Wigan 26-16 Leeds — 1993/94 Challenge Cup Final

Wembley Stadium, London · Attendance: 78,348

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

1993/94 Challenge Cup Final: Wigan 26-16 Leeds, at Wembley Stadium, London.

Sourcing caveat: Full individual try-scorer lists beyond Offiah could not be confirmed for either team — the scoreline implies further tries for both sides not documented by name in sources checked. Full lineups, benches and coaches for both sides were subsequently confirmed via Rugby League Project.

Scorers

Wigan	Tries: Martin Offiah (2 tries, including a famous ~90-metre solo score outpacing Alan Tait) Goals: Frano Botica (5 goals)
Leeds	Goals: Graham Holroyd (2 goals)

Teams

Wigan			Leeds
1	Gary Connolly	Fullback	Alan Tait	1
2	Va'aiga Tuigamala	Wing	Jim Fallon	2
3	Dean Bell	Centre	Kevin Iro	3
4	Barrie-Jon Mather	Centre	Craig Innes	4
5	Martin Offiah	Wing	Francis Cummins	5
6	Frano Botica	Five-eighth	Graham Holroyd	6
7	Shaun Edwards	Halfback	Garry Schofield	7
8	Kelvin Skerrett	Front row	Neil Harmon	8
9	Martin Dermott	Hooker	James Lowes	9
10	Andy Platt	Front row	Harvey Howard	10
11	Denis Betts	Second row	Gary Mercer	11
12	Andy Farrell	Second row	Richie Eyres	12
13	Phil Clarke	Lock	Ellery Hanley	13
Substitutes
14	Sam Panapa		Mike O'Neill	14
15	Mick Cassidy		Marcus Vassilakopoulos	15

John Dorahy		Coach	Doug Laughton

Match officials

Referee	Ron Campbell
Lance Todd Trophy	Martin Offiah (Wigan) — Lance Todd Trophy

Match report

This final, played 30 April 1994, produced arguably the single most famous try in Challenge Cup final history: Martin Offiah burst through the Leeds line deep inside his own half and, in a foot race with Leeds full-back Alan Tait, out-paced him over some 90 metres to score — an image that has become permanently associated with Wembley folklore. He finished with two tries and the Lance Todd Trophy as Wigan beat Leeds 26-16, continuing their run to a seventh consecutive Challenge Cup triumph. Frano Botica's goal-kicking (5 goals) again played a major supporting role. 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 93rd Challenge Cup final played, and, under the name “Wigan,” the 15th Challenge Cup title for the club.

Round by round

Jump to round:

Round 1

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Askam 36–20 Orchard Park	Fallowfield Park	—	1993-12-04
Barrow Island 26–13 Moorends	Ostley Bank	—	1993-12-04
Beverley 84–10 Cambridge Eagles	The Boulevard	—	1993-12-04
Thatto Heath 22–8 Dudley Hill	Neil Hunt Memorial Ground	—	1993-12-04
Dewsbury Celtic 38–15 Fulham Travellers	—	—	1993-12-04
East Leeds 25–12 Kells	Snake Lane	—	1993-12-04
Irlam 12–4 Eastmoor	King George's Field (Wakefield)	—	1993-12-04
Egremont 28–6 Ace Amateurs	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	1993-12-04
Ellenborough 18–0 Greetland All Rounders	—	—	1993-12-04
Hensingham 22–18 Hemel	Pennine Way Stadium	—	1993-12-04
Heworth 24–8 Wigan St Judes	Elm Park Way	—	1993-12-04
Leigh East 14–10 Farnworth	—	—	1993-12-04
Leigh Miners Rangers 34–14 Eureka	—	—	1993-12-04
Myson 16–13 Lock Lane	Lock Lane Sports Centre	—	1993-12-04
Mayfield 24–12 Hull Dockers	Mayfield Sports Centre	—	1993-12-04
Milford 18–8 Cardiff Institute	Beckett Park	—	1993-12-04
Millom 18–10 Westgate Redoubt	Coronation Field	—	1993-12-04
Moldgreen 23–5 Skirlaugh	Ridgeway	—	1993-12-04
Clayton 24–8 Nottingham	Harvey Hadden Stadium	—	1993-12-04
Oldham St Annes 32–8 Bisons	Higginshaw Road	—	1993-12-04
Oulton 27–6 Queens	Raider Park	—	1993-12-04
Redhill 16–12 Littleborough	—	—	1993-12-04
Saddleworth 13–2 Seaton Rangers	The Watersheddings	—	1993-12-04
Shaw Cross 12–6 Fryston	—	—	1993-12-04
Walney 11–0 Simms Cross	—	—	1993-12-04
West Hull 36–9 Ovenden	—	—	1993-12-04
Wigan St Pats 13–6 Wath Brow Hornets	Clarington Park	—	1993-12-04
Woolston 54–12 Upton & Frickley	—	—	1993-12-04
York Acorn 32–32 Orrell St James	—	—	1993-12-04
Park Amateurs 28–10 Blackpool	Jepson Way	—	1993-12-05
Chorley Borough 30–2 Elland	Grundy Hill	—	1993-12-05
Orrell St James 24–5 York Acorn	—	—	1993-12-11

Round 2

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Askam 8–3 Chorley Borough	Fallowfield Park	—	1993-12-18
Beverley 17–8 Blackbrook	Blackbrook Sports & Recreation Club	—	1993-12-18
Oulton 23–6 Clayton	—	—	1993-12-18
East Leeds 14–10 Egremont	Snake Lane	—	1993-12-18
Woolston 9–4 Ellenborough	—	—	1993-12-18
Hensingham 40–0 Myson	Derwent Park	—	1993-12-18
Millom 26–14 Leigh East	—	—	1993-12-18
Leigh Miners Rangers 13–11 Moldgreen	—	—	1993-12-18
Wigan St Pats 32–14 Mayfield	Mayfield Sports Centre	—	1993-12-18
Irlam 20–19 Milford	Beckett Park	—	1993-12-18
Redhill 32–18 Orrell St James	—	—	1993-12-18
Saddleworth 12–4 Oldham St Annes	The Watersheddings	—	1993-12-18
Shaw Cross 11–4 Thatto Heath	—	—	1993-12-18
Barrow Island 6–4 Walney	—	—	1993-12-18
West Hull 47–14 Park Amateurs	—	—	1993-12-18
Dewsbury Celtic 18–10 Heworth	—	—	1994-01-03

Round 3

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Batley 58–2 Dewsbury Celtic	Mount Pleasant	1235	1994-01-15
Barrow 34–10 East Leeds	Craven Park (Barrow)	729	1994-01-16
Bramley 46–20 Redhill	McLaren Field	535	1994-01-16
Carlisle 42–8 Askam	Gillford Park	521	1994-01-16
Dewsbury 64–6 Hensingham	Mount Pleasant	729	1994-01-16
Doncaster 36–4 Wigan St Pats	Tattersfield	927	1994-01-16
Highfield 16–13 Saddleworth	Hoghton Road	277	1994-01-16
Huddersfield 42–6 Woolston	Alfred McAlpine Stadium	1376	1994-01-16
Hunslet 58–2 Barrow Island	Elland Road	498	1994-01-16
Keighley 68–0 Oulton	Lawkholme Lane	2210	1994-01-16
London Crusaders 40–14 Shaw Cross	Barnet Copthall	551	1994-01-16
Rochdale Hornets 32–0 Millom	Spotland Stadium	710	1994-01-16
Ryedale-York 52–2 Leigh Miners Rangers	Ryedale Stadium	718	1994-01-16
Swinton 30–0 Irlam	Station Road	710	1994-01-16
Whitehaven 44–4 West Hull	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	718	1994-01-16
Workington 24–10 Beverley	Derwent Park	1277	1994-01-16

Round 4

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Warrington 22–18 Halifax	Thrum Hall	4775	1994-01-29
Bradford Northern 58–30 Barrow	Craven Park (Barrow)	2260	1994-01-30
Keighley 29–8 Batley	Mount Pleasant	2409	1994-01-30
Widnes 20–11 Bramley	McLaren Field	1179	1994-01-30
Workington 13–12 Carlisle	Gillford Park	2042	1994-01-30
Castleford 36–4 Salford	Wheldon Road	5662	1994-01-30
Doncaster 18–6 Dewsbury	Tattersfield	1733	1994-01-30
Whitehaven 15–4 Highfield	Hoghton Road	316	1994-01-30
St Helens 23–16 Huddersfield	Alfred McAlpine Stadium	5155	1994-01-30
Hull Kingston Rovers 16–6 Ryedale-York	Craven Park (Hull)	1886	1994-01-30
Oldham 30–20 Hunslet	Elland Road	1257	1994-01-30
Featherstone Rovers 28–14 London Crusaders	Barnet Copthall	1557	1994-01-30
Leeds 40–18 Rochdale Hornets	Spotland Stadium	3435	1994-01-30
Sheffield Eagles 42–10 Leigh	Don Valley Stadium	1676	1994-01-30
Hull 18–12 Swinton	Station Road	926	1994-01-30
Wigan 24–16 Wakefield Trinity	Central Park	12171	1994-01-30

Round 5

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Leeds 38–4 Warrington	Headingley	9713	1994-02-12
Doncaster 20–0 Oldham	Tattersfield	2872	1994-02-13
Wigan 22–21 Hull	The Boulevard	10517	1994-02-13
Featherstone Rovers 30–8 Hull Kingston Rovers	Craven Park (Hull)	3076	1994-02-13
Castleford 52–14 Keighley	Lawkholme Lane	5860	1994-02-13
St Helens 46–4 Whitehaven	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	4161	1994-02-13
Widnes 22–6 Sheffield Eagles	Naughton Park	4631	1994-02-13
Bradford Northern 32–0 Workington	Derwent Park	5294	1994-02-13

Quarter-Finals

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Castleford 30–6 Widnes	Wheldon Road	6062	1994-02-26
Leeds 33–10 Bradford Northern	Headingley	22615	1994-02-27
St Helens 40–9 Doncaster	Knowsley Road	8695	1994-02-27
Wigan 32–14 Featherstone Rovers	Central Park	16019	1994-02-27

Semi-Finals

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Wigan 20–6 Castleford	Headingley	17049	1994-03-12
Leeds 20–8 St Helens	Central Park	20771	1994-03-26

Final

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Wigan 26–16 Leeds	Wembley Stadium	78348	1994-04-30

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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