1986–87 Challenge Cup

The 1987 Challenge Cup was the 86th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for due to sponsorship from Silk Cut, the tournament featured clubs from the 1986-87 Rugby Football League season. It culminated in the final contested by Halifax and St. Helens at Wembley. Halifax won the match 19–18.

1987 Silk Cut Challenge Cup

Duration	6 Rounds
Number of teams	38
Broadcast partners	BBC
Winners	Halifax
Runners-up	St. Helens
Lance Todd Trophy	Graham Eadie
← 1986 1988 →

Preliminary round

Date	Team One	Team Two	Score
17 Jan	Castleford	Blackbrook	74-6
18 Jan	Hunslet	York	13-0
18 Jan	Workington	Wigan	0-68
21 Jan	Elland	Heworth	6-10
21 Jan	St Helens	Swinton	18-16
22 Jan	Kells	Fulham	4-4
27 Jan-replay	Fulham	Kells	22-14

First round

Date	Team One	Team Two	Score
31 Jan	Castleford	Widnes	16-24
01 Feb	Fulham	Halifax	10-38
01 Feb	Salford	Leeds	0-4
01 Feb	Warrington	Bradford Northern	17-21
03 Feb	Barrow	Batley	54-2
04 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	Doncaster	29-14
04 Feb	Bramley	Hull FC	2-10
04 Feb	Featherstone Rovers	Hunslet	12-26
04 Feb	Oldham	Wigan	10-8
04 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	Carlisle	4-4
04 Feb	Runcorn	Leigh	6-25
05 Feb	Dewsbury	St Helens	12-48
05 Feb	Mansfield	Heworth	14-7
05 Feb	Sheffield Eagles	Keighley	6-8
08 Feb	Huddersfield	Whitehaven	10-32
10 Feb	Blackpool	Wakefield Trinity	10-15
11 Feb - replay	Carlisle	Rochdale Hornets	30-22

Second round

Date	Team One	Team Two	Score
14 Feb	Oldham	St Helens	14-24
15 Feb	Bradford Northern	Widnes	6-6
15 Feb	Halifax	Hunslet	29-10
15 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	Keighley	42-4
15 Feb	Leeds	Barrow	26-7
15 Feb	Leigh	Carlisle	18-6
15 Feb	Mansfield	Hull FC	7-38
15 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	Whitehaven	2-25
18 Feb - replay	Widnes	Bradford Northern	29-12

Quarter-finals

Date	Team One	Team Two	Score
28 Feb	Halifax	Hull Kingston Rovers	35-7
01 Mar	Hull FC	Leigh	8-12
01 Mar	Leeds	Widnes	7-14
01 Mar	St Helens	Whitehaven	41-12

Semi final

14 March 1987

St. Helens	14 – 8	Leigh
Try: McCormack, Arkwright. Platt Goal: Loughlin	Report	Try: McCulloch Goal: C. Johnson (2)

Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 13,105

28 March 1987

Halifax	12 – 8	Widnes
Try: Pendlebury, Rix Goal: Whitfield (2)	Report	Try: McKenzie Goal: Platt (2)

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 16,064

Final

Saturday 2 May 1987

Halifax	19 – 18	St. Helens
Try: George, McCallion, Eadie Goal: Whitfield (3) Drop goal: Pendlebury		Try: Elia, Loughlin, Round Goal: Loughlin (3)

Wembley, London Attendance: 91,267 Referee: John Holdsworth (Kippax)[1] Player of the Match: Graham Eadie

FB 1 Graham Eadie RW 2 Scott Wilson RC 3 Colin Whitfield LC 4 Grant Rix LW 5 Wilf George SO 6 Chris Anderson (c) SH 7 Gary Stephens PR 8 Ben Beevers HK 9 Seamus McCallion PR 10 Keith Neller SR 11 Paul Dixon SR 12 Mick Scott LF 13 John Pendlebury Substitutions: IC 14 Brian Juliff IC 15 Neil James Coach: Chris Anderson Physio: Martha Mason

FB 1 Phil Veivers RW 2 Barry Ledger RC 3 Paul Loughlin LC 4 Mark Elia LW 5 Kevin McCormack SO 6 Brett Clark SH 7 Neil Holding PR 8 Tony Burke HK 9 Graham Liptrot PR 10 John Fieldhouse SR 11 Andy Platt SR 12 Roy Haggerty LF 13 Chris Arkwright (c) Substitutions: IC 14 Paul Round IC 15 Paul Forber Coach: Alex Murphy