Carnegie Challenge Cup

In addition to the engage Super League, European Rugby League also has knockout competition - the Carnegie Challenge Cup. The final of the Challenge Cup is a prestigious event and is held at Wembley Stadium in London, which is not a traditional area with interest in the sport. However, year after year, the Carnegie Cup is one of Britain's most attended sporting events, drawing crowds of over eighty thousand. The first final was held at Headingly in Leeds, on 24 April 1897 when Batley defeated St Helens.

The Cup was originally only contested by English teams, but expansion has brought in teams from France and Russia to participate. The Challenge Cup is currently held by the Warrington Wolves who defeated Huddersfield at Wembley Stadium in 2009.

The format of the competition has seven rounds leading up to the final. Teams are seeded and enter the competition at different stages. This is the basic format:

• Preliminary Round: Amateur teams compete in two pools
• First round: 54 amateur teams including 38 teams in the National Conference League, regional league winners, the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the university champions - Leeds Metropolitan University, the Student Rugby League champions, six representatives of the Rugby League Conference (including one each from Scotland and Wales)
• Second round: 27 first round winners plus a Russian team.
• Third round: A further three French sides, and the twenty one semi-professional British clubs from the Rugby League National Leagues enter the draw with the fourteen winners from the second round.
• Fourth round: The fourteen Super League teams join the competition with the eighteen third round winners.
• Fifth round: Last 16
• Quarter Finals: Last eight
• Semi Finals
• Final

Wigan, St Helens, and Leeds have been the most successful clubs in the history of the competition.

You can compare the Challenge Cup odds by using our Odds Selector to the right of this page.