# 1970–71 Challenge Cup

The 1970–71 Challenge Cup was the 70th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Leeds and Leigh at Wembley.

## First round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 23 Jan | Barrow | Widnes | 11-15 |
| 23 Jan | Batley | Wigan | 4-13 |
| 23 Jan | Blackpool | Huddersfield | 7-8 |
| 23 Jan | Leeds | Oldham | 49-2 |
| 23 Jan | Swinton | Huyton | 13-2 |
| 23 Jan | Thames Board Mills | Hunslet | 5-49 |
| 23 Jan | Warrington | Rochdale Hornets | 13-7 |
| 23 Jan | Whitehaven | Castleford | 0-15 |
| 23 Jan | Workington Town | St Helens | 6-8 |
| 24 Jan | Hull BOCM | Dewsbury | 3-25 |
| 24 Jan | Bramley | Doncaster | 6-5 |
| 24 Jan | Halifax | Featherstone Rovers | 13-18 |
| 24 Jan | Keighley | Hull Kingston Rovers | 9-9 |
| 24 Jan | Leigh | Bradford Northern | 9-2 |
| 24 Jan | Salford | Wakefield Trinity | 6-6 |
| 24 Jan | York | Hull FC | 0-2 |
| 27 Jan -replay | Hull Kingston Rovers | Keighley | 11-18 |
| 27 Jan - replay | Wakefield Trinity | Salford | 8-15 |

## Second round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 19 Feb | Castleford | Keighley | 9-6 |
| 20 Feb | Leeds | St Helens | 4-0 |
| 21 Feb | Dewsbury | Bramley | 13-17 |
| 21 Feb | Featherstone Rovers | Hull FC | 7-7 |
| 21 Feb | Hunslet | Huddersfield | 0-16 |
| 21 Feb | Salford | Warrington | 20-9 |
| 21 Feb | Swinton | Wigan | 8-2 |
| 21 Feb | Widnes | Leigh | 11-14 |
| 24 Feb -replay | Hull FC | Featherstone Rovers | 12-8 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 06 Mar | Bramley | Leeds | 0-14 |
| 06 Mar | Castleford | Salford | 9-8 |
| 07 Mar | Huddersfield | Swinton | 11-8 |
| 07 Mar | Leigh | Hull FC | 8-4 |

## Semi-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 27 Mar | Leeds | Castleford | 19-8 |
| 03 Apr | Leigh | Huddersfield | 10-4 |

## Final

The final was played on Saturday 15 May 1971, where Leigh beat Leeds 24-7 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 85,514.
The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Leigh's captain-coach, Alex Murphy who was stretchered off after a clash with Leeds player, Syd Hynes. For his part in the "clash", Hynes was sent off, and became the first player to be sent-off in a Challenge Cup final after the headbutt on Leigh's Murphy.
This was Leigh's second Cup final win in two final appearances. It was their last appearance in a Challenge Cup final until 2023.
* 15 May 1971
| Leigh | 24 – 7 | Leeds |
| Try Dorrington, Eckersley Goals Ferguson (5) DG Fiddler, Murphy (2), Eckersley | | Try Wainwright Goals Holmes (2) |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 85,514 Referee: Billy Thompson Player of the Match: Alex Murphy
| | 1 | David Eckersley |
| | 2 | Stuart Ferguson |
| | 3 | Stan Dorrington |
| | 4 | Mick Collins |
| | 5 | Joseph Walsh |
| | 6 | Tony Barrow |
| | 7 | Alex Murphy (c) |
| | 8 | Derek Watts |
| | 9 | Kevin Ashcroft |
| | 10 | Jimmy Fiddler |
| | 11 | Paul Grimes |
| | 12 | Geoffrey Clarkson |
| | 13 | Peter Smethurst |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 14 | Les Chisnall |
| | 15 | Roy Lester (unused) |
| Coach: ||
| Alex Murphy ||
| | 1 | John Holmes |
| | 2 | John Langley |
| | 3 | Syd Hynes (c) |
| | 4 | Ronnie Cowan |
| | 5 | John Atkinson |
| | 6 | Tony Wainwright |
| | 7 | Barry Seabourne |
| | 8 | John Burke |
| | 9 | Tony Fisher |
| | 10 | Ted Barnard |
| | 11 | David Hick |
| | 12 | Bob Haigh |
| | 13 | Bill Ramsey |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 14 | Les Dyl |
| | 15 | Phil Cookson (unused) |
| Coach: ||
| Derek Turner ||