1907 Challenge Cup - The first 13 a side cup competition

2026-07-14T16:08:34+01:00

At the Northern Union’s Annual General Meeting in June 1906 a number of rule changes were made in an attempt to make the sport more attractive to spectators. The changes included introducing the play the ball rule and reducing the number of players on each side from fifteen to thirteen.

Following the formation of the Northern Union in August 1895 a full league programme was organised, but with only ten days between the formation of the Northern Union and the start of league fixtures there wasn’t sufficient time to organise a cup competition; the Challenge Cup came into existence the following season.

The 1896/97 Cup competition was won by Batley who beat St Helens by 10 points to 3 at Headingley Stadium in front of 13,492 spectators. Over the next ten years the Challenge Cup became well established and a highlight of the Northern Union season. All the professional clubs took part in the competition along with an increasing number of the junior clubs playing Northern Union.

Seventy one clubs entered the 1906/07 Challenge Cup, the majority being junior clubs. There were three qualifying rounds and one intermediate round before thirty two clubs took part in Round One on the 16th of March 1907. The results from the qualifying rounds are incomplete so it may be that some of the junior clubs that entered didn’t play giving their opponents a walkover.

Round One

Barrow 0 Dewsbury 0

Replay: Dewsbury 16 Barrow 3

Broughton Rangers 38 Widnes 0

Millom 3 Halifax 45

Huddersfield 38 Brighouse St James 0

Liverpool City 2 Hull 63

Hull Kingston Rovers 9 Bradford 8

Keighley 18 Brookland Rovers 0

Leeds 18 Rochdale Hornets 11

Oldham 5 Runcorn 0

Radcliffe Rangers 0 York 13

Salford 10 Leigh 5

Swinton 16 St Helens 9

Warrington 34 Batley 9

Wigan 20 Hunslet 0

Whitehaven Rec 10 Saville Green 0

Workington 3 Wakefield Trinity 3

Replay: Wakefield Trinity 16 Workington 5

Junior clubs in bold

Of the six junior clubs that joined the professional clubs in the first round only Whitehaven Rec progressed to the second round.

Round Two

Broughton Rangers 7 Leeds 11

Halifax 5 Oldham 10

Huddersfield 17 Hull Kingston Rovers 0

Salford 18 Wigan 5

Wakefield Trinity 12 Dewsbury 12

Replay: Dewsbury 5 Wakefield Trinity 21

Warrington 16 Hull 0

Whitehaven Rec 0 Keighley 14

York 3 Swinton 11

Round Three

Huddersfield 9 Warrington 17

Salford 12 Leeds 3

Swinton 22 Keighley 8

Wakefield Trinity 10 Oldham 14

Semi – finals

Warrington 21 Swinton 0

Oldham 6 Salford 0

Final

The final between Warrington and Oldham was played on the 27th of April 1907 at Wheater’s Field, Broughton in front of an attendance of 18,500.

Warrington won the game by 17 points to 3.

Jack Fish

Jack Fish, Warrington’s winger, who had played a significant role in his club’s successful run to the final scored one try and kicked four goals for a dominant Warrington team.

To read more about the Challenge Cup and the impact of junior clubs on the competition check out ‘Making Up The Numbers’ For further details click here

Warrington - 1907 Challenge Cup Winners

1907 Challenge Cup - The first 13 a side cup competition