# 1982–83 Challenge Cup

The 1982–83 Challenge Cup was the 82nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the State Express Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, the final was contested by Featherstone Rovers and Hull F.C. at Wembley. Featherstone won the match 14–12, and is considered one of the biggest upsets in Challenge Cup final history.

## Preliminary round

| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | Wigan | 14–4 | Cardiff City | 5,816 |

## First round

| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | Widnes | 6–12 | Leeds | 5,861 |
| 2 | Barrow | 18–6 | Whitehaven | 4,898 |
| 3 | Blackpool Borough | 11–19 | Hull | 3,388 |
| 4 | Huddersfield | 5–13 | Halifax | 2,656 |
| 5 | Hunslet | 12–11 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4,441 |
| 6 | Salford | 12–5 | Leigh | 6,519 |
| 7 | Swinton | 21–13 | Doncaster | 1,027 |
| 8 | Wakefield Trinity | 27–5 | Keighley | 3,446 |
| 9 | Warrington | 41–3 | Bramley | 3,241 |
| 10 | St. Helens | 52–0 | Carlisle | 2,875 |
| 11 | Bradford Northern | 23–5 | York | 2,685 |
| 12 | Featherstone Rovers | 21–5 | Batley | 1,374 |
| 13 | Oldham | 5–8 | Workington Town | 2,987 |
| 14 | Rochdale Hornets | 4–24 | Fulham | 701 |
| 15 | Wigan | 7–17 | Castleford | 10,737 |
| 16 | Dewsbury | 7–13 | Huyton | 563 |

## Second round

| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | Hull | 32–15 | Wakefield Trinity | 11,197 |
| 2 | Barrow | 9–14 | Castleford | 6,779 |
| 3 | Fulham | 4–11 | Bradford Northern | 4,976 |
| 4 | Hunslet | 17–8 | Halifax | 4,130 |
| 5 | Leeds | 13–23 | St. Helens | 12,483 |
| 6 | Salford | 11–17 | Featherstone Rovers | 4,169 |
| 7 | Warrington | 34–2 | Huyton | 2,825 |
| 8 | Workington Town | 14–9 | Swinton | 1,751 |

## Third round

| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | St. Helens | 10–11 | Featherstone Rovers | 6,125 |
| 2 | Hunslet | 8–13 | Castleford | 14,004 |
| 3 | Warrington | 4–10 | Hull | 10,280 |
| 4 | Workington Town | 0–17 | Bradford Northern | 3,894 |

## Semi final

* 26 March 1983
| Bradford Northern | 6 – 11 | Featherstone Rovers |
| Try: Hanley, Van Bellen | Report | Try: Gilbert, Hudson, Marsden Goal: Quinn |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 10,784 Referee: John Holdsworth (Leeds)
* 2 April 1983
| Castleford | 7 – 14 | Hull |
| Try: England Goal: Hyde | Report | Try: Day, Evans, O'Hara, Leuluai Goal: Crooks |
* Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 26,031 Referee: Billy Thompson (Huddersfield)

## Final

Hull F.C. returned to Wembley as defending champions, having won the Challenge Cup for the second time in their history in the previous year. Hull went into the match as strong favourites, but were surprisingly defeated by their opponents Featherstone Rovers.
* 7 May 1983
| Featherstone Rovers | 14 – 12 | Hull |
| Try: Hobbs (2) Goal: Quinn (4) | Report | Try: Crooks, Leuluai Goal: Crooks (3) |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 84,969 Referee: Robin Whitfield (Widnes) Player of the Match: David Hobbs
| FB | 1 | Nigel Barker |
| RW | 2 | John Marsden |
| RC | 3 | Steve Quinn |
| LC | 4 | John Gilbert |
| LW | 5 | Ken Kellett |
| SO | 6 | Alan Banks |
| SH | 7 | Terry Hudson (c) |
| PR | 8 | Michael Gibbins |
| HK | 9 | Raymond Handscombe |
| PR | 10 | Steven Hankins |
| SR | 11 | David Hobbs |
| SR | 12 | Tim Slatter |
| LF | 13 | Peter Smith |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Paul Lyman |
| IC | 15 | Gary Siddall |
| Coach: ||
| Allan Agar ||
| FB | 1 | Gary Kemble |
| RW | 2 | Dane O'Hara |
| RC | 3 | Steve Evans |
| LC | 4 | James Leuluai |
| LW | 5 | Paul Prendiville |
| SO | 6 | David Topliss (c) |
| SH | 7 | Kevin Harkin |
| PR | 8 | Trevor Skerrett |
| HK | 9 | John Keith Bridges |
| PR | 10 | Richard 'Charlie' Stone |
| SR | 11 | Paul Rose |
| SR | 12 | Lee Crooks |
| LF | 13 | Steve Norton |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Terry Day |
| IC | 15 | Mick Crane |
| Coach: ||
| Arthur Bunting ||