St Helens 28-16 Hull FC — 2008 Challenge Cup Final
Wembley Stadium, London · Attendance: 82,821
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
2008 Challenge Cup Final: St Helens 28-16 Hull FC, at Wembley Stadium, London.
Sourcing caveat: The listed scorers do not fully reconcile against the final 28-16 scoreline — an additional, unconfirmed try or goal for each side may be missing from sources checked; try minutes are also unconfirmed. Lineups added via Rugby League Project team-sheet data, which returned clean non-sequential shirt numbers for both teams, cross-checked against the tries list above.
Scorers
| St Helens | Tries: Francis Meli; Matthew Gidley; Leon Pryce; Jon Wilkin Goals: Sean Long (4 goals from 5 attempts) |
| Hull FC | Tries: Kirk Yeaman (2 tries) Goals: Danny Tickle (2 goals from 3 attempts) |
Teams
| St Helens | Hull FC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Wellens | Fullback | Todd Byrne | 25 |
| 2 | Ade Gardner | Wing | Matt Sing | 2 |
| 3 | Matthew Gidley | Centre | Graeme Horne | 17 |
| 4 | Willie Talau | Centre | Kirk Yeaman | 3 |
| 5 | Francis Meli | Wing | Gareth Raynor | 5 |
| 6 | Leon Pryce | Five-eighth | Danny Washbrook | 13 |
| 7 | Sean Long | Halfback | Tommy Lee | 23 |
| 18 | Bryn Hargreaves | Front row | Ewan Dowes | 8 |
| 9 | Keiron Cunningham | Hooker | Shaun Berrigan | 9 |
| 17 | James Graham | Front row | Peter Cusack | 26 |
| 12 | Jon Wilkin | Second row | Willie Manu | 16 |
| 16 | Chris Flannery | Second row | Danny Tickle | 12 |
| 13 | Paul Sculthorpe | Lock | Lee Radford | 11 |
| Substitutes | ||||
| 11 | Lee Gilmour | Richard Horne | 6 | |
| 14 | James Roby | Garreth Carvell | 10 | |
| 21 | Paul Clough | Tom Briscoe | 27 | |
| 23 | Maurie Fa'asavalu | Jamie Thackray | 31 | |
| Daniel Anderson | Coach | Richard Agar | ||
Match officials
| Referee | Steve Ganson |
| Lance Todd Trophy | Paul Wellens (St Helens) — Lance Todd Trophy |
Match report
St Helens successfully defended the Challenge Cup for a second straight year, beating Hull FC 28-16 at Wembley. The Saints built a ten-point half-time cushion through tries from Francis Meli, Matthew Gidley, Leon Pryce and Jon Wilkin, with Sean Long again among the points. Hull FC, inspired by a Kirk Yeaman double, cut the deficit to two points in the second half and threatened a genuine upset before St Helens' greater composure saw them home. Paul Wellens' consistency in the back three earned him the Lance Todd Trophy. The win cemented St Helens' status as the era's dominant Challenge Cup side, extending a run of Wembley success under coach Daniel Anderson. Since Super League's 1996 launch, the Challenge Cup has continued to sit alongside the league championship as one of English rugby league's two most prestigious domestic honours, with the final remaining a fixture at Wembley Stadium (barring occasional relocations) and continuing to draw some of the largest single-match crowds anywhere in the sport. 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 107th Challenge Cup final played, and, under the name “St Helens,” the 12th Challenge Cup title for the club.
Round by round
Round 1
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Askam 12–20 West Bowling | Fallowfield Park | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| British Army 34–12 Thatto Heath | Aldershot | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| East Hull 54–6 RAF | Eastmount | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Eccles & Salford Juniors 10–28 Leigh East | Moat Hall | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Ellenborough Rangers 17–1 Saddleworth Rangers | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Hull Wyke 18–14 York Acorn | College Sports | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Leigh Miners Rangers 24–18 Simms Cross | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Lock Lane 18–32 Royal Navy | Lock Lane Sports | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Millom 38–0 Milford | Coronation Field | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Normanton 38–8 Edinburgh Eagles | Belle Vue | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Oulton Raiders 48–4 Oldham St Annes | Raider Park | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Rochdale Mayfield 48–4 Crosfields | Mayfield Sports | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| St Marys (Wigan) 22–30 Warrington Wizards | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Seaton Rangers 6–38 Featherstone Lions | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Siddal 62–6 Egremont Rangers | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Skirlaugh 46–14 Waterhead | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Stanningley 16–10 Shaw Cross Sharks | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Thornhill Trojans 20–26 Leeds Met University | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Wath Brow Hornets 58–4 Heworth | — | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Wigan St Patricks 44–14 Ovenden St Marks | Clarington | — | 02 Feb 2008 |
| Bramley Buffaloes 24–16 Castleford Panthers | Bramley RFC | — | 03 Feb 2008 |
| St Albans Centurions 16–42 Hull Dockers | — | — | 03 Feb 2008 |
| Bradford Dudley Hill 72–0 Dewsbury Celtic | Neil Hunt Ground | — | 09 Feb 2008 |
| Drighlington 10–20 Bank Quay Bulls | Wakefield Road | — | 09 Feb 2008 |
| West Hull 48–14 Widnes St Maries | — | — | 09 Feb 2008 |
| Eastmoor Dragons 10–23 Queens | King George's | — | 16 Feb 2008 |
Round 2
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Quay Bulls 29–0 Millom | Dallam | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Hull Dockers 14–19 Skirlaugh | Willows Sports | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Leeds Met University 20–8 Leigh East | Beckett Park | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Leigh Miners Rangers 64–12 Vereya | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Normanton 18–38 East Hull | Belle Vue | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Oulton Raiders 18–14 West Hull | Raider Park | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Royal Navy 6–36 Rochdale Mayfield | Victory Stadium | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Siddal 6–17 Queens | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Warrington Wizards 26–10 Stanningley | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Wath Brow Hornets 8–6 Ellenborough Rangers | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| West Bowling 16–34 Featherstone Lions | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Ince Rose Bridge 25–26 British Army | Fosters Fields | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| York Acorn 14–6 Bradford Dudley Hill | — | — | 23 Feb 2008 |
| Bramley Buffaloes 16–26 Wigan St Patricks | Bramley RFC | — | 24 Feb 2008 |
Round 3
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salford City Reds 66–10 Warrington Wizards | The Willows | — | 07 Mar 2008 |
| Sheffield Eagles 22–37 Lezignan Sangliers | Don Valley Stadium | — | 07 Mar 2008 |
| Blackpool Panthers 16–23 Featherstone Rovers | Woodlands | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Gateshead Thunder 24–26 Pia | Gateshead International Stadium | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Leeds Met University 16–44 Doncaster Lakers | Headingley | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Leigh Miners Rangers 14–40 Whitehaven | Hilton Park | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Rochdale Mayfield 10–30 Barrow Raiders | Castleton Sports | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Wigan St Patricks 14–50 Workington Town | Derwent Park | — | 08 Mar 2008 |
| Bank Quay Bulls 6–36 Hunslet Hawks | Wilderspool | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Batley Bulldogs 42–10 East Hull | Mount Pleasant | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| British Army 10–56 Oldham | Army RMS | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Celtic Crusaders 58–10 Lokomotiv Moscow | Brewery Field | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Keighley Cougars 14–17 Toulouse Olympique | Cougar Park | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Leigh Centurions 66–0 Featherstone Lions | Hilton Park | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| London Skolars 20–8 Queens | New River Stadium | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Oulton Raiders 24–54 Dewsbury Rams | Tetley's Stadium | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Rochdale Hornets 50–8 York Acorn | Spotland | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Wath Brow Hornets 14–40 Swinton Lions | Recreation Ground | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| Widnes Vikings 60–18 Skirlaugh | Stobart Stadium | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
| York City Knights 12–34 Halifax | South Ryedale | — | 09 Mar 2008 |
Round 4
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehaven 46–6 Lezignan Sangliers | Recreation Ground | — | 18 Apr 2008 |
| Leeds Rhinos 38–16 Celtic Crusaders | Headingley | — | 18 Apr 2008 |
| Bradford Bulls 98–6 Toulouse Olympique | Grattan Stadium (Odsal) | — | 19 Apr 2008 |
| Harlequins RL 44–14 Castleford Tigers | The Stoop | — | 19 Apr 2008 |
| Barrow Raiders 48–16 Hunslet Hawks | Craven Park (Barrow) | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Batley Bulldogs 12–26 Dewsbury Rams | Mount Pleasant | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Doncaster Lakers 12–38 Widnes Vikings | Keepmoat Stadium | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Featherstone Rovers 12–22 Catalans Dragons | Post Office Road | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Halifax 24–42 Huddersfield Giants | The Shay | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Leigh Centurions 16–28 Warrington Wolves | Hilton Park | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Rochdale Hornets 5–42 Hull FC | Spotland | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| St Helens 56–0 London Broncos | Knowsley Road | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Swinton Lions 8–20 Oldham | Park Lane | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Wigan Warriors 74–4 Pia | JJB Stadium | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Workington Town 12–68 Hull Kingston Rovers | Derwent Park | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Salford City Reds 8–38 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | The Willows | — | 20 Apr 2008 |
Round 5
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens 40–34 Warrington Wolves | GPW Recreation Ground | — | 10 May 2008 |
| Hull Kingston Rovers 42–22 Huddersfield Giants | Craven Park (Hull) | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Barrow Raiders 6–58 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Craven Park (Barrow) | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Bradford Bulls 46–16 Catalans Dragons | Grattan Stadium (Odsal) | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Dewsbury Rams 12–58 Oldham | Tetley's Stadium | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Harlequins RL 26–36 Leeds Rhinos | The Stoop | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Widnes Vikings 18–32 Hull FC | Stobart Stadium | — | 11 May 2008 |
| Wigan Warriors 106–8 Whitehaven | JJB Stadium | — | 12 May 2008 |
Quarter-Final
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Rhinos 23–16 Wigan Warriors | Headingley | — | 31 May 2008 |
| Bradford Bulls 16–22 Hull FC | Grattan Stadium (Odsal) | — | 01 Jun 2008 |
| Hull Kingston Rovers 18–24 St Helens | Craven Park (Hull) | — | 01 Jun 2008 |
| Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 46–4 Oldham | Belle Vue | — | 01 Jun 2008 |
Semi-Final
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Rhinos 16–26 St Helens | Galpharm Stadium | — | 26 Jul 2008 |
| Hull FC 32–24 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Keepmoat Stadium | — | 27 Jul 2008 |
Final
| Result | Venue | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull FC 16–28 St Helens | Wembley Stadium | 82,821 | 30 Aug 2008 |
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.