Festive Challenge

Last updated
The Festive Challenge
Leeds Rhinos1.jpg
The 2008 Festive Challenge
Sport Rugby league
Number of teams2
Country Flag of England.svg (RFL)
Holders Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos (12th title)
Most titles Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos (12 titles)

The Festive Challenge is an annual friendly rugby match played between Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity that is played on Boxing Day. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Background

Matches played on Boxing Day were a regular part of rugby league season in Great Britain before the establishment of the Super League in 1996 and the switch to a summer season. Following the winter of 1962–1963, which caused the postponement of many sports fixtures, undersoil heating was installed at Headingley. This ensured that the surface would be playable for the 1963 Boxing Day match between Leeds and Wakefield, and led to the league schedule including a Leeds home fixture on Boxing Day every year apart from 1994 when they were away to Hull F.C. During this period Leeds faced numerous opponents, but the most frequent was Wakefield, who they faced a further ten times after 1963. [3] In 1995, Leeds defeated Castleford at Headingley in their final competitive Boxing Day match before the move to the summer era. [4]

Establishment

In 1996, Gary Hetherington, the recently appointed chief executive at Leeds, wanted to continue the tradition of a Boxing Day game so a friendly against Halifax was played as the first "festive challenge". In the following years Leeds played Halifax three more times and faced Bradford Bulls in 1999. [3] [4] [5] Between 2001 and 2003 Leeds played Castleford Tigers and defeated them in all three matches. [6] [7] [8]

Leeds and Wakefield

Tetley's Festive Challenge (26th December 2014) 001.JPG
Tetley's Festive Challenge (26th December 2014) 002.JPG
Tetley's Festive Challenge (26th December 2014) 003.JPG
Tetley's Festive Challenge (26th December 2014) 004.JPG
Festive Challenge 2014

The first festive challenge between Leeds and Wakefield was played in 2004. [9]

The 2010 event was postponed to New Year's Day due to poor weather. [10]

In 2017, the fixture was moved to Belle Vue, the first time it was played away from Headingley, due to the redevelopment of Headingley Stadium. [11]

Results

YearWinnerScoreRunners upVenue
2004 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 32–12 [9] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Headingley Stadium
2005 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 42–18 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2006 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 22–14 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2007 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 26–18 [12] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2008 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 22–16 [12] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2009 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 32–12 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2010 [lower-alpha 1] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 40–22 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2011 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 26–10 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2012 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 40–26 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2013 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 18–18 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2014 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 50–28 [12] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
2015 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 14–6 [12] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2016 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 30–6 [12] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2017 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 17–10 [13] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Belle Vue
2018 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 10–4 [14] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Headingley Stadium
2019 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 30–4 [15] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [4]
2021 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 34–6 [16] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity Headingley Stadium
2022 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 32–20 [17] Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2023 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 41–22 [18] Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity

Winners

TeamWinsYears
1 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 122004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023
2 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 62007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022

Sponsors

PeriodSponsorName
2009 Cravendale Cravendale Festive Challenge
2011–2013HeatshotHeatshot Festive Challenge
2014 Tetley's Tetley's Festive Challenge
2015–Wetherby WhalerWetherby Whaler Festive Challenge

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Postponed to New Year's Day 2011

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References

  1. ↑ "Rhinos name strong side for Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge". Archived from the original on 2015-12-24.
  2. ↑ Andy Charles. "Wakefield Wildcats beat Leeds Rhinos in Boxing Day friendly". Sky Sports.
  3. 1 2 "Leeds Rhinos news as all-time greats set for Boxing Day Headingley reunion v Wakefield Trinity". Yorkshire Evening Post. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Leeds Rhinos' Boxing Day blues - for one year only". Yorkshire Evening Post. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Lowes misses Rhinos clash". Telegraph & Argus. 23 December 1999. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "Walker strolls through class debut". The Indepepndent. 27 December 2001. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Leeds Rhinos 20 Cas Tigers 2 (Thu 26th Dec)". www.castigers.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2003.
  8. ↑ "Mathers plays despite tragedy". The Independent. 27 December 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Leeds Rhinos 46–6 Wakefield". BBC. 27 December 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Rhinos move festive friendly". Sky Sports. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Construction work sees Leeds-Wakefield Boxing Day clash switched to Belle Vue". Wakefield Express. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Match Preview: Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge". Leeds Rhinos. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Rhinos ease to Boxing Day victory at Wakefield". Total Rugby League. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "Leeds Rhinos 10 Wakefield Trinity 4: Rhinos hit back to retain Festive Challenge honours". Yorkshire Evening Post. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Luke Gale: Leeds Rhinos half-back returns in festive Wakefield Trinity run-out". BBC Sport. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Leeds Rhinos 34-6 Wakefield Trinity: Player ratings and major talking points". 26 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "FULL MATCH | 2022 Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge". YouTube .
  18. ↑ "Five key takeaways as Leeds Rhinos come from behind to beat Wakefield Trinity". 26 December 2023.
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