Mar | Featherstone Rovers | New Hunslet | 23-7 |
| 12 Mar | Huddersfield | Salford | 13-3 |
| 12 Mar | Hull FC | Widnes | 8-20 |
| 12 Mar | Oldham | St Helens | 11-26 |
| 12 Mar | Wakefield Trinity | Leeds | 6-28 |
| 12 Mar | Warrington | Swinton | 29-4 |
| 12 Mar | Workington Town | Castleford | 8-8 |
| 14 Mar - replay | Castleford | Workington Town | 8-8 |
| 16 Mar - 2nd replay | Workington Town | Castleford | 13-20 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 19 Mar | Featherstone Rovers | Castleford | 25-15 |
| 19 Mar | Leeds | Bradford Northern | 16-8 |
| 19 Mar | St Helens | Huddersfield | 31-5 |
| 19 Mar | Warrington | Widnes | 6-0 |

## Semi-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 01 Apr | Leeds | Featherstone Rovers | 14-9 |
| 08 Apr | St Helens | Warrington | 12-8 |

## Final

* 13 May 1978
| Leeds | 14 – 12 | St Helens |
| Try: Atkinson, Smith, Cookson Goal: Oulton Drop goal: Ward (2), Holmes | Report | Try: Liptrot, Francis Goal: Pimblett (3) |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 96,000 Referee: Billy Thompson (Huddersfield) Player of the Match: George Nicholls
| FB | 1 | Willie Oulton |
| RW | 2 | David Smith |
| RC | 3 | Neil Hague |
| LC | 4 | Les Dyl |
| LW | 5 | John Atkinson |
| SO | 6 | John Holmes |
| SH | 7 | John Sanderson | 60' |
| PR | 8 | Mick Harrison | 66' |
| HK | 9 | David Ward (c) |
| PR | 10 | Steve Pitchford |
| SR | 11 | Graham Eccles |
| SR | 12 | Phil Cookson |
| LF | 13 | Mick Crane |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Kevin Dick | 60' |
| IC | 15 | Roy Dickinson | 66' |
| Coach: ||
| Syd Hynes ||
| FB | 1 | Geoff Pimblett (c) |
| RW | 2 | Les Jones |
| RC | 3 | Derek Noonan |
| LC | 4 | Peter Glynn |
| LW | 5 | Roy Mathias |
| SO | 6 | Bill Francis |
| SH | 7 | Ken Gwilliam |
| PR | 8 | Dave Chisnall |
| HK | 9 | Graham Liptrot |
| PR | 10 | Mel James |
| SR | 11 | George Nicholls |
| SR | 12 | Eddie Cunningham |
| LF | 13 | Harry Pinner |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Alan Ashton |
| IC | 15 | Tony Karalius |
| Coach: ||
| Eric Ashton ||