# 2008 Challenge Cup

The 2008 Challenge Cup (also known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 107th staging of the most prestigious knock-out competition in the world of Rugby league, featuring teams from across Europe, including England, Scotland, Wales, France and Russia. It began in February 2008.
Teams from the National League were given byes to round three, and teams from the Super League entered in round four. Teams from outside the UK were introduced at various stages.
St. Helens successfully defended their title after beating Hull F.C. 28 - 16 in the final.

## Round 1

    (week ending 3 February, 3 fixtures played Saturday 9 February (indicated with *), 1 on Saturday 16 February (indicated with **))
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 | Askham | 12 – 20 | West Bowling |
| 2* | Bradford Dudley Hill | 72 – 0 | Dewsbury Celtic |
| 3 | Bramley Buffaloes | 24 – 16 | Castleford Panthers |
| 4 | British Army | 34 – 12 | Thatto Heath |
| 5 | Castleford Lock Lane | 18 – 32 | Royal Navy |
| 6* | Drighlington | 10 – 20 | Bank Quay Bulls |
| 7 | East Hull | 54 – 6 | Royal Air Force |
| 8* | Eastmoor | 10 – 23 | Queens |
| 9 | Eccles & Salford | 10 – 28 | Leigh East |
| 10 | Ellenbrough Rangers | 17 – 1 | Saddleworth Rangers |
| 11 | Hull Wyke | 18 – 40 | York Acorn |
| 12 | Ince Rose Bridge | 28 – 6 *** | Hunslet Old Boys |
| 13 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 24 – 18 | Halton Simms Cross |
| 14 | Mayfield | 48 – 4 | Crosfields |
| 15 | Millom | 38 – 0 | Milford Marlins |
| 16 | Normanton Knights | 38 – 8 | Edinburgh Eagles |
| 17 | Oulton Raiders | 48 – 4 | Oldham St Annes |
| 18 | Seaton Rangers | 6 – 38 | Featherstone Lions |
| 19 | Siddal | 62 – 6 | Egremont Rangers |
| 20 | Skirlaugh | 46 – 14 | Waterhead |
| 21 | St Albans | 16 – 42 | Hull Dockers |
| 22 | St Marys | 22 – 30 | Warrington Wizards |
| 23 | Stanningley | 16 – 10 | Shaw Cross Sharks |
| 24 | Thornhill | 20 – 26 | Leeds Met |
| 25 | Wath Brow Hornets | 58 – 4 | Heworth |
| 26* | West Hull | 48 – 14 | Widnes St Maries |
| 27 | Wigan St Patricks | 44 – 14 | Ovenden |
*** - Match abandoned after Hunslet Old Boys had 4 players sent off. Hunslet Old Boys were subsequently thrown out of the competition.

## Round 2

    (weekend of 23 – 24 February)
Russian team Vereya joined in this round. Vereya were runners-up in the Russian Championship to Lokomotiv Moscow. Lokomotiv Moscow joined in the third round.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 | Bank Quay Bulls | 29 – 0 | Millom |
| 2 | Bramley Buffaloes | 16 – 26 | Wigan St. Patricks |
| 3 | Hull Dockers | 14 – 19 | Skirlaugh |
| 4 | Ince Rose Bridge | 25 – 26 | British Army |
| 5 | Leeds Met Uni | 20 – 8 | Leigh East |
| 6 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 64 – 12 | Vereya |
| 7 | Normanton | 18 – 38 | East Hull |
| 8 | Oulton Raiders | 18 – 14 | West Hull |
| 9 | Royal Navy | 6 – 36 | Rochdale Mayfield |
| 10 | Siddal | 6 – 17 | Queens |
| 11 | Warrington Wizards | 26 – 10 | Stanningley |
| 12 | Wath Brow Hornets | 8 – 6 | Ellenborough Rangers |
| 13 | West Bowling | 16 – 34 | Featherstone Lions |
| 14 | York Acorn | 14 – 6 | Bradford Dudley Hill |

## Round 3

    (weekend of 8 – 9 March)
The National Leagues teams, together with Lokomotiv Moscow, Pia, Lezignan and Toulouse joined in this round. Super League teams joined in Round 4.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 | Bank Quay Bulls | 6 – 36 | Hunslet |
| 2 | Batley | 42 – 10 | East Hull |
| 3 | Blackpool | 16 – 23 | Featherstone Rovers |
| 4 | British Army | 10 – 56 | Oldham |
| 5 | Celtic Crusaders | 58 – 10 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 6 | Gateshead Thunder | 24 – 26 | Pia |
| 7 | Keighley | 14 – 17 | Toulouse |
| 8 | Leeds Met Uni | 16 – 44 | Doncaster |
| 9 | Leigh | 66 – 0 | Featherstone Lions |
| 10 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 14 – 40 | Whitehaven |
| 11 | London Skolars | 20 – 8 | Queens |
| 12 | Rochdale Mayfield | 10 – 30 | Barrow |
| 13 | Oulton Raiders | 24 – 54 | Dewsbury |
| 14 | Rochdale Hornets | 50 – 8 | York Acorn |
| 15 | Salford | 66 – 10 | Warrington Wizards |
| 16 | Sheffield Eagles | 22 – 37 | Lezignan |
| 17 | Wath Brow Hornets | 14 – 40 | Swinton |
| 18 | Widnes | 60 – 18 | Skirlaugh |
| 19 | Wigan St. Patricks | 14 – 50 | Workington Town |
| 20 | York | 12 – 34 | Halifax |

## Round 4

    (Weekend of 18 – 20 April)
Super League teams joined in Round 4. From Round 4 onwards, the competition was a straightforward knock-out, with no more teams joining.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 | Batley | 12 – 26 | Dewsbury |
| 2 | Leigh | 16 – 28 | Warrington |
| 3 | Workington Town | 12 – 68 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 4 | Harlequins | 44 – 14 | Castleford |
| 5 | Doncaster | 12 – 38 | Widnes |
| 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 12 – 22 | Catalans Dragons |
| 7 | Barrow | 48 – 16 | Hunslet |
| 8 | Salford | 8 – 38 | Wakefield Trinity |
| 9 | Leeds | 38 – 16 | Celtic Crusaders |
| 10 | Swinton | 8 – 20 | Oldham |
| 11 | Bradford | 98 – 6 | Toulouse Olympique |
| 12 | Halifax | 24 – 42 | Huddersfield |
| 13 | Whitehaven | 46 – 6 | Lézignan Sangliers |
| 14 | St. Helens | 56 – 0 | London Skolars |
| 15 | Rochdale Hornets | 5 – 42 | Hull F.C. |
| 16 | Wigan | 74 – 4 | Pia Donkeys |
All fixtures taken from BBC Sport

## Round 5

    (weekend of 9 – 12 May)
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 42 – 22 | Huddersfield |
| 2 | Barrow | 6 – 58 | Wakefield Trinity |
| 3 | Dewsbury | 12 – 58 | Oldham |
| 4 | Bradford | 46 – 16 | Catalans Dragons |
| 5 | Wigan | 106 – 8 | Whitehaven |
| 6 | Widnes | 18 – 32* | Hull F.C. |
| 7 | Harlequins | 26 – 36 | Leeds |
| 8 | St. Helens | 40 – 34 | Warrington |

## Quarter finals

* 1 June 2008
| Bradford | 16 – 22 | Hull F.C. |
| Try: Tupou 54' c Sykes 78' m Goal: Harris (4) | (Preview) | Try: Sing 31' c, 43' c Byrne 39' c Goal: Tickle (5) |
* Odsal, Bradford Referee: Steve Ganson
* 1 June 2008
| Hull Kingston Rovers | 18 – 24 | St. Helens |
| Try: Cooke Fitzhenry Webster Goal: Cooke (3) | (Preview) | Try: Talau Fa'asavalu Long Gardner Goal: Long (4) |
* Craven Park, Hull Referee: Ashley Klein
* 31 May 2008
| Leeds | 23 – 16 | Wigan |
| Try: Diskin 5' c Burrow 28' c Webb 57' c Donald 76' c Goal: Sinfield (3) Drop: Sinfield 80' | (Report) | Try: Calderwood 38' c T. Leuluai 66' c Goal: Richards (4) |
* Headingley, Leeds Referee: Richard Silverwood
* 1 June 2008
| Wakefield Trinity | 46 – 4 | Oldham |
| Try: Gleeson (2) Blanch Wilkes Drew Rooney (2) Brough Martin Goal: Brough (5) | (Preview) | Try: Onyango |
* Belle Vue, Wakefield Referee: Ben Thaler

## Semi finals

* 26 July 2008
| Leeds | 16 v 26 | St. Helens |
* Kirklees Stadium, Huddersfield Referee: Ashley Klein
* 27 July 2008
| Wakefield Trinity | 24 v 32 | Hull F.C. |
* Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster Referee: Richard Silverwood

## Final

* 30 August 2008
| St. Helens | 28 v 16 | Hull F.C. |
* Wembley Stadium, London

## UK Broadcasting rights

Selected matches were televised solely by the BBC.
| Round | Live match | Date | BBC channel |
| Round 4 | Harlequins 44 - 14 Castleford Salford 8 - 38 Wakefield Trinity | | BBC Two$^1$ |
| Round 5 | Hull Kingston Rovers 42 - 22 Huddesfield St. Helens 40 - 34 Warrington | | BBC Two$^1$ BBC One |
| Quarter finals | Leeds 23 - 16 Wigan Bradford 16 - 22 Hull | May 31, 2008 June 1, 2008 | BBC One BBC Two$^2$ |
| Semi finals | Leeds 16 - 26 St. Helens Wakefield Trinity 24 - 32 Hull | July 26, 2008 July 27, 2008 | BBC One BBC Two$^3$ |
| Final | St. Helens 28 - 16 Hull | August 30, 2008 | BBC One |
$^1$ Except East and Yorkshire.
$^2$ Except East, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire.
$^3$ Except Yorkshire.