IN last week’s issue of League Express I wrote about the reduced appeal of the Challenge Cup in recent years and I examined some causes of its decline.
The factors I referred to should surely give us some guidance on the steps we could take to restore the fortunes of the Challenge Cup.
We should be prepared to learn from our own history, understanding why the Challenge Cup was so successful for so many years, while also introducing new elements that reflect the game in the modern era.
I would therefore recommend the following ten-point plan for the Challenge Cup going forward.
1 Play the Challenge Cup Final a week before the Grand Final. If that were happening this year, for example, that would mean playing the Challenge Cup Final on October 5.
One incidental advantage of doing this would be that the gap between the Super League play-offs and the Grand Final becomes two weeks, which would double the period for selling tickets to the competing clubs for that game. That would be particularly useful for when a French club reaches the Grand Final, with the associated problem of organising transport to Manchester over a very short period.
Another advantage of this switch of dates would be that there would be space for the Magic Weekend to revert to May or June if it is to be retained.
2 Have a first round of 32 clubs, including all the Super League and Championship clubs (24 in total from 2026) and the top eight clubs from the previous season’s League One competition.
This would have the added advantage of giving the clubs at the lower end of League One the incentive to achieve a finishing position in the top eight of that competition.
Statistical probability analysis reveals that the most likely first round would include two matches between two Super League clubs, two matches between two Championship clubs, one match between two League One clubs, five matches between Super League and Championship clubs, three matches between Super League and League One clubs and three matches between Championship and League One clubs.
3 Have a completely open draw all the way through from the first round onwards.
This would give every club a chance to host a giant and give the fans of those big clubs the chance to visit sides that they would rarely otherwise come into contact with. It would add to the romance of the competition.
4 Play the first three rounds every two weeks with a three-week gap to the semi-finals and a four-week gap before the final.
If this system were in operation in 2024, for example, that would mean that the first round would be played on July 20, the second round on August 3, the third round on August 16 and the semi-finals on September 7.
5 Limit the number of overseas quota players who can play through to the Challenge Cup Final.
One requirement for the Challenge Cup is to establish a distinct identity. I would propose to limit the number of quota players to three in round one, four in round two, five in round three, six in the semi-finals before all seven can play in the final.
Such a move would mean that younger players would be given a chance to make an impression in the early rounds and it may make matches more competitive. It would also encourage debate among supporters as to which overseas players should be selected for their teams in the early rounds.
6 Make the first-round draw at an appropriate venue with representatives from the clubs and the fans in attendance and run it on the RFL’s social media channels.
Now that the RFL is firmly established in Manchester, one of the theatres in the city would be an obvious possibility or the Great Bridgewater Hall on a Monday evening.
A Challenge Cup draw is far more exciting with interested parties in the audience reacting to the ties as they are pulled out of the hat. And establish a set time and place for making the draw for each subsequent round, ideally at around 7pm on Monday evenings.
7 Announce that the Challenge Cup Final will be the place at which tributes will be paid via the big screen to all the former players who have passed away in the last twelve months, with the big screen in the stadium showing them in action.
This year, for example, that would include tributes to players such as Lewis Jones and Phil Lowe, and I’m sure it would add to the quality of the fan experience if before the big game we were reminded of the brilliance of some of our departed heroes.
Those tributes would be played before the Cup Final kick-off. A feature such as this could be planned well in advance of the game itself.
8 Announce that each year at the Challenge Cup Final a new inductee to the RFL’s Hall of Fame will be revealed as well as a new member of the RFL Roll of Honour, these awards to be announced at half-time.
Again, those decisions would give attendees the chance to pay a fitting tribute to the people who are honoured in this way and it would raise the profile of both the Hall of Fame and the Roll of Honour.
9 Announce that the teams from the Challenge Cup from 25 years earlier will parade and be introduced to the crowd before the main game and they will form a guard of honour for the two finalists as they come out of the dressing rooms.
This year, for example, that would be the Leeds Rhinos and London Broncos teams from 1999, with great players such as Iestyn Harris and Adrian Morley (Leeds) and Martin Offiah and Shaun Edwards (London) in attendance. Next year, if we had this system in place, it would be the Bradford and Leeds teams that played in 2000.
It’s always important to see the game paying tribute to its own history and I’m sure the fans would love to see the players who graced the Cup Final 25 years earlier and, importantly, fans would know in plenty of time before the event that their heroes of yesteryear would be appearing once more at the Challenge Cup Final, encouraging them to make arrangements to be there.
10 Present the Challenge Cup competition in this format as a complete package to potential broadcasters, including the BBC and alternative broadcasters such as Channel 4 or other media outlets including Sky Sports.
At one time any thought of a move away from the BBC would have been almost sacrilegious, but the changes in the way people consume sport today mean that it would now be legitimate to look elsewhere for potential broadcasting and streaming partners.
Conclusion
The Challenge Cup is in trouble and it needs urgent surgery if it is to survive.
The other proposals I have seen (playing the Challenge Cup Final early in the season and having some pool matches in the earlier rounds, for example) depart from the true ethos of the Cup and won’t be effective in restoring its status.
I’m not arrogant enough to believe I have the only solution, but I have yet to see a better one.
First published in League Express newspaper, Issue 3,427 (April 22, 2024)
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