The 2003 Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....

final was held on Saturday 26 April 2003, at Millennium Stadium

Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...

, Cardiff, UK. The game was contested by Bradford Bulls

Bradford Bulls

Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....

 and Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

.

Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)

Attendance: 71,212

Final Score: Bradford Bulls

Bradford Bulls

Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....

 22 - 20 Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

Bradford Bulls Team

Robbie Paul

Robbie Paul

Robert Rawiri 'Robbie' Hunter-Paul is a New Zealand rugby league player. He currently plays for Leigh Centurions in England. He played for the New Zealand national team 27 times. He is the younger brother of Leeds Carnegie player Henry Paul.-Early years:Born in Tokoroa, New Zealand, his junior...

, Tevita Vaikona

Tevita Vaikona

Tevita Vaikona is a professional rugby footballer, a powerful winger who enjoyed massive success in rugby league and picked up many honours before switching codes to rugby union where he was also hugely successful....

, Scott Naylor

Scott Naylor

Scott Naylor is a rugby league coach and former player. He played for the Bradford Bulls of Super League from 1998 to 2003 and now coaches the Salford City Reds.-International honours:...

, Shontayne Hape

Shontayne Hape

Shontayne Hape is a New Zealand-born rugby footballer, a dual-code rugby international. He plays rugby union at centre for London Irish and England. He has also previously played rugby league for the Bradford Bulls in Super League and New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League...

, Lesley Vainikolo

Lesley Vainikolo

Lesley Vainikolo is a dual code professional rugby football player who currently plays for Gloucester Rugby. He plays on the wing....

, Leon Pryce

Leon Pryce

Leon Pryce is an English professional rugby league footballer of Jamaican descent for the St. Helens club of Super League...

, Paul Deacon

Paul Deacon

Paul Deacon is a retired rugby league footballer. He previously played for Bradford Bulls from 1998 until joining his hometown club Wigan Warriors in 2010...

, Joe Vagana

Joe Vagana

Joe Vagana is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors and the Bradford Bulls and also represented both Samoa and New Zealand in international competition...

, James Lowes

James Lowes

James Lowes is a British former rugby league player and assistant coach for the Leeds Rhinos. He played for Hunslet Hawks and Leeds Rhinos, but his best years were with the Bradford Bulls, where he won many trophies...

, Daniel Gartner

Daniel Gartner

Daniel Gartner is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. His position was second row and he played in Australia with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and in England with the Bradford Bulls, winning championships with both clubs...

, Lee Radford

Lee Radford

Lee Radford is an English professional rugby league footballer with Hull of Super League. An England representative second-row forward, he previously played for the Bradford Bulls....

, Jamie Peacock

Jamie Peacock

James "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...

, Mike Forshaw

Mike Forshaw

Michael "Mike" Forshaw is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He began his playing career with Wigan in 1987 and went on to play for Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Bulls & Warrington Wolves.He had a brief stint at Saracens F.C...

Subs: Karl Pratt

Karl Pratt

Karl Pratt , is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for Featherstone Rovers, Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls, with whom he won the 2003 Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup....

, Lee Gilmour

Lee Gilmour

Lee Gilmour is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays for Huddersfield Giants of Super League.Gilmour's usual position is , but he has played on the and in the s when a back-line player suffered an injury....

, Rob Parker, Paul Anderson

Scorers

Tries: Robbie Paul

Robbie Paul

Robert Rawiri 'Robbie' Hunter-Paul is a New Zealand rugby league player. He currently plays for Leigh Centurions in England. He played for the New Zealand national team 27 times. He is the younger brother of Leeds Carnegie player Henry Paul.-Early years:Born in Tokoroa, New Zealand, his junior...

, Tevita Vaikona

Tevita Vaikona

Tevita Vaikona is a professional rugby footballer, a powerful winger who enjoyed massive success in rugby league and picked up many honours before switching codes to rugby union where he was also hugely successful....

, Jamie Peacock

Jamie Peacock

James "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...

Goals: Paul Deacon

Paul Deacon

Paul Deacon is a retired rugby league footballer. He previously played for Bradford Bulls from 1998 until joining his hometown club Wigan Warriors in 2010...

 (5)

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

 Team

Gary Connolly

Gary Connolly

Gary J. Connolly was a rugby league full back who later played at centre for St Helens, Canterbury Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and for the Great Britain national side. In the twilight of his career, he played rugby union for Irish side Munster.Connolly was a dependable centre capable of...

, Mark Calderwood

Mark Calderwood

Mark Calderwood is an English professional rugby league footballer who is currently looking for a new club after being released by Super League club Hull. He plays as a winger....

, Chris McKenna

Chris McKenna

Chris McKenna is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for Queensland and Australia as well as club sides the Brisbane Broncos, South Queensland Crushers and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. His usual position was second row, though while he played...

, Keith Senior

Keith Senior

Keith Senior is an English professional rugby league or who most recently played for the Leeds Rhinos in Super League. He has won every honour in the English domestic game. He holds the record for the most Super League appearances & the most Super League tries...

, Francis Cummins

Francis Cummins

Francis Cummins is a former English rugby league footballer. His position of choice was fullback though he also regularly played at centre and winger.-Early Honours:...

, Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield is an English professional rugby league player. He is the captain of the Leeds Rhinos in Super League. His recognised position is /, although he can cover both /, and . He has represented both England and Great Britain at international level.-Career:Sinfield began his career at...

, Andrew Dunemann

Andrew Dunemann

Andrew Dunemann is a former coach of the Northern Pride a QRL club and is a former Australian National Rugby League player. He now works as the NYC coach of the Canberra Raiders...

, Ryan Bailey, Matt Diskin

Matt Diskin

Matt Diskin is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Bradford Bulls of Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative hooker, he played ten years with Leeds Rhinos, having won four Super League championships with the club, before moving to the Bulls for the...

, Barrie McDermott

Barrie McDermott

Barrie McDermott is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain international representative , he played his club football at Oldham, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos , Bramley and Widnes.McDermott later became the Head of Youth Development with...

, Chev Walker

Chev Walker

Chev Walker is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Bradford Bulls of Super League. He has played both rugby league and rugby union professionally. Since 2007 he has played rugby league for Hull KR. Until 2010 when he signed a 1 year contract with the Bradford Bulls. Usually a ,...

, Matt Adamson

Matt Adamson

Matt Adamson is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative second-row forward, he played club football in Australia with the Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers, and Canberra Raiders,...

, David Furner

David Furner

David Furner is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Canberra Raiders of the NRL...

Subs: Rob Burrow

Rob Burrow

Rob Burrow is an English professional rugby league footballer with the Leeds Rhinos of Super League. He has represented both England and Great Britain as a hooker/half. He has spent his whole career to date at Leeds, having won the Super League championship with them five times...

, Willie Poching

Willie Poching

Willie Poching is a New Zealand professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current coach of Samoa national team and assistant coach of English Super League club Warrington Wolves...

, Danny Ward

Danny Ward

For the footballer currently playing for Huddersfield Town, see Danny Ward Danny Ward is an English professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL in Europe's Super League. His usual position is as at Prop-forward...

, Wayne McDonald

Wayne McDonald

Wayne McDonald is a former rugby league footballer, recently he played for the Campbelltown City Kangaroos in Australia. McDonald played over 175 games in the Super League in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Hull Sharks, St Helens, Leeds Rhinos, Wigan...

Scorers

Tries: Gary Connolly

Gary Connolly

Gary J. Connolly was a rugby league full back who later played at centre for St Helens, Canterbury Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and for the Great Britain national side. In the twilight of his career, he played rugby union for Irish side Munster.Connolly was a dependable centre capable of...

, Chris McKenna

Chris McKenna

Chris McKenna is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for Queensland and Australia as well as club sides the Brisbane Broncos, South Queensland Crushers and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. His usual position was second row, though while he played...

, David Furner

David Furner

David Furner is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Canberra Raiders of the NRL...

Goals: Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield is an English professional rugby league player. He is the captain of the Leeds Rhinos in Super League. His recognised position is /, although he can cover both /, and . He has represented both England and Great Britain at international level.-Career:Sinfield began his career at...

(4)

External links

• 2003 Challenge Cup Final