1903–04 Challenge Cup

The 1903–04 Challenge Cup was the 8th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.^[1]

1903–04 Challenge Cup

Duration	6 rounds
Highest attendance	17,041
Winners	Halifax
Runners-up	Warrington
← 1902–03 1904–05 →

Halifax became the second team to record back-to-back Cup wins but would not reach another final until 1921, nor win the Cup again until 1931.^[2]

Qualifier

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
05 Mar	Birkenhead	6	Marsh Hornets	0
05 Mar	Bramley	15	Hebden Bridge	8
05 Mar	Brighouse Rangers	6	Otley	0
05 Mar	Brookland	2	Maryport	0
05 Mar	Castleford	5	York	5
05 Mar	Dewsbury	18	Beverley	10
05 Mar	Holbeck	11	Outwood Church	0
05 Mar	Lancaster	0	Morecambe	0
05 Mar	Millom	7	Parton	8
05 Mar	Normanton	2	Wakefield Trinity	20
05 Mar	Pontefract	21	South Shields	2
05 Mar	Rochdale Athletic	6	Rochdale Hornets	28
05 Mar	Roose	0	Barrow	34
05 Mar	St Helens	48	Wigan Highfield	5
05 Mar	Morecambe	4	Lancaster	13
05 Mar	York	2	Castleford	0

First round

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
12 Mar	Barrow	10	Bramley	10
12 Mar	Batley	5	Oldham	0
12 Mar	Brookland	0	Salford	57
12 Mar	Dewsbury	0	Hunslet	15
12 Mar	Halifax	15	St Helens	0
12 Mar	Holbeck	17	Birkenhead	0
12 Mar	Huddersfield	0	Wigan	7
12 Mar	Hull FC	9	Widnes	0
12 Mar	Hull Kingston Rovers	2	Leeds	3
12 Mar	Lancaster	0	Keighley	8
12 Mar	Parton	0	Broughton Rangers	26
12 Mar	Pontefract	0	Brighouse Rangers	0
12 Mar	Rochdale Hornets	3	Leigh	10
12 Mar	Runcorn	0	Wakefield Trinity	0
12 Mar	Swinton	0	Warrington	0
12 Mar	York	0	Bradford	8
16 Mar	Bramley	7	Barrow	7
16 Mar	Brighouse Rangers	0	Pontefract	2
16 Mar	Wakefield Trinity	5	Runcorn	7
16 Mar	Warrington	20	Swinton	0
17 Mar	Bramley	3	Barrow	14

Second round

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
19 Mar	Barrow	6	Halifax	11
19 Mar	Broughton Rangers	11	Runcorn	0
19 Mar	Holbeck	0	Bradford	9
19 Mar	Hull FC	5	Salford	23
19 Mar	Leeds	13	Keighley	0
19 Mar	Leigh	0	Hunslet	8
19 Mar	Pontefract	9	Batley	3
19 Mar	Warrington	3	Wigan	0

Quarterfinals

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
02 Apr	Broughton Rangers	0	Bradford	0
02 Apr	Halifax	8	Leeds	2
02 Apr	Pontefract	4	Warrington	10
02 Apr	Salford	2	Hunslet	5
05 Apr	Bradford	0	Broughton Rangers	0
08 Apr	Bradford	15	Broughton Rangers	0

Semifinals

Date	Team one	Score one	Team two	Score two
16 Apr	Halifax	7	Hunslet	2
16 Apr	Warrington	3	Bradford	3
20 Apr	Bradford	0	Warrington	8

Final

The final was contested by the Halifax and Warrington clubs at the Willows in Salford^[3] on Saturday 30 April 1904, in front of a crowd of 17,041. Halifax retained their title beating Warrington 8–3.^[4]

30 April 1904

Halifax	8 – 3	Warrington
	Report

The Willows, Salford Attendance: 17,041