# 1987–88 Challenge Cup

The 1988 Challenge Cup was the 87th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, the final was contested by Wigan and Halifax at Wembley. Wigan won the match 32–12.

## Preliminary round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 13 Jan | Kells | Leeds | 0-28 |
| 15 Jan | Bramley | Sheffield Eagles | 6-14 |
| 15 Jan | Leigh Miners | Hunslet | 4-23 |
| 16 Jan | Heworth | West Hull | 11-4 |
| 17 Jan | Carlisle | Whitehaven | 8-8 |
| 17 Jan | Warrington | Huddersfield | 48-10 |
| 20 Jan-replay | Whitehaven | Carlisle | 8-22 |

## First round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 30 Jan | Wigan | Bradford Northern | 2-0 |
| 31 Jan | Dewsbury | Widnes | 10-38 |
| 31 Jan | Doncaster | Batley | 18-10 |
| 31 Jan | Featherstone Rovers | York | 32-21 |
| 31 Jan | Fulham | Mansfield | 4-16 |
| 31 Jan | Heworth | Halifax | 4-60 |
| 31 Jan | Hull Kingston Rovers | Carlisle | 14-6 |
| 31 Jan | Hunslet | Hull FC | 10-27 |
| 31 Jan | Keighley | Workington Town | 30-4 |
| 31 Jan | Leeds | Castleford | 22-14 |
| 31 Jan | Leigh | St Helens | 12-22 |
| 31 Jan | Rochdale Hornets | Barrow | 6-4 |
| 31 Jan | Runcorn | Springfield | 6-8 |
| 31 Jan | Salford | Swinton | 16-6 |
| 31 Jan | Wakefield Trinity | Sheffield Eagles | 10-14 |
| 31 Jan | Warrington | Oldham | 17-6 |

## Second round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 13 Feb | Warrington | St Helens | 20-24 |
| 14 Feb | Doncaster | Mansfield | 16-8 |
| 14 Feb | Halifax | Rochdale Hornets | 30-6 |
| 14 Feb | Hull FC | Sheffield Eagles | 26-6 |
| 14 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Featherstone Rovers | 35-26 |
| 14 Feb | Keighley | Widnes | 2-16 |
| 14 Feb | Salford | Springfield | 12-10 |
| 14 Feb | Wigan | Leeds | 30-14 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 27 Feb | Wigan | Widnes | 10-1 |
| 28 Feb | Hull FC | Doncaster | 27-12 |
| 28 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Halifax | 4-26 |
| 28 Feb | Salford | St Helens | 22-18 |

## Semi finals

* 12 March 1988
| Wigan | 34 – 4 | Salford |
| Try: Edwards (2), T. Iro, Kiss, K. Iro, Hanley Goal: K. Iro (5) | Report | Try: Blease |
* Burnden Park, Bolton Attendance: 20,783
* 26 March 1988
| Halifax | 0 – 0 | Hull |
| | Report | |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 20,534

### Replay

* 30 March 1988
| Halifax | 4 – 3 | Hull |
| Try: Anderson | Report | Goal: Pearce Drop goal: Pearce |
* Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 25,117

## Final

* 30 April 1988
| Wigan | 32 – 12 | Halifax |
| Try: K. Iro (2), Gill, Lydon, T. Iro, Hanley, Bell, Goal: Gregory, Lydon | Report | Try: Anderson, James Goal: Whitfield |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 94,273 Player of the Match: Andy Gregory
| FB | 1 | Joe Lydon |
| RW | 2 | Tony Iro |
| RC | 3 | Kevin Iro |
| LC | 4 | Dean Bell |
| LW | 5 | Henderson Gill |
| SO | 6 | Shaun Edwards (c) |
| SH | 7 | Andy Gregory |
| PR | 8 | Brian Case |
| HK | 9 | Nicky Kiss |
| PR | 10 | Adrian Shelford |
| SR | 11 | Andy Goodway |
| SR | 12 | Ian Potter |
| LF | 13 | Ellery Hanley |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Ged Byrne |
| IC | 15 | Shaun Wane |
| Coach: ||
| Graham Lowe ||
| FB | 1 | Graham Eadie (c) |
| RW | 2 | Martin Meredith |
| RC | 3 | Tony Anderson |
| LC | 4 | Ian Wilkinson |
| LW | 5 | Colin Whitfield |
| SO | 6 | Robert Grogan |
| SH | 7 | Steve Robinson |
| PR | 8 | Neil James |
| HK | 9 | Seamus McCallion |
| PR | 10 | Keith Neller |
| SR | 11 | Les Holliday |
| SR | 12 | Paul Dixon |
| LF | 13 | John Pendlebury |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Dick Fairbank |
| IC | 15 | Mick Scott |
| Coach: ||
| Chris Anderson ||