2020 Challenge Cup final
2020 | Challenge Cup Final|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Date | 17 October 2020 | ||||||||||||
Stadium | 2021 → |
The 2020 Challenge Cup Final was the 119th final of rugby league's Challenge Cup knock-out competition. The culmination of the 2020 Challenge Cup was originally scheduled for 22 August, but was postponed due to safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic along with most of the latter stages of competition.[1] The final was rescheduled to be played on 17 October 2020 with kick-off at 15:00 (BST). The final was contested by the winners of the tournament semi-finals, Leeds Rhinos playing Salford Red Devils (who were appearing in their first cup final since 1969).[2]
Since the 1928–29 season, Challenge Cup finals have been played at Wembley Stadium, London (except the 1932 season and the Second World War period), but due to the COVID-19 pandemic there was discussion about moving the 2020 final away from Wembley. It was not until 22 September that the Rugby Football League (RFL) confirmed that the game would still be played at Wembley Stadium.[3]
New COVID-19 restrictions announced in September forced the RFL to announce on 28 September, that the game would be played behind closed doors for the first time in the history of the competition.[4] Following the semi-finals fans raised a petition calling on the government to allow season ticket holders of the two clubs to attend the game in person, on the basis that the number of spectators this would allow could easily maintain social-distancing inside the 90,000 seat venue.[5] The RFL issued a statement saying that they continued to lobby the government to allow spectators in.[6]
Background
Route to the final
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos were due to face Hull KR in their opening sixth round tie in the Challenge Cup. The match, originally scheduled for early April, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[9] and rescheduled for late August. However, due to Championship, League 1 clubs and Toronto Wolfpack withdrawing from the competition, the restructuring of the competition gave several teams, including Leeds, a bye to the quarter finals.[10] The quarter final draw saw the Rhinos drawn against Hull Kingston Rovers (their originally scheduled opponents for the sixth round). Leeds won the game comfortably 48–18.[11] The win against the Rovers saw the two most successful teams in the history of the Challenge Cup drawn against each other as Leeds (the second most successful side) played Wigan Warriors (the most successful team). Leeds dominated the first half of the game and, despite the Warriors attempted comeback in the second half, the Rhinos progressed with a comfortable 26–12 victory.[12]
Round | Opposition | Score |
---|---|---|
Quarter-final | Hull KR | 48–18 |
Semi-final | Wigan Warriors | 26–12 |
Salford Red Devils
Salford Red Devils's sixth round opener was due to be against the
Round | Opposition | Score |
---|---|---|
Quarter-final | Catalans Dragons | 22–18[b] |
Semi-final | Warrington Wolves | 24–22 |
Pre-match
British classical singer Lizzie Jones sung
Former
Match details
Saturday, 17 October
3:00pm (BST) |
Leeds Rhinos | 17–16 | Salford Red Devils |
---|---|---|
Tries: Briscoe (12') Handley (31', 64') Goals: Martin (13', 32') 2/3 Drop goals: Gale (76') |
report |
Tries: Williams (19') Pauli (53') Greenwood (59') Goals: Inu (20', 60') 2/3 |
Teams
Leeds Rhinos | Position | Salford Red Devils |
---|---|---|
#16 Richie Myler | Fullback | #1 Niall Evalds |
#2 Tom Briscoe | Wing | #22 Rhys Williams |
#4 Konrad Hurrell | Centre | #32 Kallum Watkins |
#15 Liam Sutcliffe | Centre | #3 Kris Welham |
#5 Ash Handley | Wing | #5 Krisnan Inu |
#6 Robert Lui | Stand-off | #6 Tui Lolohea
|
#7 Luke Gale | Scrum-half | #7 Kevin Brown |
#8 Ava Seumanufagai | Prop | #8 Lee Mossop |
#9 Kruise Leeming | Hooker | #9 Joey Lussick |
#19 Mikolaj Oledzki
|
Prop | #10 Gil Dudson |
#11 Alex Mellor | Second-row | #13 Tyrone McCarthy |
#12 Rhyse Martin | Second-row | #21 James Greenwood |
#10 Matt Prior | Loose forward | #19 Mark Flanagan |
#14 Brad Dwyer | interchange | #14 Sebastine Ikahihifo |
#26 Alex Sutcliffe | interchange | #12 Pauli Pauli |
#25 James Donaldson | interchange | #17 Luke Yates |
#17 Adam Cuthbertson | interchange | #16 Greg Burke |
Richard Agar | Coach | Ian Watson |
Post match
The 2020 Final saw Leeds Rhinos lift their fourteenth cup title, their first in five years following their
After the final it was confirmed that over two million people had watch the Rob Burrow: My Year with MND documentary and over £50,000 had been raised for his charity - Motor Neurone Disease Association.[20]
TV viewing of the final increased 50% from the previous year with over six million watching the competition, making it the most viewed final since
Notes
- ^ a b Behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- ^ After golden point extra time
References
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Final could still be at Wembley on 17 October". BBC Sport. 17 July 2020.
- ^ "The Challenge Cup Final". The Football Association. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "RFL confirm Wembley as Challenge Cup Final host venue". 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Coral Challenge Cup Final, 2020 and 2021". RFL. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Petition to allow fans in at Wembley". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3,246. 5 October 2020. p. 3.
- ^ "Talks with government continue - but Rhinos set for behind closed doors final at Wembley". Yorkshire Evening Post. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Blease hails Red Devils' Wembley feat". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3,246. 5 October 2020. p. 3.
- ^ "Fans deserve the Wembley Experience". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3,246. 5 October 2020. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Rugby league season suspended until April". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Live Challenge Cup draw updates as FC, KR and more discover fate". HullLive. 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos 48-18 Hull KR". BBC Sport. 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos 26-12 Wigan Warriors". BBC Sport. 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Catalans Dragons 18-22 Salford Red Devils". BBC Sport. 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Challenge Cup: Salford Red Devils 24-22 Warrington Wolves - Salford into first final since 1969". BBC Sport. 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Lizzie Jones MBE to perform special version of Abide With Me for Wembley broadcast". 15 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "Lizzie Jones to perform Abide with Me for Challenge Cup final". Love Rugby League. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "Rob Burrow: Leeds Rhinos legend to be Challenge Cup final chief guest 'in absentia'". BBC Sport. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ Daly, Phil (12 October 2020). "Rob Burrow documentary now on Tuesday night 7pm". Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Challenge Cup final: Leeds beat Salford 17-16 after Luke Gale lands late winning drop-goal". BBC Sport. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Two million watch Rob Burrow: My year with MND and donations pour in". St Helens Star. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Coral Challenge Cup Final – Rhinos and Red Devils attract highest TV audience since 2012". www.rugby-league.com. Retrieved 27 December 2020.