Featherstone Rovers 14-12 Hull FC — 1982/83 Challenge Cup Final

Wembley Stadium, London · Attendance: 84,969

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

1982/83 Challenge Cup Final: Featherstone Rovers 14-12 Hull FC, at Wembley Stadium, London.

Sourcing caveat: Hull FC's try/goal scorers and the referee's name could not be confirmed from available sources; Hobbs's try minutes are also unconfirmed. Lineups added subsequently, sourced from Rugby League Project's team-sheet summary for this final — shirt numbers 1-13 plus two named substitutes for each side, with both clubs' coaches, all confirmed and consistent with the try/goal scorers already recorded above (Hobbs at second row, Quinn at centre).

Scorers

Featherstone Rovers	Tries: David Hobbs (2 tries, from a planned blind-side move off a scrum) Goals: Steve Quinn (including a late/decisive penalty)
Hull FC	No scorers recorded.

Teams

Featherstone Rovers			Hull FC
1	Nigel Barker	Fullback	Gary Kemble	1
2	John Marsden	Wing	Dane O'Hara	2
3	Steve Quinn	Centre	Steve Evans	3
4	John Gilbert	Centre	James Leuluai	4
5	Ken Kellett	Wing	Paul Prendiville	5
6	Alan Banks	Five-eighth	David Topliss	6
7	Terry Hudson	Halfback	Kevin Harkin	7
8	Michael Gibbins	Front row	Trevor Skerrett	8
9	Raymond Handscombe	Hooker	Keith Bridges	9
10	Steven Hankins	Front row	Charlie Stone	10
11	David Hobbs	Second row	Paul Rose	11
12	Tim Slatter	Second row	Lee Crooks	12
13	Peter Smith	Lock	Steve Norton	13
Substitutes
14	Paul Lyman		Terry Day	14
15	Gary Siddall		Mick Crane	15

Allan Agar		Coach	Arthur Bunting

Match officials

Referee	—
Lance Todd Trophy	David Hobbs (Featherstone Rovers) — Lance Todd Trophy

Match report

Featherstone Rovers pulled off what is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in Challenge Cup final history, beating hot favourites and defending champions Hull FC 14-12 at Wembley in front of 84,969 fans. Club secretary Terry Jones recalled that “the bookies stopped taking money on Hull before the game,” reflecting how strong a favourite Hull were. Featherstone captain Terry Hudson led from the front despite an early sin-binning, and David Hobbs scored twice to win the Lance Todd Trophy. The decisive Steve Quinn penalty reportedly followed a Hull player being penalised for a headbutt on Peter Smith. Featherstone had beaten Batley, Salford, St Helens and Bradford en route to Wembley. For much of the competition's early history the final rotated around northern club and representative grounds such as Headingley, Fartown, Central Park and the Athletic Ground, Rochdale, before Wembley Stadium became the final's permanent home from 1928/29 onward (with a short break during Wembley's 2000-2007 reconstruction, when finals were staged at Murrayfield, Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium instead). Since 1946/47, the competition's individual award, the Lance Todd Trophy, has been presented to the final's outstanding player, voted for by a panel of media representatives at the final whistle — on several notable occasions the trophy has gone to a player on the losing side, an unusual honour that reflects the award's focus on individual performance rather than simply reflecting the final scoreline. This was the 82nd Challenge Cup final played, and, under the name “Featherstone Rovers,” the 3rd Challenge Cup title for the club.

Round by round

Jump to round:

Preliminary Round

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Wigan 14–4 Cardiff	Central Park	5816	1983-01-30

Round 1

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Widnes 6–12 Leeds	Naughton Park	5861	1983-02-12
Barrow 18–6 Whitehaven	Craven Park	4898	1983-02-13
Blackpool Borough 11–19 Hull FC	Borough Park	3388	1983-02-13
Huddersfield 5–13 Halifax	Fartown	2656	1983-02-13
Hunslet 12–11 Hull KR	Elland Road	4441	1983-02-13
Salford 12–5 Leigh	The Willows	6519	1983-02-13
Swinton 21–13 Doncaster	Station Road	1027	1983-02-13
Wakefield Trinity 27–5 Keighley	Belle Vue	3446	1983-02-13
Warrington 41–3 Bramley	Wilderspool	3241	1983-02-13
St Helens 52–0 Carlisle	Knowsley Road	2875	1983-02-15
Bradford Northern 23–5 York	Odsal	2685	1983-02-16
Featherstone Rovers 21–5 Batley	Belle Vue	1374	1983-02-16
Oldham 5–8 Workington Town	Watersheddings	2987	1983-02-16
Rochdale Hornets 4–24 Fulham	Athletic Ground	701	1983-02-16
Wigan 7–17 Castleford	Central Park	10737	1983-02-16
Dewsbury 7–13 Huyton	Crown Flatt	563	1983-02-17

Round 2

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Hull FC 32–15 Wakefield Trinity	The Boulevard	11197	1983-02-26
Barrow 9–14 Castleford	Craven Park	6779	1983-02-27
Fulham 4–11 Bradford Northern	Craven Cottage	4976	1983-02-27
Hunslet 17–8 Halifax	Elland Road	4130	1983-02-27
Leeds 13–23 St Helens	Headingley	12483	1983-02-27
Salford 11–17 Featherstone Rovers	The Willows	4169	1983-02-27
Warrington 34–2 Huyton	Wilderspool	2825	1983-02-27
Workington Town 14–9 Swinton	Derwent Park	1751	1983-02-27

Round 3

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
St Helens 10–11 Featherstone Rovers	Knowsley Road	6125	1983-03-12
Hunslet 8–13 Castleford	Elland Road	14004	1983-03-13
Warrington 4–10 Hull FC	Wilderspool	10280	1983-03-13
Workington Town 0–17 Bradford Northern	Derwent Park	3894	1983-03-13

Semi-Finals

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Bradford Northern 6–11 Featherstone Rovers	Headingley	10784	1983-03-26
Castleford 7–14 Hull FC	Elland Road	26031	1983-04-02

Final

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Featherstone Rovers 14–12 Hull FC	Wembley Stadium	84969	1983-05-07

Early rounds feature amateur and community clubs alongside professional ones; team names are linked only where this site has a team page for that exact club, matching the same safety-first approach used for the Final's own results table.

Sources

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