# 1965–66 Challenge Cup

The 1965–66 Challenge Cup was the 65th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by St Helens and Wigan at Wembley Stadium in London.
The final was played on Saturday 21 May 1966, where St Helens beat Wigan 21–2 in front of a crowd of 98,536.
The Lance Todd Trophy was awarded to St Helens winger Len Killeen, who also kicked an exceptionally long goal from well inside his own half.

## First round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 25 Feb | Widnes | Brookhouse | 23-5 |
| 26 Feb | Barrow | Crosfield Recs | 11-2 |
| 26 Feb | Batley | Huddersfield | 4-4 |
| 26 Feb | Blackpool Borough | Workington Town | 2-16 |
| 26 Feb | Bradford Northern | Doncaster | 23-2 |
| 26 Feb | Bramley | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5-5 |
| 26 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | Rochdale Hornets | 22-6 |
| 26 Feb | Hull | Salford | 11-2 |
| 26 Feb | Hunslet | Whitehaven | 7-9 |
| 26 Feb | Keighley | Dewsbury | 4-5 |
| 26 Feb | Leeds | York | 17-4 |
| 26 Feb | Leigh | Liverpool City | 15-6 |
| 26 Feb | Swinton | Oldham | 18-5 |
| 26 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | St Helens | 0-10 |
| 26 Feb | Warrington | Castleford | 15-7 |
| 26 Feb | Wigan | Halifax | 8-4 |
| 01 Mar - replay | Huddersfield | Batley | 23-5 |
| 01 Mar - replay | Hull Kingston Rovers | Bramley | 7-2 |

## Second round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 19 Mar | Leeds | Hull | 22-12 |
| 19 Mar | Featherstone Rovers | Warrington | 14-15 |
| 19 Mar | Wigan | Whitehaven | 40-6 |
| 19 Mar | Widnes | Bradford Northern | 6-7 |
| 19 Mar | Huddersfield | Leigh | 8-0 |
| 19 Mar | Workington Town | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5-7 |
| 19 Mar | Dewsbury | Barrow | 23-15 |
| 19 Mar | St Helens | Swinton | 16-4 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 04 Apr | St Helens | Hull Kingston Rovers | 12-10 |
| 05 Apr | Dewsbury | Huddersfield | 8-2 |
| 06 Apr | Bradford Northern | Wigan | 6-15 |
| 06 Apr | Warrington | Leeds | 2-2 |
| 15 Apr | Leeds | Warrington | 8-0 |

## Semi-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 16 Apr | St Helens | Dewsbury | 12-5 |
| 23 Apr | Wigan | Leeds | 7-2 |

## Final

* 21 May 1966
| St Helens | 21 – 2 | Wigan |
| Try: Bishop, Killeen, Mantle Goal: Killeen (5), Mantle | Report | Goal: Gilfedder |
* Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 98,536 Referee: H. G. Hunt (Warrington) Player of the Match: Len Killeen
| FB | 1 | Frank Barrow |
| RW | 2 | Tom van Vollenhoven |
| RC | 3 | Alex Murphy |
| LC | 4 | Billy Benyon |
| LW | 5 | Len Killeen |
| SO | 6 | Peter Harvey |
| SH | 7 | Tommy Bishop |
| PR | 8 | Albert Halsall |
| HK | 9 | Bill Sayer |
| PR | 10 | Cliff Watson |
| SR | 11 | Ray French |
| SR | 12 | John Warlow |
| LF | 13 | John Mantle |
| Substitutes (not used): ||
| IC | 14 | Tony Barrow |
| IC | 15 | Jeff Hitchen |
| Coach: ||
| Joe Coan ||
| FB | 1 | Ray Ashby |
| RW | 2 | Billy Boston |
| RC | 3 | David Stephens |
| LC | 4 | Eric Ashton (c) |
| LW | 5 | Trevor Lake |
| SO | 6 | Cliff Hill |
| SH | 7 | Frank Parr |
| PR | 8 | Danny Gardiner |
| HK | 9 | Tom Woosey |
| PR | 10 | Brian McTigue |
| SR | 11 | Tony Stephens |
| SR | 12 | Laurie Gilfedder |
| LF | 13 | Harry Major |
| Substitutes (not used): ||
| IC | 14 | ? |
| IC | 15 | ? |
| Player-coach: ||
| Eric Ashton ||
Crowd listed in some sources as 100,000 for Final.