| Duration | 5 rounds |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Highest attendance | 18,000 |
| Winners |  Hunslet |
| Runners-up |  Hull F.C. |
The 1908 Challenge Cup was the 12th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. [1] Run by the Northern Rugby Football Union, 32 teams took part between 29 February and 25 April 1908. Hunslet won the competition after defeating Hull F.C. in the final.
The 32 team knockout tournament was held over five rounds. [2]
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Round One | Saturday, 29 February 1908 |
| Round One replay | Wednesday, 4 March 1908 |
| Round Two | Saturday, 14 March 1908 |
| Round Three | Saturday, 28 March 1908 |
| Semifinals | Saturday, 11 April 1908 |
| Final | Saturday, 25 April 1908 |
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Barrow | 28 | Millom | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Batley | 32 | Barrow St.George's | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Beverley | 3 | Merthyr | 15 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Dewsbury | 2 | Oldham | 13 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Half-Acre | 2 | York | 7 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Huddersfield | 3 | Broughton Rangers | 8 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Hull FC | 9 | Swinton | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Leeds | 5 | Hunslet | 14 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Leigh | 18 | Bradford Northern | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Runcorn | 12 | Keighley | 5 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Salford | 15 | Widnes | 2 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wakefield Trinity | 19 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Warrington | 11 | Halifax | 7 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Whitehaven Recs | 13 | St Helens | 8 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wigan Highfield | 3 | Bramley | 3 |
| Saturday, 29 February 1908 | Wigan | 20 | Rochdale Hornets | 3 |
| Wednesday, 4 March 1908 | Bramley | 8 | Wigan Highfield | 6 |
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Barrow | 41 | Bramley | 3 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Batley | 4 | Wakefield Trinity | 8 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 18 | Wigan | 6 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Hull FC | 15 | Salford | 9 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Hunslet | 15 | Oldham | 8 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Leigh | 16 | York | 11 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Merthyr | 33 | Whitehaven Recs | 5 |
| Saturday, 14 March 1908 | Runcorn | 2 | Warrington | 6 |
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Barrow | 0 | Hunslet | 8 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 7 | Warrington | 2 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Hull FC | 19 | Wakefield Trinity | 0 |
| Saturday, 28 March 1908 | Leigh | 8 | Merthyr | 2 |
| Date | Team one | Score one | Team two | Score two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 1908 | Broughton Rangers | 2 | Hunslet | 16 |
| 11 April 1908 | Hull FC | 7 | Leigh | 0 |
The final was contested by Hunslet and Hull F.C. at Fartown in Huddersfield. [3]
The final was played on Saturday 25 April 1908, where Hunslet beat Hull F.C. 14-0 at Fartown in front of a crowd of 18,000. [4]
Hunslet's 14-0 in the final to win their first Cup in their first final. [5] [6]
Teams:
Hunslet: Herbert Place, Fred Farrar, Billy Eagers, Walter Goldthorpe, Billy Batten, Albert Goldthorpe, Fred Smith, Harry Wilson, Bill Brookes, Bill Jukes, John "Jack" Randall, John Higson, Tom Walsh
Hull: Harry Taylor, L. Parry, G. T. Cottrell, F. J. Cook, (E. or Ned) Rogers, Harry Wallace, Billie Anderson, Tom Herridge, J. Owen, W. J. Carroll, G. Kilburn, H. Fulton, William Holder
William Batten was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hunslet, Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity, and Castleford, as a fullback, wing, or centre. He is noted as one of the greatest of his era, one of the game's first superstars, Batten was a brilliant athlete and a huge crowd-puller – and also well aware of his own worth. In 1988 he became one of the inaugural inductees of the Rugby Football League Hall of Fame. Batten is also a member of the Hull FC, and Wakefield Trinity halls of fame.
Albert Edward Goldthorpe was an English rugby footballer from the period around 1895's schism in English rugby, which led to the formation of rugby league football around the turn of the century.
William Jukes was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers and Hunslet as a forward.
Harry Wilson was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Yorkshire, and at club level for Methley RFC, Castleford RUFC, Rothwell RFC, and Morley R.F.C., and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hunslet, as a forward.
Fred Smith was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hunslet, as a stand-off, or scrum-half.
John William Higson was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, Hunslet, Huddersfield and Wakefield Trinity, as a forward.
William Henry "Harry" Taylor was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s. He played at representative level for Great Britain (captain), England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull FC, as a fullback, i.e. number 1, making his début in the 5–10 away defeat by Bradford on Saturday 1 January 1898, and was captain of Hull during the 1902–03, 1903–04, 1907–08 and 1908–09 seasons, and coached at club level for Hull.
The 1907–08 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 13th season of rugby league football.
The 1909–10 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 15th season of rugby league football.
The 1913–14 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 19th season of rugby league football.
The 1914–15 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 20th season of rugby league football. It featured Huddersfield's "Team of all talents" which became the second team to win all four cups.
The 1921–22 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 27th season of rugby league football.
The 1958–59 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 64th season of rugby league football. Thirty clubs from across Northern England competed for the Championship, culminating in a final between St. Helens and Hunslet.
William Brookes, also known by the nickname of "Tubby", was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Outwood Church ARLFC, Kippax ARLFC, and Hunslet, as a forward.
Tom Walsh was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played at club level for Hunslet, as a forward.
Hunslet F.C. was a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was a founding member of the Rugby Football League in 1895.
The 1909–10 Challenge Cup was the 14th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The 1913–14 Challenge Cup was the 18th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
The 1921–22 Challenge Cup was the 22nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.
Thomas Herridge was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s, and professional boxer of the 1900s. He played at representative level for Yorkshire, and at club level for York and Hull FC, as a forward.