# 1897–98 Challenge Cup

The 1898 Challenge Cup was the 2nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The final was contested by Batley and Bradford at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
The final was played on Saturday 23 April 1898, where Batley beat Bradford 7–0 at Headingley in front of a crowd of 27,941.

## First round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 26 Feb | Altrincham | Salford St Bart's | 8-0 |
| 26 Feb | Barrow | Dalton | 13-3 |
| 26 Feb | Barton | Rochdale Rangers | 16-3 |
| 26 Feb | Batley | St Helens | 12-7 |
| 26 Feb | Birkenhead | Runcorn Recs | 17-0 |
| 26 Feb | Bradford | Swinton | 7-2 |
| 26 Feb | Castleford | Wigan | 18-2 |
| 26 Feb | Eastmoor | Smallbridge | 22-3 |
| 26 Feb | Fleetwood | Warr. St Mary's | 6-3 |
| 26 Feb | Hull | Morecambe | 8-0 |
| 26 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | Hull Marlborough | 46-0 |
| 26 Feb | Hunslet | Lancaster | 8-3 |
| 26 Feb | Leeds Parish Church | Bramley | 7-10 |
| 26 Feb | Leigh | Heckmondwike | 7-0 |
| 26 Feb | Manningham | Huddersfield | 5-11 |
| 26 Feb | Millom | Salford | 2-9 |
| 26 Feb | Mossley | Lees | 0-9 |
| 26 Feb | Oldham | Leeds | 8-3 |
| 26 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | Holbeck | 10-6 |
| 26 Feb | Stockport | Brighouse Rangers | 5-6 |
| 26 Feb | Tyldesley | Broughton Rangers | 2-3 |
| 26 Feb | Ulverston | Runcorn | 2-19 |
| 26 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | Warrington | 5-3 |
| 26 Feb | Walkden | Swinton Church | 22-0 |
| 26 Feb | Werneth | Oldham Jnrs | 14-0 |
| 26 Feb | Whitworth | Rochdale Athletic | 2-2 |
| 26 Feb | Widnes | Liversedge | 26-0 |
| 1 Mar | Halifax | St Helens Recreation | 17-0 |
| 1 Mar - Replay | Rochdale Athletic | Whitworth | 0-4 |

## Second round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 05 Mar | Abbey Hills | Leigh | 0-2 |
| 05 Mar | Altrincham | Eastmoor | 11-2 |
| 05 Mar | Barton | Werneth | 16-4 |
| 05 Mar | Birkenhead | Bradford | 0-5 |
| 05 Mar | Brighouse Rangers | Runcorn | 3-3 |
| 05 Mar | Broughton Rangers | Wakefield Trinity | 3-0 |
| 05 Mar | Castleford | Whitworth | 14-7 |
| 05 Mar | Halifax | Oldham | 3-8 |
| 05 Mar | Huddersfield | Barrow | 14-6 |
| 05 Mar | Hull Kingston Rovers | Morley | 11-0 |
| 05 Mar | Lees | Salford | 2-65 |
| 05 Mar | Lostock Gralam | Fleetwood | 0-10 |
| 05 Mar | Radcliffe | Hull | 0-18 |
| 05 Mar | Rochdale Hornets | Bramley | 3-4 |
| 05 Mar | Walkden | Batley | 0-8 |
| 05 Mar | Widnes | Hunslet | 8-7 |
| 09 Mar - replay | Runcorn | Brighouse Rangers | 11-0 |

## Third round

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 19 Mar | Altrincham | Salford | 0-16 |
| 19 Mar | Barton | Bramley | 3-9 |
| 19 Mar | Castleford | Batley | 4-10 |
| 19 Mar | Fleetwood | Hull Kingston Rovers | 0-31 |
| 19 Mar | Huddersfield | Broughton Rangers | 0-6 |
| 19 Mar | Hull | Bradford | 2-6 |
| 19 Mar | Leigh | Widnes | 3-3 |
| 19 Mar | Oldham | Runcorn | 11-0 |
| 23 Mar - Replay | Widnes | Leigh | 22-3 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team One | Team Two | Score |
| 26 Mar | Batley | Oldham | 3-0 |
| 26 Mar | Bradford | Broughton Rangers | 7-5 |
| 26 Mar | Hull Kingston Rovers | Widnes | 0-0 |
| 26 Mar | Salford | Bramley | 12-2 |
| 30 Mar - replay | Widnes | Hull Kingston Rovers | 6-5 |

## Semi-finals

| Batley | 5–0 | Salford |
* Watersheddings, Oldham Attendance: 15,000
| Bradford | 13–0 | Widnes |
* Hanson Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire Attendance: 14,000

## Final

* 23 April 1898
| Batley | 7–0 | Bradford |
| Try: J. Goodall, Davies Goal: J. Goodall | Report | |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 27,941 Referee: J. H. Smith (Widnes)
| 1 | Arthur Garner |
| 2 | Wattie Davies |
| 3 | John B. Goodall |
| 4 | Dai Fitzgerald |
| 5 | Fred 'Ted' Fozzard |
| 6 | Joe Oakland |
| 7 | Harry Goodall |
| 8 | Mark Shackleton |
| 9 | Jim Gath |
| 10 | George Main |
| 11 | Robert 'Bob' Spurr |
| 12 | Fred Fisher |
| 13 | Charlie Stubley |
| 14 | John T. 'Paudy' Munns |
| 15 | Jack Rogers |
| 1 | B. Patrick |
| 2 | T. H. Dobson |
| 3 | F. W. Cooper |
| 4 | W. Murgatroyd |
| 5 | F. Murgatroyd |
| 6 | R. Wood |
| 7 | H. Prole |
| 8 | T. Broadley |
| 9 | J. Fearnley |
| 10 | R. J. Robertson |
| 11 | H. Holden |
| 12 | E. Kelsey |
| 13 | B. Holt |
| 14 | J. McLoughlin |
| 15 | J. Toothill |