Challenge Cup 2007 *Quarterfinals*

[terracesider]

Also is there a website that would list things like furthest an amatuer team has got? or scottish or welsh etc.

Cheers

I don't think so. I don't have any records after the 1997 Rothman's Year Book which says -

In 1996 in the 3rd Round West Hull beat Highfield, 35-20 and then then beat York 10-6; also in that year Thatto Heath beat Chorley, 27-12, though its very dubious counting Chorley as a professional side they had justfalled through the trap door and, although still technically professional, were in an amateur league.

1994-95 Beverley 27-4 Highfield.

Then its back to two legged matches in the 40s when a few amateur teams won the home tie but got thumped away; and before that 5 instances in the first decade or so of the compeition when "senior " clubs lost to lesser ones.

Officially Featherstone are the only amateur club to get as far as the last 8, in 1905-06.

 

[brendothejet]

thanks guys.

I love the idea of this competition.

I can't wait for the day when a NL1 side or french team goes all the way, because realistically its possible in one of those "every dog has its day" scenarios...

 

[Eastender]

Rep sides seem to work ok in the English cricket cups. Ireland and Scotland regularly compete in them and do quite well. I see no reason why we couldn't do the same in RL. Isn't SOME good experience better than a TOTALLY bad one?

Some talk on other boards that the Northen Rail Cup could be revamped to include French and Russian clubs side and Irish, Scottish and even Serbian rep sides in order to give them much needed higher level experience.

 

[terracesider]

How many Serbians would be in a Serbian rep side?

 

[deluded pom?]

I would have thought the vast majority would be Serbia born Serbians.

 

[bowes]

Some talk on other boards that the Northen Rail Cup could be revamped to include French and Russian clubs side and Irish, Scottish and even Serbian rep sides in order to give them much needed higher level experience.

I'd keep it to French clubs to be realistic but look to consider including a Russian team a few years down the line if it seems appropriate (maybe give them a playoff against a team on the edge of getting in for a spot if they're borderline suitable), although they wouldn't be strong enough now. Possibly even have a Moscow rep side, like how RU have a Bucharest rep side in their 2nd tier European comp (this is not the same as doing this for the Challenge Cup). Chucking clubs from other places (unless you granted CC a spot to represent Wales which would seem artificial in my opinion) to get 150-0 thrashings from NL1 clubs wouldn't be worth considering (plus they could only play in the RU off season which is not when the NRC is)

If it was up to me I'd have the French Elite teams in 2 or 3 groups and the NL clubs in 5 or 6 and let them meet at the quarter final stage. Either that or have 4 each from NL1 and French Elite in one comp and have the NRC for the other NL teams

 

[brendothejet]

How many Serbians would be in a Serbian rep side?

The serbian team is made up entirely of serbians.

There are a few posters on LU that play in the club and national team. They would relish the chance to join the NRC.

I think turning the NRC into an expanded European cup would be awesome. Difficult but awesome

 

[terracesider]

I would hope that was the case DP and not a load of Aussies with a Serbian great-grandmother. :lol:

 

[bartman]

First round results, courtesy skysports.com Live Score Centre thingamy... apologies for any typos.

Rochdale Mayfield 50 v 16 Millom
Saddleworth 34 v 20 Halton Simms Cross
Thornhill 50 v 18 South London
Stanningley 20 v 26 Leigh East
Eccles and Salford 20 v 2 Blackbrook
Royal Navy 30 v 28 Waterhead
Siddal 18 v 14 York Acorn
Bradford Dudley Hill 42 v 4 Brighouse
Army 20 v 28 Leigh Miners
Eastmoor 28 v 6 Shaw Cross
East Leeds 56 v 0 Warrington Wizards
Wath Brow 22 v 26 Oulton
Seaton 50 v 10 Queens
Heworth 10 v 36 Hull Isberg
Drighlington 44 v 0 Askam
Skirlaugh 74 v 0 Milford
Hull Dockers 52 v 8 Thatto Heath
Dewsbury Celtic 36 v 20 Ovenden
Crosfields 6 v 34 West Bowling
Egremont 34 v 18 Oldham St Annes
Normanton v Fife Lions - postponed...
Wigan St Patricks 24 v 38 Leeds Metropolitan University
Ince Rose Bridge 12 v 35 Widnes St Maries
Hull Victoria 14 v 44 Castleford Lock Lane
RAF 0 v 42 East Hull
Bramley 12 v 18 Wigan St Judes - postponed and played on Sunday 4th Feb
West Hull 38 v 12 Castleford Panthers

Not sure when Normanton v Fife is now due to be played. Teams in bold go through to draw for next round along with the first Russian club.

Some real sore days out for some sides there. I'd say the wins by East Leeds, Egremont and Wigan St Judes were good/surprise efforts, perhaps teams to watch in the next rounds?

 

[bowes]

East Leeds beating Warrington Wizards and Wigan St Jude's beating Bramley were as expected (although the margin of East Leeds's win wasn't), the shock was Dewsbury Celtic beating Ovenden (although the Egremont game was as well), although the biggest shock was Leeds Met winning at Wigan St Patrick's.
I think you may have bought a bit of the propaganda that NL3/RLC National is better than the NCL because in actual fact as a whole the NCL is a much better competition (although the top RLC National teams would be about middle of Division 1 of NCL, bearing in mind it goes Premier, 1, 2).

 

[bartman]

Yeah, I must admit to being guilty of not having understood the winter conference and divisions etc much until recently. It's becoming a lot clearer though :lol:

Leeds Met must have some talented students in there, will be interesting to see how far that side goes. Also only one (navy) of the three forces teams got through, so I'd say their involvement in the cup is pitched at the correct level?

 

[bartman]

http://www.therfl.co.uk/HOME/news_item_top.php?id=160

The draw for the second round of the 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup will take place on Thursday 8th February 2007.

It will take place at the studios of BBC Radio Manchester at 7.30 pm

The draw will be broadcast live by BBC local radio.

Please note there is no media or public access to this event.

 

[bowes]

Yeah, I must admit to being guilty of not having understood the winter conference and divisions etc much until recently. It's becoming a lot clearer though :lol:

Yeah it is confusing when there was a league called NL3. When it was setup it was supposed to be for top BARLA teams with a NL4 of RLC sides. Only two top BARLA teams (Dudley Hill and Woolston Rovers) applied along with a few weaker BARLA teams and a load of RLC teams (that applied for NL4) so they just went ahead and chucked teams in rather than abandon the plan or rename it, partly for publicity (location of teams etc.) and partly to get at the winter teams. The RLC National name is far more descriptive of what the league actually is.

Before the pro leagues switched to summer they were working towards promotion and relegation between them and the NCL, but the NCL refused to switch to summer, plus the pro clubs voting against Woolston (then perennial winners of the NCL) replacing Highfield (then perennial bottom club in the pro leagues), despite them being a better team to enter, kind of killed off the idea.

 

[deluded pom?]

I think West Hull may argue with your description of Woolston as perrenial NCL winners !

 

[bowes]

You missed the key word before 'perennial winners' (THEN). They won the first 3 NCL titles in a row

 

[bartman]

Cheers for the history! Anything before mid-2004 would have slipped past me while I was on the way across hemispheres...

 

[bowes]

A little bit more to help explain context (I know it's off context but still):
before 1973 (I think) each town/group of a couple of towns had its own amateur league (district leagues) and that was the highest amateur level- this explains why district leagues still have excessive power despite not being playing leagues. BARLA were formed to improve the amateur game merged most into the Yorkshire, Pennine and North West Counties regional leagues (but left the Cumberland, Barrow and Hull leagues; most Barrow teams are in NCL/NWCL now but it has all their reserves).

In 1986 the top 10 teams were put in a BARLA National Legaue, this expanded to 2 divisions after 3 years. The expansion to 3 divisions was a result of the RFL wanting to get rid of 3 teams (decided on one season's placings and only announced over half way through the season!)- Chorley, Blackpool and Nottingham (plus Hemel in the reserve grade) and they did a deal with BARLA to take them into the new National Conference League (which had to have 3 divisions as BARLA wanted all National League teams in), with a plan to introducing P&R, which never materialised.

 

[deluded pom?]

I checked Woolston's history. They won the NCL in 93/94, 94/95 and 95/96. I'm sure West Hull were the first winners of the NCL but I can't seem to find any proof.

 

[bartman]

Round Two Results (24-25 Feb):

Wigan St Judes 22 - 30 Drighlington
Saddleworth 21 - 14 Siddall
Thornhill 38 - 20 Strela Kazan
Bradford Dudley Hill 26 - 28 Castleford Lock Lane
Widnes St Maries 22 - 6 Hull Isberg
Seaton V West Bowling - not played due to water-logged pitch, re-scheduled for 3 March
Hull Dockers V Eastmoor - not played due to state of pitch, postponed
Royal Navy 26 - 28 Normanton
East Hull 50 - 4 Dewsbury Celtic
Leigh Miners 34 - 18 Leeds Metropolitan University
Eccles & Salford 40 - 28 Egremont
Rochdale Mayfield 50 - 0 East Leeds
Leigh East 10 - 25 Oulton
West Hull 23 - 16 Skirlaugh

 

[bartman]

Missing result from Round One:
Normanton Knights 46 -8 Fife Lions (actually played on 4 February as scheduled)

Posponed results from Round Two (both played 3 March):
Seaton Rangers 4 - 22 West Bowling
Hull Dockers 8 - 28 Eastmoor Dragons


Round Three being played this weekend (9-11 March):

Normanton Knights (NCL2) v Widnes Vikings (NL1)
Castleford Tigers (NL1) v Castleford Lock Lane (NCL1)
Gateshead Thunder (NL2) v Limoux (France)
Swinton Lions (NL2) v Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia)
Workington Town (NL2) v Oulton Raiders (NCLP)
Keighley Cougars (NL2) v Thornhill Tojans (NCLP)
Halifax (NL1) v Eccles and Salford (NCL1)
Leigh Miners Rangers (NCLP) v Sheffield Eagles (NL1)
West Hull (NCLP) v Barrow Raiders (NL2)
Rochdale Hornets (NL1) v Saddleworth Rangers (NCL2)
Celtic Crusaders (NL2) v Eastmoor (NCLP)
Dewsbury Rams (NL1) v Leigh Centurions (NL1)
Whitehaven (NL1) v Doncaster Lakers (NL1)
Batley Bulldogs (NL1) v Widnes St Maries (NCL1)
West Bowling (NCLP) v London Skolars (NL2)
Blackpool Panthers (NL2) v Pia XIII (France)
Featherstone Rovers (NL2) v Drighlington (Pennine League)
Hunslet Hawks (NL2) v Rochdale Mayfield (NCL1)
East Hull (NCLP) v Oldham (NL2)
York City Knights (NL2) v Toulouse XIII (France)