# 1947–48 Challenge Cup

The 1947–48 Challenge Cup was the 47th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Wigan and Bradford Northern at Wembley Stadium, and was the first ever rugby league match to be televised. Wigan won the match 8–3, with Bradford's Frank Whitcombe receiving the Lance Todd Trophy – the first time the trophy had been awarded to a player on the losing team.

## First round

| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
| 07 Feb | Barrow | 18 | Halifax | 4 |
| 07 Feb | Batley | 0 | Dewsbury | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Bramley | 3 | Vine Tavern | 3 |
| 07 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | 3 | Leigh | 18 |
| 07 Feb | Huddersfield | 6 | Bradford Northern | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Hull FC | 23 | Swinton | 2 |
| 07 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | 12 | Oldham | 5 |
| 07 Feb | Keighley | 11 | Risehow & Gillhead | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Leeds | 23 | York | 9 |
| 07 Feb | Liverpool | 0 | Belle Vue Rangers | 9 |
| 07 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 13 | Pemberton Rovers | 0 |
| 07 Feb | St Helens | 48 | Buslingthorpe | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Salford | 2 | Wakefield Trinity | 13 |
| 07 Feb | Warrington | 10 | Workington Town | 0 |
| 07 Feb | Widnes | 5 | Hunslet | 3 |
| 07 Feb | Wigan | 27 | Castleford | 0 |
| 12 Feb | Pemberton Rovers | 0 | Rochdale Hornets | 11 |
| 14 Feb | Belle Vue Rangers | 10 | Liverpool | 8 |
| 14 Feb | Bradford Northern | 15 | Huddersfield | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Buslingthorpe | 2 | St Helens | 13 |
| 14 Feb | Castleford | 7 | Wigan | 19 |
| 14 Feb | Dewsbury | 10 | Batley | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Halifax | 17 | Barrow | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Hunslet | 5 | Widnes | 3 |
| 14 Feb | Leigh | 10 | Featherstone Rovers | 6 |
| 14 Feb | Oldham | 22 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4 |
| 14 Feb | Risehow & Gillhead | 10 | Keighley | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Swinton | 12 | Hull FC | 2 |
| 14 Feb | Vine Tavern | 6 | Bramley | 17 |
| 14 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 20 | Salford | 15 |
| 14 Feb | Workington Town | 0 | Warrington | 7 |
| 14 Feb | York | 0 | Leeds | 13 |
| 19 Feb | Widnes | 0 | Hunslet | 3 |
| 21 Feb | Bramley | 10 | Vine Tavern | 2 |

## Second round

| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
| 28 Feb | Barrow | 2 | Keighley | 6 |
| 28 Feb | Dewsbury | 2 | Hunslet | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Hull FC | 22 | Bramley | 0 |
| 28 Feb | Oldham | 5 | St Helens | 0 |
| 28 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 3 | Belle Vue Rangers | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | 3 | Bradford Northern | 3 |
| 28 Feb | Warrington | 8 | Leigh | 2 |
| 28 Feb | Wigan | 17 | Leeds | 3 |
| 06 Mar | Bradford Northern | 9 | Wakefield Trinity | 2 |
| 06 Mar | Hunslet | 11 | Dewsbury | 0 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team One | Score One | Team Two | Score Two |
| 13 Mar | Bradford Northern | 30 | Oldham | 0 |
| 13 Mar | Hunslet | 5 | Hull FC | 0 |
| 13 Mar | Keighley | 4 | Rochdale Hornets | 6 |
| 13 Mar | Warrington | 10 | Wigan | 13 |

## Semi-finals

* 3 April 1948
| Hunslet | 7 – 14 | Bradford Northern |
* Headingley, Leeds
* 3 April 1948
| Rochdale Hornets | 0 – 11 | Wigan |
| | Report | |
* Station Road, Swinton

## Final

* 1 May 1948
| Wigan | 8 – 3 | Bradford Northern |
| Try: Hilton, Barton Goal: Ward | Report | Try: Edwards |
* Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 91,465 Referee: George Phillips (Widnes) Player of the Match: Frank Whitcombe
| FB | 1 | Martin Ryan |
| RW | 2 | Gordon Ratcliffe |
| RC | 3 | Ted Ward |
| LC | 4 | Ernie Ashcroft |
| LW | 5 | Jack Hilton |
| SO | 6 | Cecil Mountford |
| SH | 7 | Tommy Bradshaw |
| PR | 8 | Ken Gee |
| HK | 9 | Joe Egan (c) |
| PR | 10 | Frank Barton |
| SR | 11 | Les White |
| SR | 12 | Billy Blan |
| LF | 13 | Bill Hudson |
| Coach: ||
| Jim Sullivan ||
| FB | 1 | Billy Leake |
| RW | 2 | Eric Batten |
| RC | 3 | Des Case |
| LC | 4 | Ernest Ward (c) |
| LW | 5 | Alan Edwards |
| SO | 6 | Willie Davies |
| SH | 7 | Donald Ward |
| PR | 8 | Frank Whitcombe |
| HK | 9 | Vic Darlison |
| PR | 10 | Herbert Smith |
| SR | 11 | Barry Tyler |
| SR | 12 | Trevor Foster |
| LF | 13 | Ken Traill |
| Coach: ||
| Dai Rees ||

## Coverage

The final was broadcast live on BBC television, with George Duckworth providing commentary, and was the first time a rugby league match had ever been televised. The match was only broadcast to viewers in the London area, as the first television transmitter in the North of England was not completed until 1951.