The 2000 Challenge Cup (officially known as the 2000
Silk Cut
Silk Cut is a British brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Gallaher Group, a division of Japan Tobacco. The packaging is characterised by a distinctive stark white packet with the brand name in a purple, blue, red, silver, wh ...
Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
football tournament which began its preliminary stages in December 1999 and ended with the final on 29 April 2000.
The final was held on Saturday, 29 April 2000, at
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium (known as BT Murrayfield Stadium for sponsorship reasons, or popularly as Murrayfield) is a Rugby stadium located in the Murrayfield area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has a seating capacity of 67,144 making it the largest sta ...
,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, UK. The game was won by
Bradford Bulls
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
who defeated
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
24-18.
First round
Second round
Third round
Fourth round
Fifth round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Referee:
Steve Presley (
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the ...
)
Attendance: 67,247
Final Score:
Bradford Bulls
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
24 - 18
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
Bradford Bulls
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
team
Stuart Spruce,
Nathan McAvoy
Nathaniel Joseph McAvoy (born 31 December 1976) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a or . He spent most of his club career with Salford (1994–98 and 2004–05) and Bradford Bulls (1998–2002 and 2007), b ...
,
Scott Naylor
Scott Naylor (2 February 1972) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and has coached in the 2010s and 2020s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Wigan, the ...
,
Michael Withers
Michael Withers (born 16 May 1976) is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football in Australia for the Balmain Tigers in the National Rugby League, and in England ...
,
Tevita Vaikona
Tevita Vaikona (born 18 August 1974) is a Tongan professional rugby league and rugby union footballer, a winger who played rugby league and picked up many honours before switching codes to rugby union. In 2002, Vaikona was voted best rugby leagu ...
,
Henry Paul
Henry Paul (born 10 February 1974), also known by the nickname of "HP", is a former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. Paul represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union and rugby sevens. He ...
,
Robbie Paul
Robert Rawiri Hunter-Paul (born 3 February 1976) is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer. He has since become a business owner and television pundit, runninXtra Mile Marketing an inbound and digital marketing company. Robbie retired fr ...
,
Brian McDermott,
James Lowes
James Lowes is a former professional rugby league footballer, and coach. He played for Hunslet and Leeds, but arguably his best years were spent with the Bradford Bulls, where he won many trophies. He played there from 1996 to 2003.
Club care ...
,
Paul Anderson,
Jamie Peacock
James Darryl Peacock MBE, (born 14 December 1977) is a motivational speaker, leadership mentor and former English professional rugby league footballer. He played for Leeds Rhinos and the Bradford Bulls in the Super League, and captained both ...
,
Mike Forshaw
Michael Forshaw (born 5 January 1970) is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who is currently the defence coach for the Wales national rugby union team.
He began his playing career with Wigan in 1987 and went ...
,
Brad Mackay
Brad Mackay (born 1969 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A versatile for the St George Dragons, Illawarra Steelers, Western Reds and the joint-venture of St. Georg ...
Subs:
Leon Pryce
Leon Pryce (born 9 October 1981) is a professional rugby League coach who most recently coached Workington Town in League 1 and an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
A Gre ...
,
David Boyle,
Bernard Dwyer,
Stuart Fielden
Stuart Fielden (born 14 September 1979) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, and now is a Person ...
Coach:
Matthew Elliott
Scorers
Tries:
Michael Withers
Michael Withers (born 16 May 1976) is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football in Australia for the Balmain Tigers in the National Rugby League, and in England ...
(2),
Nathan McAvoy
Nathaniel Joseph McAvoy (born 31 December 1976) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a or . He spent most of his club career with Salford (1994–98 and 2004–05) and Bradford Bulls (1998–2002 and 2007), b ...
,
Stuart Fielden
Stuart Fielden (born 14 September 1979) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, and now is a Person ...
Goals:
Henry Paul
Henry Paul (born 10 February 1974), also known by the nickname of "HP", is a former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. Paul represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union and rugby sevens. He ...
(4)
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
team
Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Rhys Harris (born 25 June 1976), also known by the nickname of "Welsh Wizard", is a former dual-code international professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coach in rugby league in the ...
,
Leroy Rivett
Leroy Rivett (born 17 December 1976) is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club level rugby league (RL) for Leeds Rhinos, Bramley (loan), Huddersfield Giants, Ke ...
,
Richie Blackmore,
Keith Senior
Keith Andrew Senior (born 24 April 1976) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Sheffield Eagles and the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative , he is ...
,
Francis Cummins
Francis Cummins (born 12 October 1976) is the former Head Coach of the Widnes Vikings in the Super League and an English professional rugby league coach and former player. He was the head coach of Super League team the Bradford Bulls from Sep ...
,
Daryl Powell
Daryl A. Powell (born 21 July 1965) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s, 1990s a ...
,
Ryan Sheridan,
Darren Fleary
Darren Fleary (born 2 December 1972) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and Coach (sports), coach. He played at representative level for Great Britain national rugby league team, Great B ...
,
Dean Lawford,
Barrie McDermott
Barrie "Baz" McDermott (born 22 July 1972) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s and 2000s.
A Great Britain international representative , he played his club football at Oldham ( Heritage № 970), the ...
,
Adrian Morley
Adrian Paul Morley is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and forward from the 1990s through the 2010s. A Great Britain and England international, he played for the Leeds Rhinos (with whom he won the 1999 C ...
,
Anthony Farrell
Anthony Farrell (born 17 January 1969) is an English former professional rugby league footballer. He played at representative level for England, Wales, and at club level for the Huddersfield Giants, Sheffield Eagles, Leeds Rhinos, Widnes Vikin ...
,
Andy Hay
Subs:
Marcus St Hilaire
Marcus St Hilaire (born 26 January 1977), also known by the nickname of "Junior", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England and Ireland, an ...
,
Lee Jackson,
David Barnhill
David Barnhill (born 8 June 1969) is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who
played as a Second row forward in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. His club career was with the Canberra Raiders, St. George Dragons, Sydney City and ...
,
Jamie Mathiou
Jamie Mathiou (born 4 September 1972) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Ireland international , he played for the North Sydney Bears, North Queensland Cowboys and Leeds Rhinos.
Background
Bo ...
Coach:
Dean Lance
Dean Lance (born 4 April 1959) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach, and current football manager at the North Queensland Cowboys of the NRL. He played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership i ...
Scorers
Tries:
Andy Hay,
Marcus St Hilaire
Marcus St Hilaire (born 26 January 1977), also known by the nickname of "Junior", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England and Ireland, an ...
Goals:
Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Rhys Harris (born 25 June 1976), also known by the nickname of "Welsh Wizard", is a former dual-code international professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coach in rugby league in the ...
(5)
Man of the match
The
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to the annual Challenge Cup Final's man of the match. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in ...
was awarded to
Henry Paul
Henry Paul (born 10 February 1974), also known by the nickname of "HP", is a former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. Paul represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union and rugby sevens. He ...
(Bradford).
References
External links
2000 Challenge Cup Final
Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
Bradford Bulls
{{Rugbyleague-competition-stub