# 1986–87 Challenge Cup

The 1987 Challenge Cup was the 86th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for due to sponsorship from Silk Cut, the tournament featured clubs from the 1986-87 Rugby Football League season. It culminated in the final contested by Halifax and St. Helens at Wembley. Halifax won the match 19–18.

## Preliminary round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 17 Jan | Castleford | Blackbrook | 74-6 |
| 18 Jan | Hunslet | York | 13-0 |
| 18 Jan | Workington | Wigan | 0-68 |
| 21 Jan | Elland | Heworth | 6-10 |
| 21 Jan | St Helens | Swinton | 18-16 |
| 22 Jan | Kells | Fulham | 4-4 |
| 27 Jan-replay | Fulham | Kells | 22-14 |

## First round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 31 Jan | Castleford | Widnes | 16-24 |
| 01 Feb | Fulham | Halifax | 10-38 |
| 01 Feb | Salford | Leeds | 0-4 |
| 01 Feb | Warrington | Bradford Northern | 17-21 |
| 03 Feb | Barrow | Batley | 54-2 |
| 04 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Doncaster | 29-14 |
| 04 Feb | Bramley | Hull FC | 2-10 |
| 04 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | Hunslet | 12-26 |
| 04 Feb | Oldham | Wigan | 10-8 |
| 04 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | Carlisle | 4-4 |
| 04 Feb | Runcorn | Leigh | 6-25 |
| 05 Feb | Dewsbury | St Helens | 12-48 |
| 05 Feb | Mansfield | Heworth | 14-7 |
| 05 Feb | Sheffield Eagles | Keighley | 6-8 |
| 08 Feb | Huddersfield | Whitehaven | 10-32 |
| 10 Feb | Blackpool | Wakefield Trinity | 10-15 |
| 11 Feb - replay | Carlisle | Rochdale Hornets | 30-22 |

## Second round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 14 Feb | Oldham | St Helens | 14-24 |
| 15 Feb | Bradford Northern | Widnes | 6-6 |
| 15 Feb | Halifax | Hunslet | 29-10 |
| 15 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Keighley | 42-4 |
| 15 Feb | Leeds | Barrow | 26-7 |
| 15 Feb | Leigh | Carlisle | 18-6 |
| 15 Feb | Mansfield | Hull FC | 7-38 |
| 15 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | Whitehaven | 2-25 |
| 18 Feb - replay | Widnes | Bradford Northern | 29-12 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 28 Feb | Halifax | Hull Kingston Rovers | 35-7 |
| 01 Mar | Hull FC | Leigh | 8-12 |
| 01 Mar | Leeds | Widnes | 7-14 |
| 01 Mar | St Helens | Whitehaven | 41-12 |

## Semi final

* 14 March 1987
| St. Helens | 14 – 8 | Leigh |
| Try: McCormack, Arkwright. Platt Goal: Loughlin | Report | Try: McCulloch Goal: C. Johnson (2) |
* Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 13,105
* 28 March 1987
| Halifax | 12 – 8 | Widnes |
| Try: Pendlebury, Rix Goal: Whitfield (2) | Report | Try: McKenzie Goal: Platt (2) |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 16,064

## Final

* Saturday 2 May 1987
| Halifax | 19 – 18 | St. Helens |
| Try: George, McCallion, Eadie Goal: Whitfield (3) Drop goal: Pendlebury | | Try: Elia, Loughlin, Round Goal: Loughlin (3) |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 91,267 Referee: John Holdsworth (Kippax) Player of the Match: Graham Eadie
| FB | 1 | Graham Eadie |
| RW | 2 | Scott Wilson |
| RC | 3 | Colin Whitfield |
| LC | 4 | Grant Rix |
| LW | 5 | Wilf George |
| SO | 6 | Chris Anderson (c) |
| SH | 7 | Gary Stephens |
| PR | 8 | Ben Beevers |
| HK | 9 | Seamus McCallion |
| PR | 10 | Keith Neller |
| SR | 11 | Paul Dixon |
| SR | 12 | Mick Scott |
| LF | 13 | John Pendlebury |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Brian Juliff |
| IC | 15 | Neil James |
| Coach: ||
| Chris Anderson ||
| Physio: ||
| Martha Mason ||
| FB | 1 | Phil Veivers |
| RW | 2 | Barry Ledger |
| RC | 3 | Paul Loughlin |
| LC | 4 | Mark Elia |
| LW | 5 | Kevin McCormack |
| SO | 6 | Brett Clark |
| SH | 7 | Neil Holding |
| PR | 8 | Tony Burke |
| HK | 9 | Graham Liptrot |
| PR | 10 | John Fieldhouse |
| SR | 11 | Andy Platt |
| SR | 12 | Roy Haggerty |
| LF | 13 | Chris Arkwright (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Paul Round |
| IC | 15 | Paul Forber |
| Coach: ||
| Alex Murphy ||