# 1899–1900 Challenge Cup

The 1900 Challenge Cup was the 4th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Swinton and Salford at Fallowfield Stadium in Manchester on Saturday 28 April 1900. Swinton won 16–8 in front of a crowd of 17,864. The cup was presented by Mrs Smith, wife of the President of the Northern Union.

## First round

The 30 ties of the first round were all played on Saturday 17 March 1900. 64 teams had been in the draw but Holbeck and Bramley received byes as their opponents, Whitehaven Town and Rothwell respectively withdrew from the competition before the games were played.
| Home | Score | Away |
| Altrincham | 24–0 | Pontefract |
| Alverthorpe | 2–8 | Workington |
| Barrow | 2–3 | Bradford |
| Birkenhead | 4–6 | Werneth |
| Brighouse Rangers | 16–5 | Todmorden |
| Broughton Rangers | 22–7 | Lancaster |
| Castleford | 0–0 | Batley |
| Dewsbury | 3–0 | Wigan |
| Featherstone | 2–19 | Halifax |
| Goole | 8–6 | Heckmondwike |
| Hebden Bridge | 0–15 | Wakefield Trinity |
| Huddersfield | 22–0 | Idle |
| Hull FC | 52–0 | Wath Brow Hornets |
| Hull Kingston Rovers | 3–0 | Millom |
| Kendal Hornets | 0–9 | Maryport |
| Leeds Parish Church | 5–0 | Seaton Rangers |
| Liversedge | 8–12 | Leigh |
| Manningham | 3–3 | Oldham |
| Morecambe | 19–0 | Whitehaven Recreation |
| Normanton | 5–0 | Leeds |
| Ossett | 5–0 | Elland |
| Outwood Church | 5–24 | Widnes |
| Radcliffe | 13–0 | Whitworth |
| Runcorn | 42–0 | Birstall |
| St Helens | 0–6 | Warrington |
| Salford | 9–0 | York |
| Stockport | 2–0 | Hunslet |
| Swinton | 53–0 | Eastmoor |
| Tyldesley | 12–0 | Brookland |
| Windhill | 0–11 | Rochdale Hornets |
| Source: |||
The two drawn matches were replayed on Tuesday 20 March; Batley beat Castleford 5–0 and Oldham beat Manningham 18–3.

## Second round

The second-round games were played on Saturday 24 March 1900.
| Home | Score | Away |
| Altrincham | 3–15 | Leeds Parish Church |
| Bradford | 12–0 | Ossett |
| Bramley | 8–5 | Hull FC |
| Brighouse Rangers | 0–4 | Wakefield Trinity |
| Dewsbury | 0–2 | Widnes |
| Halifax | 5–10 | Oldham |
| Holbeck | 8–17 | Swinton |
| Huddersfield | 13–0 | Workington |
| Leigh | 2–9 | Salford |
| Morecambe | 0–7 | Broughton Rangers |
| Normanton | 0–3 | Batley |
| Radcliffe | 2–0 | Werneth |
| Rochdale Hornets | 13–5 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| Runcorn | 12–0 | Maryport |
| Stockport | 5–2 | Tyldesley |
| Warrington | 44–0 | Goole |
| Source: |||

## Third round

The third round matches were played on Saturday 31 March 1900.
| Home | Score | Away |
| Bradford | 0–0 | Runcorn |
| Bramley | 3–3 | Widnes |
| Broughton Rangers | 5–3 | Wakefield Trinity |
| Leeds Parish Church | 7–2 | Batley |
| Rochdale Hornets | 3–0 | Warrington |
| Salford | 6–5 | Huddersfield |
| Stockport | 24–3 | Radcliffe |
| Swinton | 14–2 | Oldham |
| Source: |||
The Widnes v Bramley tie was replayed on Tuesday 3 April with Widnes winning 8–0. Runcorn and Bradford replayed their game the following evening and drew again, this time 3–3. With the quarter-finals to be played on the following Saturday, the two clubs had to play a second replay on the following, Thursday, evening. In this third meeting Runcorn came out on top 6–2 in a match played on neutral ground at Broughton Rovers.

## Quarter-finals

Saturday 7 April 1900 saw the four quarter final games played.
| Home | Score | Away |
| Leeds Parish Church | 5–5 | Runcorn |
| Salford | 11–3 | Rochdale Hornets |
| Stockport | 0–3 | Widnes |
| Swinton | 9–0 | Broughton Rangers |
| Source: |||
Leeds parish Church and Runcorn replayed the match on 11 April and Leeds Parish Church won 8–6.

## Semifinals

The semi finals were played on 14 April 1900
| Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| Salford | 11–0 | Widnes | Watersheddings, Oldham |
| Swinton | 8–0 | Leeds Parish Church | Fartown, Huddersfield |
| Source: ||||

## Final

* 28 April 1900
| Swinton | 16 – 8 | Salford |
| Try: Davies, Lewis, Messer, R. Valentine Goal: J. Valentine (2) | Report | Try: Pearson, T. Williams Goal: Griffiths |
* Fallowfield, Manchester Attendance: 17,864 Referee: F. Renton (Hunslet)
| 1 | Alf Chorley |
| 2 | Jack Lewis |
| 3 | Bobby Messer |
| 4 | Bob Valentine |
| 5 | Vernon Hampson |
| 6 | Dai Davies |
| 7 | Joey Morgan |
| 8 | Evan Vigors |
| 9 | George Harris |
| 10 | Jack Preston |
| 11 | Dick Jones |
| 12 | Jim Valentine |
| 13 | Charlie Pollitt |
| 14 | Jack Evans |
| 15 | Ben Murphy |
| 1 | Dan Smith |
| 2 | Arthur Pearson |
| 3 | Tom Williams |
| 4 | E. T. Harter |
| 5 | Herbert Hadwen |
| 6 | Ben Griffiths |
| 7 | Ivor Grey |
| 8 | Hugh Shore |
| 9 | Robert Shaw |
| 10 | Pat Tunney |
| 11 | Miles Gledhill |
| 12 | William Brown |
| 13 | George Fisher |
| 14 | Jack Williams |
| 15 | Jack Rhapps |