# 1985–86 Challenge Cup

The 1985–86 Challenge Cup was the 85th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons,. The Preliminary, 1st and 2nd rounds. and Quarter-finals was hit by the Winter of 1985-86 in Great Britain and Ireland with the preliminary round ties not being completed until 31 January and the 1st Round not being completed until 26 February and the first round had a major upset in the form of 2nd Division Doncaster knocking out 1st Division Salford winning 18-12 at home however only 842 spectators were there to see it and only 2 2nd Round ties being played on 23 February with 1 1st Round tie being played the day before on 22 February in front of the BBC Grandstand cameras the other 2 being played on 24 and 26 February and the remaining 2nd Round ties being played between 8–12 March 1986 (including a replay). This meant that the Quarter-finals were not played until 16 March 1986 (with a replay on 19 March 1986) with no television coverage this led to the Last 16, Quarter-finals and the Semi-finals being played on consecutive weekends for the first time in the Challenge Cup's 89-year history. The final on 3 May 1986 was contested by Castleford and Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley. Castleford won the match 15–14.

## Preliminary round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 26 January 1986 | Hunslet | 20–8 | Kells | 1,200 |
| 2 | 29 January 1986 | Hull | 38–10 | Dudley Hill | 2,590 |
| 3 | 30 January 1986 | Swinton | 8–30 | Leeds | 1,348 |
| 4 | 31 January 1986 | Carlisle | 20–14 | Mansfield Marksman | 482 |

## First round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 8 February 1986 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 22–6 | Hull | 8,770 |
| 2 | 9 February 1986 | Blackpool Borough | 30–10 | Runcorn Highfield | 422 |
| 3 | 9 February 1986 | Doncaster | 18–12 | Salford | 842 |
| 4 | 9 February 1986 | Featherstone Rovers | 14–18 | Widnes | 2,378 |
| 5 | 9 February 1986 | Halifax | 4–24 | Leeds | 7,422 |
| 6 | 9 February 1986 | Huddersfield | 4–10 | Rochdale Hornets | 913 |
| 7 | 9 February 1986 | Hunslet | 6–60 | Castleford | 2,358 |
| 8 | 9 February 1986 | Keighley | 2–24 | Leigh | 1,968 |
| 9 | 9 February 1986 | Oldham | 56–10 | Carlisle | 2,785 |
| 10 | 9 February 1986 | Warrington | 62–11 | Sheffield Eagles | 2,347 |
| 11 | 9 February 1986 | Workington Town | 12–56 | Wigan | 6,346 |
| 12 | 9 February 1986 | York | 18–6 | Whitehaven | 2,339 |
| 13 | 16 February 1986 | Bramley | 8–6 | Batley | 1,050 |
| 14 | 22 February 1986 | Bradford Northern | 10–8 | Wakefield Trinity | 2,649 |
| 15 | 24 February 1986 | Dewsbury | 19–22 | St. Helens | 1,948 |
| 16 | 26 February 1986 | Fulham | 4–17 | Barrow | 1,220 |

## Second round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 23 February 1986 | Doncaster | 10–28 | Leeds | 7,636 |
| 2 | 23 February 1986 | Widnes | 36–20 | Rochdale Hornets | 3,706 |
| 3 | 8 March 1986 | Wigan | 24–14 | St. Helens | 18,553 |
| 4 | 9 March 1986 | Barrow | 6–30 | Castleford | 3,613 |
| 5 | 9 March 1986 | Bradford Northern | 20–20 | Bramley | 3,037 |
| Replay | 12 March 1986 | Bramley | 2–36 | Bradford Northern | 3,014 |
| 6 | 9 March 1986 | Leigh | 31–10 | Blackpool Borough | 3,241 |
| 7 | 9 March 1986 | Oldham | 13–6 | Warrington | 6,526 |
| 8 | 9 March 1986 | York | 6–34 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5,694 |

## Third round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 16 March 1986 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 25–10 | Leigh | 7,928 |
| 2 | 16 March 1986 | Oldham | 6–1 | Bradford Northern | 6,962 |
| 3 | 16 March 1986 | Widnes | 10–10 | Leeds | 8,141 |
| Replay | 19 March 1986 | Leeds | 5–0 | Widnes | 15,710 |
| 4 | 16 March 1986 | Wigan | 2–10 | Castleford | 18,503 |

## Semi-final

* 22 March 1986
| Castleford | 18 – 7 | Oldham |
| Try: Beardmore (2), Marchant Goal: Ketteridge (3) | Report | Try: Liddiard Goal: Hobbs Drop goal: Ashton |
* Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 12,430
* 29 March 1986
| Leeds | 24 – 24 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| Try: Currie (2), Creasser, Medley Goal: Creasser (3) Drop goal: Lyons, Webb | Report | Try: Laws (2), Smith (2) Goal: Dorahy (4) |
* Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 23,866

### Replay

* 3 April 1986
| Hull Kingston Rovers | 17 – 0 | Leeds |
| Try: Johnston, Kelly, Lydiat Goal: Dorahy (2) Drop goal: Harkin | Report | |
* Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 32,485

## Final

* 3 May 1986
| Castleford | 15 – 14 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| Try: Beardmore, Marchant, Sandy Goal: Ketteridge Drop goal: Beardmore | Report | Try: Prohm (2), Lydiat Goal: Dorahy |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 82,134 Referee: R. Whitfield (Widnes) Player of the Match: Bob Beardmore
| FB | 1 | Gary Lord |
| RW | 2 | David Plange |
| RC | 3 | Tony Marchant |
| LC | 4 | Gary Hyde |
| LW | 5 | Jamie Sandy |
| SO | 6 | John Joyner (c) |
| SH | 7 | Bob Beardmore |
| PR | 8 | Kevin Ward |
| HK | 9 | Kevin Beardmore |
| PR | 10 | Barry Johnson |
| SR | 11 | Keith England |
| SR | 12 | Martin Ketteridge |
| LF | 13 | Ian French |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | David Roockley |
| IC | 15 | Stuart Horton |
| Coach: ||
| Mal Reilly ||
| FB | 1 | George Fairbairn |
| RW | 2 | Garry Clark |
| RC | 3 | Mike Smith |
| LC | 4 | Gary Prohm |
| LW | 5 | David Laws |
| SO | 6 | John Dorahy |
| SH | 7 | Paul Harkin |
| PR | 8 | Peter Johnston |
| HK | 9 | David Watkinson (c) |
| PR | 10 | Asuquo Ema |
| SR | 11 | Andy Kelly |
| SR | 12 | Des Harrison |
| LF | 13 | Gavin Miller |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Gordon Smith |
| IC | 15 | John Lydiat |
| Coach: ||
| Roger Millward ||