2023 Challenge Cup final

2023 (2023) Challenge Cup Final  ()
Hull KR Leigh Leopards 16 17
1 2 GP1 Total HKR 8 8 0 16 LEI 10 6 1 17
Date	12 August 2023, 15:00
Stadium	Wembley Stadium
Location	London, United Kingdom
Lance Todd Trophy	Lachlan Lam
God Save The King and Abide with Me	Lizzie Jones [1]
Referee	Chris Kendall
Attendance	58,213 [2]
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters	BBC One
Commentators	Dave Woods John Kear Jonathan Davies
Finals ←  2022 2024  →

The 2023 Challenge Cup Final was the 122nd final of the Rugby Football League's Challenge Cup knock-out competition. The 2023 final marked its return to Wembley Stadium after its one year hiatus at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022. The final was contested by Leigh Leopards and Hull KR. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Leigh won the cup, their first title since 1971, by 17 points to 16, after the game went to golden point extra time, as Matt Parcell scored a last minute try for Hull KR, (after a lengthy review from the video referee), to level the scores at 16-all after 80 minutes.

Just over one minute into extra time, Leigh were penalised for a ball steal, and Hull KR were awarded a penalty. Brad Schneider kicked to touch, but the ball did not go out of play, and Leigh got the ball back. Gareth O'Brien then tried his luck with a drop goal, but his effort was wide. The next attempt came to Schneider, but he also missed with his effort. Then, on 83 minutes, Lachlan Lam kicked the winning drop goal, to win the match 17-16.

For the first time since 1986, the final did not feature Leeds, St Helens, Wigan or Warrington. It was also the first time the men's and women's final took place at Wembley on the same day – 12 August 2023. ^{[6] [7]}

Background

Olympic Way prior to kickoff

The 2023 Challenge Cup final was Leigh Leopards' third final and first in 52 years after winning the 1970–71 Challenge Cup final. Their only other final was in 1920–21 which also resulted in a Leigh win. Leigh were a newly promoted side in 2023 and second in Super League upon reaching the final.

Hull KR by contrast were playing in their eighth Challenge Cup final, with their most recent being their 2015 defeat to Leeds Rhinos treble-winning side. Their only win of their previous seven however was a derby day victory in 1979–80. Hull KR qualified for the cup final placed sixth in the Super League table.

Route to the final

Leigh Leopards

Round	Opposition	Venue	Score
Sixth round	Wakefield Trinity	Belle Vue	40–12
Quarter-final	York Knights	York Community Stadium	34–14
Semi-final	St Helens	Halliwell Jones Stadium	12–10

Hull KR

Round	Opposition	Venue	Score
Sixth round	Batley Bulldogs	Craven Park	50–0
Quarter-final	Salford Red Devils	Craven Park	28–10
Semi-final	Wigan Warriors	Headingley	11–10 (golden point)

Source: ^[5]

Pre-match

Pre match at Wembley

Before the final, St Helens and Leeds Rhinos competed in the 2023 Women's Challenge Cup final. ^[5] The match was won by St Helens 22–8, seeing Saints win the competition for the third time in a row and sixth in total. ^[8]

Traffic on the M1 prevented an estimated 20,000 ticketholders from being present at kickoff. ^[9]

Match details

Saturday, 12 August 15:00 (BST)

Hull KR	16–17 (g.p.)	Leigh Leopards
Tries: Litten (15') Parcell (79') Goals: Schneider (4/4) 16', 40' (penalty), 47' (penalty), 79'	report	Tries: Lam (27') Briscoe (66') Goals: Reynolds (4/5) 5' (penalty), 27', 31' (penalty), 67' Drop goals: Lam (83')

Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 58,213 Referee: Chris Kendall

Team details

Hull KR		Position	Leigh Leopards
Name	Number		Number	Name
Mikey Lewis	20	Fullback	17	Gareth O'Brien
Ethan Ryan	2	Wing	5	Josh Charnley
Tom Opacic	3	Centre	3	Ed Chamberlain
Shaun Kenny-Dowall	4	Centre	4	Zak Hardaker
Ryan Hall	5	Wing	2	Tom Briscoe
Rowan Milnes	21	Stand off	15	Ben Reynolds
Brad Schneider	37	Scrum half	7	Lachlan Lam
Rhys Kennedy  28' 60' 70'	15	Prop forward	8	Tom Amone
Jez Litten	14	Hooker	9	Edwin Ipape
George King  28' 54'	10	Prop forward	10	Robbie Mulhern
James Batchelor	16	Second row	24	Kai O'Donnell
Kane Linnett	12	Second row	12	Jack Hughes
Elliott Minchella 31' to 41' 60' 70'	13	Loose forward	13	John Asiata
Matt Parcell	9	Interchange	6	Joe Mellor
Matty Storton	17	Interchange	16	Oliver Holmes
Dean Hadley  28' 75'	22	Interchange	14	Ben Nakubuwai
Sam Luckley  28' 54' 75'	26	Interchange	18	Matty Davis
Jimmy Keinhorst	18	Concussion substitute	11	Joe Wardle
Willie Peters		Coach		Adrian Lam

Post-match

Leigh Leopards lifting the Challenge Cup trophy in the Royal Box Presentation Area

Following both the men's and women's challenge cup final, Wembley hosted the Year 7 boys schools' final and the final of the 2023 1895 Cup. ^[10] The 1895 Cup Final saw Halifax Panthers beat Batley Bulldogs 12–10. ^[11]

The following day there was a trophy parade held in Leigh to celebrate the Leopards' victory. ^[12]

References

1. Pattison, Cam (11 August 2023). "Wife of former rugby league player to sing Abide With Me". Rugby League News.
2. "Challenge Cup 2023 final attendance revealed with motorway impacting supporters; Women's game enjoys record crowd". LoveRugbyLeague. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
3. "Hull KR and Leigh 'have earned cup final place'". BBC Sport. 11 August 2023.
4. Bower, Aaron (11 August 2023). "Challenge Cup final: Hull KR and Leigh look to end long wait for glory" – via The Guardian.
5. "Challenge Cup final 2023: Talking points for rugby league's historic women's and men's Wembley showpiece". Sky Sports.
6. "Challenge Cup final to return to Wembley in 2023". BBC Sport.
7. "Wembley to host Challenge Cup final double-header in 2023". LoveRugbyLeague. 12 August 2022.
8. "Saints beat Leeds in historic Challenge Cup final" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
9. "Challenge Cup: Motorway delays as rugby league fans make their way to Wembley Stadium". LoveRugbyLeague. 12 August 2023.
10. "1895 Cup: The eight clubs that can move within 80 minutes of Wembley". LoveRugbyLeague. 20 April 2023.
11. "Listen: 1895 Cup final - Batley Bulldogs v Halifax Panthers". 11 August 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
12. https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/23720161.crowds-line-streets-leigh-leopards-incredible-trophy-parade/

External links

• Media related to 2023 Challenge Cup Final at Wikimedia Commons