1979–80 Challenge Cup

The 1979–80 Challenge Cup, for sponsorship reasons known as the 1979–80 State Express Challenge Cup was the 79th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

1979–80 Challenge Cup

Highest attendance	95,000
Broadcast partners	BBC
Winners	Hull Kingston Rovers
Runners-up	Hull
Lance Todd Trophy	Brian Lockwood
← 1978–79 1980–81 →

The final was the first Hull Cup final derby, with a heavy entourage of supporters from the East and West of the city making the trip to London.^[1] Hull Kingston Rovers defeated Hull 10–5 at Wembley before a crowd of 95,000.^[2]

The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Rovers' prop, Brian Lockwood, despite Rovers' Steve Hubbard's scoring 9 out of his side's 10 points.^[3]

This was Hull Kingston Rovers' first Cup final Win.^[4]

First round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
9 Feb	Wigan	Hull Kingston Rovers	13-18
10 Feb	Ace Amateurs	Widnes	5-22
10 Feb	Barrow	Batley	31-11
10 Feb	Blackpool	Bradford Northern	7-26
10 Feb	Dewsbury	Oldham	2-24
10 Feb	Featherstone Rovers	Halifax	13-17
10 Feb	Huddersfield	Whitehaven	11-4
10 Feb	Hull FC	Millom	33-10
10 Feb	Huyton	Salford	0-25
10 Feb	Keighley	Castleford	5-21
10 Feb	Leigh	Leeds	5-12
10 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	Doncaster	11-3
10 Feb	St Helens	Workington Town	16-0
10 Feb	Swinton	Warrington	2-25
10 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	Hunslet	24-17
10 Feb	York	Bramley	17-16

Second round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
23 Feb	St Helens	Bradford Northern	10-11
24 Feb	Barrow	Halifax	4-10
24 Feb	Huddersfield	Widnes	3-48
24 Feb	Hull FC	York	18-8
24 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	Castleford	28-3
24 Feb	Oldham	Wakefield Trinity	5-10
24 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	Salford	5-20
24 Feb	Warrington	Leeds	8-2

Quarter-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
8 Mar	Salford	Widnes	8-9
9 Mar	Bradford Northern	Hull FC	0-3
9 Mar	Halifax	Wakefield Trinity	7-3
9 Mar	Hull Kingston Rovers	Warrington	23-11

Semi-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
22 Mar	Halifax	Hull Kingston Rovers	7-20
29 Mar	Widnes	Hull FC	5-10

Final

3 May 1980

Hull Kingston Rovers	10 – 5	Hull
Try: Hubbard Goal: Hubbard (3) Drop goal: Millward	Report	Try: Wilby Goal: Lloyd

Wembley, London Attendance: 95,000 Referee: Fred Lindop (Wakefield)[5] Player of the Match: Brian Lockwood

FB 1 David Hall RW 2 Steve Hubbard  79' RC 3 Mike Smith LC 4 Steve Hartley LW 5 Clive Sullivan SO 6 Roger Millward (c) SH 7 Allan Agar PR 8 Roy Holdstock HK 9 David Watkinson PR 10 Brian Lockwood SR 11 Paul Rose  72' SR 12 Phil Lowe LF 13 Len Casey Substitutions: IC 14 Phil Hogan  79' IC 15 John Millington  72' Player-coach: Roger Millward

FB 1 Paul Woods RW 2 Graham Bray RC 3 Graham Walters LC 4 Tim Wilby LW 5 Paul Prendiville SO 6 John Newlove  71' SH 7 Clive Pickerill PR 8 Keith Tindall HK 9 Ron Wileman PR 10 Charlie Stone  71' SR 11 Charlie Birdsall SR 12 Sammy Lloyd LF 13 Steve Norton (c) Substitutions: IC 14 Vince Farrar  71' IC 15 Brian Hancock  71' Coach: Arthur Bunting