Clubs > Siddal > RFL Challenge Cup
RFL Challenge Cup
At time of writing in 2025, Siddal has played 71 RFL Challenge Cup ties. Indeed, they have qualified for the RFL Challenge Cup every season since 1996 ( except 2021 due to Covid). This impressive journey started in December 1996 with a tie away at Oldham St Anne’s. Siddal won this game by 16-12.
Following the St Anne’s game, Siddal drew Beverley in the 2nd Round and secured an impressive 38-0 victory to earn a third-round tie against the professionals of Barrow. This meant a trip up to Barrow on 26th January 1997. They put up a brave fight going down 16-8 in front of a crowd of around 1000 spectators.
A strange feature of the Siddal home tie with Keighley Cougars in 2013 was that it was not played at Chevinedge but at Laund Hill in Huddersfield. Keighley won the game 30-14.
Perhaps Siddal’s biggest RFL Challenge Cup game came in the third round of the competition in 2017 when they welcomed the newly established Canadian Rugby League side, Toronto Wolfpack, to Chevinedge. The game, which was the Wolfpack’s first competitive game, attracted significant interest and was covered live on the BBC. It attracted a sizeable crowd of over 1000 to Chevinedge. Siddal led 6-4 into the second half but late tries gave Toronto the tie by 14-6.
George Ambler scored Siddal’s try with Gareth Blackburn kicking a penalty. Siddal’s Freddie Walker was named man of the match. The full game is available to view on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUUCbs29S30
Siddal’s complete record is available on the Rugby League Project website via
https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/siddal-arlfc/results-challenge-cup.html