The 2026 Challenge Cup launched over 10-11 January with community clubs chasing Wembley glory.
The Challenge Cup was won by the Wigan Warriors, beating last year’s title holders Hull KR in the final at Wembley.
Table of contents
Round 1
Saturday’s highlights included a dominant Thatto Heath Crusaders thrashing Seaton Rangers 78-10 (44-6 at half-time). Other strong wins: Blackbrook 52-6 over GB Police, Hunslet ARLFC 48-6 vs York Acorn, Orrell St James 34-0 clean sheet against Oldham St Annes, Hammersmith Hill Hoists 18-4 upset of Royal Navy, and Wests Warriors 24-12 over British Army. Aberavon Fighting Irish led 28-6 at half time to hold on by six points to a gallant Banbridge Broncos.
Multiple ties were postponed (e.g. Wigan St Judes vs Leigh Miners Rangers, Rochdale Mayfield vs Ince Rose Bridge) — results TBA.
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2026 | Orrell St James | 34 | Oldham St Annes | 0 | Orrell St James |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Wigan St Judes | – | Leigh Miners Rangers | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Rochdale Mayfield | – | Ince Rose Bridge | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Blackbrook | 52 | GB Police | 6 | Blackbrook |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Thatto Heath Crusaders | 78 | Seaton Rangers | 10 | Thatto Heath Crusaders |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Telford Raiders | – | London Chargers | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Stanningley | – | Dewsbury Moor | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | King Cross Park | – | West Hull | – | postponed tie tbc |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Hunslet ARLFC | 48 | York Acorn | 6 | Hunslet ARLFC |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Heworth | – | RAF | – | postponed tie tbc |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Brighouse Rangers | – | Lock Lane | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Woodhouse Warriors | – | Mirfield Spartans | – | postponed to 17/1 |
| 10 Jan 2026 | British Army | 12 | West Warriors | 24 | West Warriors |
| 10 Jan 2026 | Royal Navy | 4 | Hammersmith Hill Hoist | 18 | Hammersmith Hill Hoist |
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 2026 | Banbridge Broncos | 26 | Aberavon Fighting Irish | 32 | Aberavon Fighting Irish |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Bedford Tigers | 36 | Medway Dragons | 6 | Bedford Tigers |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Siddal | – | Waterhead Warriors | – | postponed to 18/1 |
Postponed Results
The rescheduled Round 1 ties on 17 January delivered decisive outcomes despite the lingering winter chill — Lock Lane dominated with a 42-6 rout of Brighouse Rangers, while away wins for Ince Rose Bridge (18-12), London Chargers (38-18), Mirfield Spartans (36-4), and West Hull (42-12) sealed progress. Close contests saw Wigan St Judes edge Leigh Miners Rangers 17-12 and Stanningley pip Dewsbury Moor 24-22. RAF’s withdrawal handed Heworth a walkover.
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 2026 | Brighouse Rangers | 6 | Lock Lane | 42 | Lock Lane |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Rochdale Mayfield | 12 | Ince Rose Bridge | 18 | Ince Rose Bridge |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Wigan St Judes | 17 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 12 | Wigan St Judes |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Telford Raiders | 18 | London Chargers | 38 | London Chargers |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Stanningley | 24 | Dewsbury Moor | 22 | Stanningley |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Woodhouse Warriors | 4 | Mirfield Spartans | 36 | Mirfield Spartans |
| 17 Jan 2026 | King Cross Park | 12 | West Hull | 42 | West Hull |
| 17 Jan 2026 | Heworth | – | RAF | – | Heworth (RAF withdrew) |
Round 2
Challenge Cup Round 2 proved a stark reminder of the tier gap, as Championship clubs delivered a series of ruthless blowouts against community opposition. North Wales Crusaders and Midlands Hurricanes both posted staggering 110-0 wins over Bedford Tigers and Aberavon Fighting Irish respectively, while Halifax Panthers racked up 88-0 against London Chargers and Barrow Raiders hammered Wigan St Judes 76-4. Community sides were largely outclassed with minimal resistance, though Doncaster scraped a tight 24-22 victory over Newcastle Thunder. Standout advances included strong showings from Batley Bulldogs, Swinton Lions, Widnes Vikings and London Broncos, setting up mouth-watering Round 3 clashes against Super League heavyweights. Lock Lane progressed via a bye/forfeit, but overall the round underlined the competition’s essence: big scores, valuable experience for grassroots teams, and growing anticipation for potential giant-killings when the elite enter next weekend.
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 2026 | Heworth | 0 | Keighley Cougars | 66 | Keighley Cougars |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Stanningley | 0 | Hunslet | 44 | Hunslet |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Ince Rose Bridge | 26 | Swinton Lions | 44 | Swinton Lions |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Sheffield Eagles | 18 | Whitehaven | 6 | Sheffield Eagles |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Wigan St Judes | 4 | Barrow Raiders | 76 | Barrow Raiders |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Hammersmith Hill Hoists | 10 | Salford Red Devils | 42 | Salford Red Devils |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Lock Lane | – | Featherstone Rovers | – | Lock Lane (forfeit/bye) |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Thatto Heath Crusaders | 0 | Widnes Vikings | 76 | Widnes Vikings |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Waterhead | 6 | Rochdale Hornets | 60 | Rochdale Hornets |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Batley Bulldogs | 32 | Hunslet ARLFC | 10 | Batley Bulldogs |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Blackbrook | 6 | Workington Town | 28 | Workington Town |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Dewsbury Rams | 32 | West Hull | 10 | Dewsbury Rams |
| 25 Jan 2026 | London Broncos | 86 | Wests Warriors | 0 | London Broncos |
| 25 Jan 2026 | North Wales Crusaders | 110 | Bedford Tigers | 0 | North Wales Crusaders |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Doncaster | 24 | Newcastle Thunder | 22 | Doncaster |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Halifax Panthers | 88 | London Chargers | 0 | Halifax Panthers |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Oldham | 58 | Orrell St James | 0 | Oldham |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Midlands Hurricanes | 110 | Aberavon Fighting Irish | 0 | Midlands Hurricanes |
*Featherstone Rovers deregistered by the RFL, round 2 tie becomes a bye round for Lock Lane
Round 3
Round 3 of the 2026 Challenge Cup (6-8 Feb) saw Super League heavyweights dominate as expected, with no major upsets from lower tiers. Standout results included St Helens‘ ruthless 98-2 demolition of Workington Town, Hull KR‘s 104-0 thrashing of Lock Lane, Wigan Warriors‘ 83-0 rout at Rochdale Hornets, and Huddersfield Giants‘ 52-6 win at Hunslet. Championship sides like Widnes pushed Leeds close (12-25), while Goole Vikings caused a minor stir with an 18-14 win over Halifax. The road to Wembley continues—Round 4 draw took place on 9 Feb, with ties set for mid-March!
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb 2026 | Hunslet | 6 | Huddersfield Giants | 52 | Huddersfield Giants |
| 6 Feb 2026 | Workington Town | 2 | St Helens | 98 | St Helens |
| 6 Feb 2026 | Sheffield Eagles | 6 | Warrington Wolves | 34 | Warrington Wolves |
| 6 Feb 2026 | Lock Lane | 0 | Hull KR | 104 | Hull KR |
| 6 Feb 2026 | Salford | 0 | Hull FC | 60 | Hull FC |
| 7 Feb 2026 | Doncaster | 0 | Castleford Tigers | 14 | Castleford Tigers |
| 7 Feb 2026 | Widnes Vikings | 12 | Leeds Rhinos | 25 | Leeds Rhinos |
| 7 Feb 2026 | Barrow Raiders | 6 | York Knights | 32 | York Knights |
| 7 Feb 2026 | North Wales Crusaders | 6 | Leigh Leopards | 60 | Leigh Leopards |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Batley Bulldogs | 4 | Catalans Dragons | 56 | Catalans Dragons |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Halifax Panthers | 14 | Goole Vikings | 18 | Goole Vikings |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Keighley Cougars | 18 | Midlands Hurricanes | 14 | Keighley Cougars |
| 8 Feb 2026 | London Broncos | 8 | Bradford Bulls | 26 | Bradford Bulls |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Oldham | 48 | Dewsbury Rams | 0 | Oldham |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Rochdale Hornets | 0 | Wigan Warriors | 83 | Wigan Warriors |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Swinton Lions | 6 | Wakefield Trinity | 82 | Swinton Lions |
Round 4 (Last 16)
Round 4 (13-15 March 2026) saw Super League dominance with few surprises: Hull KR thrashed Huddersfield 52-12, St Helens won 32-8 at Castleford, Wigan eased past Bradford 30-6, and York Knights hammered Keighley 56-10. Wakefield Trinity pulled off a notable 24-14 West Yorkshire derby upset over Leeds. Lower-tier sides like Goole Vikings, Oldham, and Keighley bowed out. Quarter-final draw (announced 17 March) features Catalans, Hull KR, Leigh, St Helens, Wakefield, Warrington, Wigan, and York—ties on 11-12 April.
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 2026 | Wakefield Trinity | 24 | Leeds Rhinos | 14 | Wakefield Trinity |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Wigan Warriors | 30 | Bradford Bulls | 6 | Wigan Warriors |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Huddersfield Giants | 12 | Hull KR | 52 | Hull KR |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Castleford Tigers | 8 | St Helens | 32 | St Helens |
| 14 Mar 2026 | York Knights | 56 | Keighley Cougars | 10 | York Knights |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Goole Vikings | 10 | Warrington Wolves | 78 | Warrington Wolves |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Catalans Dragons | 58 | Oldham RLFC | 0 | Catalans Dragons |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Leigh Leopards | 16 | Hull FC | 6 | Leigh Leopards |
Quarter-Finals
Super League sides dominated the quarter-finals as expected. Holders Hull KR powered past York Knights 48-10, St Helens cruised past Catalans Dragons 36-4, Warrington Wolves defeated Leigh Leopards 24-10, and Wigan Warriors edged a tight derby battle against Wakefield Trinity 26-22. All four winners advance to the semi-finals.
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2026 | St Helens | 36 | Catalans Dragons | 4 | St Helens |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Hull KR | 48 | York Knights | 10 | Hull KR |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Warrington Wolves | 24 | Leigh Leopards | 10 | Warrington Wolves |
| 12 Apr 2026 | Wakefield Trinity | 22 | Wigan Warriors | 26 | Wigan Warriors |
Semi-Final Fixtures
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2026 | St Helens | 0 | Wigan Warriors | 32 | Wigan Warriors |
| 10 May 2026 | Warrington Wolves | 12 | Hull KR | 32 | Hull KR |
Final (Wembley Stadium)
| Date | Home Team | Home Score | Away Team | Away Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2026 | Wigan Warriors | 40 | Hull KR | 10 | Wigan Warriors |
Match Details & Tryscorers
Wigan Warriors 40 – 10 Hull KR
Wigan Warriors Tries:
- Farrimond (4′, 36′)
- Nsemba (44′)
- Keighran (52′, 55′)
- French (64′)
- Thompson (73′)
Wigan Warriors Goals: Keighran 6/7 (37′, 46′, 54′, 57′, 66′, 74′)
Hull KR Tries:
- Hiku (40′, 70′)
Hull KR Goals: Martin 1/2 (71′)
Summary: Wigan Warriors produced a dominant display at Wembley to win the 2026 Challenge Cup, lifting the trophy for the first time since 2024. A blistering first-half performance and clinical finishing in the second half saw them comfortably defeat holders Hull KR. Farrimond and Keighran were standout performers with multiple tries. Sam Walters was sent off late in the game for a lifting tackle on Bill Leyland.
Wigan are the 2026 Challenge Cup Champions!