1945–46 Challenge Cup

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1946–47 →

The 1945–46 Challenge Cup was the 45th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.^[1]

The final was contested by Wakefield Trinity and Wigan at Wembley Stadium in London. This was the first Challenge Cup to be held after the Second World War, and the final reverted to a one-leg format held at Wembley.

The final was played on Saturday 4 May 1946, where Wakefield Trinity beat Wigan 13–12 in front of a crowd of 54,730.^[2]

1945-1946

First round

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
9 Feb	Bradford Northern	11	Hull FC	0
9 Feb	Castleford	10	St Helens	4
9 Feb	Dewsbury	0	Hunslet	5
9 Feb	Featherstone Rovers	7	Halifax	10
9 Feb	Higher Ince	3	Widnes	30
9 Feb	Huddersfield	3	Wakefield Trinity	14
9 Feb	Hull Juniors	0	Bramley	29
9 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	18	Langworthy Jrs	0
9 Feb	Keighley	5	Liverpool	0
9 Feb	Kells	0	Warrington	3
9 Feb	Leeds	10	Batley	2
9 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	9	Barrow	11
9 Feb	Salford	8	Oldham	3
9 Feb	Sharlston Rovers	12	Workington Town	7
9 Feb	Swinton	5	Wigan	4
9 Feb	York	6	Belle Vue Rangers	13
16 Feb	Barrow	21	Rochdale Hornets	5
16 Feb	Batley	8	Leeds	29
16 Feb	Belle Vue Rangers	14	York	2
16 Feb	Bramley	51	Hull Juniors	3
16 Feb	Halifax	18	Featherstone Rovers	15
16 Feb	Hull FC	2	Bradford Northern	0
16 Feb	Hunslet	0	Dewsbury	2
16 Feb	Langworthy Jrs	7	Hull Kingston Rovers	14
16 Feb	Liverpool	7	Keighley	5
16 Feb	Oldham	2	Salford	3
16 Feb	St Helens	14	Castleford	5
16 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	5	Huddersfield	2
16 Feb	Warrington	27	Kells	0
16 Feb	Widnes	42	Higher Ince	3
16 Feb	Wigan	14	Swinton	2
16 Feb	Workington Town	16	Sharlston Rovers	2

Second round

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
2 Mar	Bramley	8	Warrington	2
2 Mar	Hull Kingston Rovers	0	Salford	0
2 Mar	Hunslet	18	Belle Vue Rangers	2
2 Mar	St Helens	6	Workington Town	13
2 Mar	Wakefield Trinity	10	Halifax	0
2 Mar	Widnes	8	Leeds	2
2 Mar	Wigan	37	Keighley	0
6 Mar	Salford	38	Hull Kingston Rovers	6
7 Mar	Barrow	5	Bradford Northern	0

Quarterfinals

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
16 Mar	Barrow	3	Wigan	13
16 Mar	Bramley	5	Widnes	11
16 Mar	Salford	8	Hunslet	15
16 Mar	Wakefield Trinity	14	Workington Town	4

Semifinals

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
30 Mar	Hunslet	3	Wakefield Trinity	7
30 Mar	Wigan	12	Widnes	5

Final

4 May 1946

Wakefield Trinity	13 – 12	Wigan
Try: Stott (2), Croston Goal: Stott (2)	Report	Try: Nordgren (2), J. Blan, Jolley

Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 54,730
Referee: A. Hill (Wakefield)^[3]
Player of the Match: Billy Stott


FB	1	Billy Teall
RW	2	Ron Rylance
RC	3	Billy Stott
LC	4	Jim Croston
LW	5	Dennis Baddeley
SO	6	Johnny Jones
SH	7	Harry Goodfellow
PR	8	Harry Wilkinson
HK	9	Len Marson
PR	10	Jim Higgins
SR	11	Mick Exley
SR	12	Derek Howes
LF	13	Len Bratley


FB	1	Jack Cunliffe
RW	2	Brian Nordgren
RC	3	Gordon Ratcliffe
LC	4	Ernie Ashcroft
LW	5	Stan Jolley
SO	6	Reg Lowrey
SH	7	Tommy Bradshaw
PR	8	George Banks
HK	9	Jack Blan
PR	10	Frank Barton
SR	11	Harry Atkinson
SR	12	Eddie Watkins
LF	13	Billy Blan

References

^ "Challenge Cup 1945/46". Rugby League Project.
^ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
^ "4th May 1946: Wakefield 13 Wigan 12 (Challenge Cup Final)". www.cherryandwhite.co.uk. RLFANS.COM. Retrieved 19 August 2017.