1972–73 Challenge Cup

The 1972–73 Challenge Cup was the 72nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

1972–73 Challenge Cup

Highest attendance	72,395
Broadcast partners	BBC
Winners	Featherstone Rovers
Runners-up	Bradford Northern
Lance Todd Trophy	Steve Nash
← 1971–72 1973–74 →

The final was contested by Featherstone Rovers and Bradford Northern at Wembley.

Featherstone Rovers beat Bradford Northern 33-14 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 72,395.^[1]

The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was the Featherstone scrum-half, Steve Nash.^[2]

Cyril Kellett scored 8-conversions for Featherstone Rovers, the most in a Challenge Cup final until it was equalled by Iestyn Harris in 1999.

First round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
26 Jan	St Helens	Doncaster	41-0
27 Jan	Castleford	Swinton	13-9
27 Jan	Huddersfield	Hull Kingston Rovers	6-19
27 Jan	Huyton	Wakefield Trinity	6-18
27 Jan	Leeds	Wigan	11-25
27 Jan	Millom	Hunslet	5-18
28 Jan	Bradford Northern	Whitehaven	17-4
28 Jan	Bramley	Dewsbury	8-11
28 Jan	Featherstone Rovers	Salford	18-11
28 Jan	Halifax	Warrington	4-7
28 Jan	Hull FC	Batley	11-6
28 Jan	Keighley	Rochdale Hornets	8-44
28 Jan	Leigh	Dewsbury Celtic	27-4
28 Jan	Oldham	Barrow	24-7
30 Jan	Widnes	Blackpool	53-3
30 Jan	York	Workington Town	19-24

Second round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
17 Feb	Hull FC	Oldham	2-24
17 Feb	Leigh	Wakefield Trinity	0-5
17 Feb	Workington Town	Dewsbury	8-10
18 Feb	Bradford Northern	Hull Kingston Rovers	13-8
18 Feb	Featherstone Rovers	Rochdale Hornets	30-19
18 Feb	Hunslet	Castleford	0-39
18 Feb	Warrington	Widnes	20-8
18 Feb	Wigan	St Helens	15-2

Quarter-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
03 Mar	Castleford	Oldham	25-11
04 Mar	Bradford Northern	Wigan	11-7
04 Mar	Dewsbury	Wakefield Trinity	16-4
04 Mar	Warrington	Featherstone Rovers	14-18

Semi-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
07 Apr	Bradford Northern	Dewsbury	23-7
14 Apr	Featherstone Rovers	Castleford	17-3

Final

Featherstone Rovers	33 – 14	Bradford Northern
Try: Newlove (2), Farrar, Smith, Hartley Goal: Kellett (8) Drop goal: Nash	Report	Try: Redfearn, Fearnley Goal: Tees (4)

12 May 1973

Wembley, London Attendance: 72,395 Referee: M. J. Naughton (Widnes)[3] Player of the Match: Steve Nash

1 Cyril Kellett 2 Paul Coventry 3 Michael Smith 4 John Newlove (c) 5 Ken Kellett 6 Mel Mason 7 Steve Nash 8 Les Tonks 9 John Keith Bridges 10 Vince Farrar 11 Alan Rhodes 12 James "Jimmy" Thompson 13 Charlie Stone Substitutes: 14 David "Dave" Hartley 15 Barry Hollis Coach: Peter Fox

1 Eddie Tees 2 Mike Lamb 3 Dave Stockwell 4 Bernard Watson (c) 5 David Redfearn 6 Mike Blacker 7 Barry Seabourne 8 Brian Hogan 9 Peter Dunn 10 Kelvin Earl 11 Graham Joyce 12 Bill Pattinson 13 Stanley Fearnley Substitutes: 14 Arnie Long 15 David Treasure Coach: Ian Brooke

References

1. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
2. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
3. Mather, Harold (14 May 1973). "Contest that lasted 19 minutes". The Guardian. London. p. 18.

External links

• Challenge Cup official website Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Challenge Cup 1972/73 results at Rugby League Project