2000 Challenge Cup

2000 Silk Cut Challenge Cup
Duration	8 rounds
Highest attendance	67,247
Broadcast partners	BBC Sport
Winners	Bradford Bulls
Runners-up	Leeds Rhinos
Lance Todd Trophy	Henry Paul
	← 1999; 2001 →;

The 2000 Challenge Cup (officially known as the 2000 Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby league 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, Edinburgh, UK. The game was won by Bradford Bulls who defeated Leeds Rhinos 24–18.^[1]

First round

The first round was scheduled for the weekend of 4/5 December 1999, but due to cold weather leading to frozen pitches, a number of games were postponed. The last tie in the round was not played until 3 January 2000.

**First round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Army	54–7	Dewsbury Celtic	Saturday 4 December 1999
Askam	14–32	Eccles
Castleford Panthers	8–16	Thornhill
East Leeds	26–4	Crosfields
Heworth	2–16	Oulton
Hull Dockers	0–4	Royal Navy
Ideal Isberg	30–10	Milford
John Moores University	4–34	New Earswick
Leigh East	14–32	West Bowling
Millom	8–5	Elland
Norland	8–46	Stanley
Queens	26–17	Queensbury
Rochdale Mayfield	16–6	Eastmoor
Royal Air Force	20–8	Normanton
Shaw Cross	20–8	Townville
Wigan St Judes	36–12	London Skolars
Dublin	2–54	Farnworth	Sunday 5 December 1999
Clayton	2–18	Siddal	Saturday 11 December 1999
Dewsbury Moor	14–30	Haydock
Keighley Albion	17–10	Simms Cross
Wath Brow	22–8	Barrow Island
Blackbrook	0–11	Waterhead	Tuesday 14 December 1999
Hensingham	6–17	Featherstone Lions	Monday 3 January 2000
Source:^[2]

Second round

**Second round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Army	24–10	Oulton	Saturday 18 December 1999
Castleford Lock Lane	38–4	Royal Navy
Royal Air Force	6–40	Wigan St Judes
Sheffield Hillsborough	10–30	Ideal Isberg
Siddal	34–14	Leigh Miners Rangers
Skirlaugh	19–6	Haydock
Walney Central	16–2	Woolston
Waterhead	44–2^[a]	Millom
Wath Brow	22–13	West Bowling
Oldham St Annes	P-P	Farnworth	Monday 27 December 1999
Saddleworth	2–29	West Hull	Tuesday 28 December 1999
Wigan St Patricks	30–8	Eccles	Thursday 30 December 1999
Dudley Hill	32–30	Redhill	Sunday 2 January 2000
Queens	6–26	Thornhill	Sunday 2 January 2000
Shaw Cross	52–7	East Leeds	Monday 3 January 2000
Keighley Albion	1–14	Stanley	Monday 3 January 2000
New Earswick	4–44	Featherstone Lions	Saturday 8 January 2000
Cardiff	18–10	Rochdale Mayfield	Sunday 9th January 2000
Source:^[3]

Third round

**Third round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Wath Brow Hornets	26–0	Eccles	Saturday 29 January 2000
Barrow Border Raiders	42–12	Featherstone Lions	Sunday 30th January 2000
Batley Bulldogs	0–10	Oldham St Annes
Castleford Lock Lane	16–26	Villeneuve Leopards
Dewsbury Rams	66–0	Stanley
Doncaster Dragons	40–10	St Gaudens
Featherstone Rovers	64–6	Wigan St Patricks
Keighley Cougars	90–0	Cardiff
Hull Kingston Rovers	32–4	Ideal Isberg
Lancashire Lynx	18–6	Walney Central
Leigh Centurions	34–12	Siddal
Rochdale Hornets	66–6	Army
Sheffield Hillsborough	14–16	Thornhill
Whitehaven Warriors	42–0	Shaw Cross
Widnes Vikings	76–8	West Hull
Workington Town	12–2	Skirlaugh
York Wasps	56–10	Dudley Hill
Swinton Lions	74–1	Waterhead	Tuesday 1 February 2000
Oldham Roughyeds	44–0	Wigan St Judes	Tuesday 8 February 2000
Source:^[4]

Fourth round

**Fourth round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Bradford Bulls	32–4	Huddersfield-Sheffield	Saturday 12 February 2000
Barrow Raiders	18–34	Salford City Reds	Sunday 13 February 2000
Dewsbury Rams	29–16	Widnes Vikings
Doncaster Dragons	54–6	Workington Town
Featherstone Rovers	12–48	Leeds Rhinos
Halifax Blue Sox	36–8	Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Sharks	86–0	Lancashire Lynx
Hunslet Hawks	4–46	Warrington Wolves
Leigh Centurions	28–40	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
London Broncos	44–18	Wath Brow Hornets
Oldham St Annes	8–64^[b]	Castleford Tigers
Rochdale Hornets	30–14	Oldham Roughyeds
Swinton Lions	22–36	St Helens
Villeneuve Leopards	16–14^[c]	Keighley Cougars
Wigan Warriors	98–4	Whitehaven Warriors
York Wasps	56–2	Thornhill Trojans
Source:^[5]

Fifth round

**Fifth round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Leeds Rhinos	26–20	St Helens	Saturday 26 February 2000
Castleford Tigers	10–11	Halifax Blue Sox	Sunday 27 February 2000
Dewsbury Rams	35–10	Villeneuve Leopards
Hull Sharks	82–10	Rochdale Hornets
London Broncos	21–22	Salford City Reds
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats	0–46	Bradford Bulls
Warrington Wolves	84–1	York Wasps
Wigan Warriors	38–2	Doncaster Dragons
Source:^[6]

Quarter-finals

**Fifth round**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Hull Sharks	14–4	Wigan Warriors	Friday 10 March 2000
Salford City Reds	20–22	Warrington Wolves	Saturday 11 March 2020
Halifax Blue Sox	18–28	Bradford Bulls	Sunday 12 March 2000
Leeds Rhinos	42–10	Dewsbury Rams	Sunday 12 March 2000
Source:^[7]

Semi-finals

**Semi-finals**
Home	Score	Away	Date
Bradford Bulls	44–20	Warrington Wolves	Saturday 25 March 2000
Hull Sharks	2–22	Leeds Rhinos	Sunday 26 March 2000
Source:^[8]

Final

29 April 2000
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)

Bradford Bulls	24–18	Leeds Rhinos
Tries: Michael Withers (2), Nathan McAvoy, Stuart Fielden Goals: Henry Paul (4)		Tries: Andy Hay, Marcus St Hilaire Goals: Iestyn Harris (5)

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,247
Referee: Steve Presley (Castleford)
Lance Todd Trophy: Henry Paul (Bradford)^[9]

**Team details**
Bradford Bulls		Position	Leeds Rhinos
Name	Number	Position	Number	Name
Stuart Spruce	1	FB	1	Iestyn Harris
Nathan McAvoy	2	WG	2	Leroy Rivett
Scott Naylor	3	CE	3	Richie Blackmore
Michael Withers	4	CE	4	Keith Senior
Tevita Vaikona	5	WG	5	Francis Cummins
Henry Paul	6	SO	6	Daryl Powell
Robbie Paul	7	SH	7	Ryan Sheridan
Brian McDermott	8	PR	8	Darren Fleary
James Lowes	9	HK	9	Dean Lawford
Paul Anderson	10	PF	10	Barrie McDermott
Jamie Peacock	11	SR	11	Adrian Morley
Mike Forshaw	12	SR	12	Anthony Farrell
Brad Mackay	13	LF	13	Andy Hay
Leon Pryce	14	IN	14	Marcus St Hilaire
David Boyle	15	IN	15	Lee Jackson
Bernard Dwyer	16	IN	16	David Barnhill
Stuart Fielden	17	IN	17	Jamie Mathiou
Matthew Elliott		Coach		Dean Lance