Warrington Wolves 35-18 Leeds Rhinos — 2012 Challenge Cup Final

Wembley Stadium, London · Attendance: 79,180

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

2012 Challenge Cup Final: Warrington Wolves 35-18 Leeds Rhinos, at Wembley Stadium, London.

Sourcing caveat: Sources conflict on whether Warrington scored 5 or 6 tries and Hodgson's exact goal count doesn't cleanly reconcile to the final score either way; individual try minutes beyond Kirke (20') and Hodgson (6 minutes from time) are largely unconfirmed. Lineups added from Rugby League Project's match-page team sheets — squad numbers are non-sequential (e.g. Leeds' 25, 31, 32; Warrington's 19, 20, 21) confirming they are genuine shirt numbers, not a position-order renumbering.

Scorers

Warrington Wolves	Tries: Joel Monaghan; Chris Riley; Ryan Atkins; Tyrone McCarthy; Brett Hodgson (6 minutes from time) Goals: Brett Hodgson (5 goals from 6 attempts)
Leeds Rhinos	Tries: Ian Kirke (20'); Kallum Watkins (2 tries, late in the game) Goals: Kevin Sinfield (3 goals from 5 attempts)

Teams

Warrington Wolves			Leeds Rhinos
1	Brett Hodgson	Fullback	Zak Hardaker	1
5	Joel Monaghan	Wing	Ben Jones-Bishop	2
19	Stefan Ratchford	Centre	Kallum Watkins	3
4	Ryan Atkins	Centre	Carl Ablett	12
2	Chris Riley	Wing	Ryan Hall	5
6	Lee Briers	Five-eighth	Kevin Sinfield (c)	13
7	Richard Myler	Halfback	Stevie Ward	25
10	Garreth Carvell	Front row	Kylie Leuluai	8
14	Mick Higham	Hooker	Rob Burrow	7
20	Chris Hill	Front row	Jamie Peacock	10
11	Trent Waterhouse	Second row	Jamie Jones-Buchanan	11
12	Ben Westwood	Second row	Brett Delaney	15
13	Ben Harrison	Lock	Ryan Bailey	16
Substitutes
8	Adrian Morley (c)		Darrell Griffin	20
16	Paul Wood		Shaun Lunt	31
9	Michael Monaghan		Ian Kirke	17
21	Tyrone McCarthy		Jimmy Keinhorst	32

Tony Smith		Coach	Brian McDermott

Match officials

Referee	Richard Silverwood
Lance Todd Trophy	Brett Hodgson (Warrington) — Lance Todd Trophy, reportedly by a 27-vote margin

Match report

Warrington Wolves beat Leeds Rhinos 35-18 at Wembley to complete their third Challenge Cup final win in four years, in Leeds' third consecutive final appearance. Warrington's forwards and outside backs combined for a flurry of tries — including scores from Joel Monaghan, Chris Riley, Ryan Atkins and Tyrone McCarthy — before Brett Hodgson's own try with six minutes remaining put the result beyond doubt. Leeds fought back through an Ian Kirke try and a late double from teenage centre Kallum Watkins, but the deficit built by Warrington in the middle periods proved too great. Hodgson's all-round performance, combining a try with his goal-kicking, earned him the Lance Todd Trophy. The result continued Warrington's dominance of the fixture and denied Leeds a third Wembley triumph of the era. 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 111th Challenge Cup final played, and, under the name “Warrington Wolves,” the 3rd Challenge Cup title for the club.

Round by round

Jump to round:

Qualifying Round

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Leeds Met Uni 15–14 Ovenden	Milford Sports Club	—	4 Feb 2012
Egremont 22–16 Bank Quay	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	11 Feb 2012
Kells 20–18 Widnes W Bank	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	11 Feb 2012
Underbank 24–8 Seaton Rangers	Station Yard	—	11 Feb 2012
Blackbrook 18–8 Eccles	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	12 Feb 2012
Millom 20–10 British Police	Coronation Field	—	12 Feb 2012
Wigan St Cuthberts 24–18 Northumbria Uni	Montrose Avenue	—	12 Feb 2012
Lock Lane 24–18 Elland	Lock Lane Sports Centre	—	15 Feb 2012
Normanton 32–30 Milford	Normanton Amateur Rugby Club	—	15 Feb 2012
Dudley Hill 38–0 Castleford Panthers	Neil Hunt Memorial Ground	—	18 Feb 2012
Eastmoor 22–16 Wigan St Judes	King George's Field (Wakefield)	—	18 Feb 2012
Askam 22–14 Featherstone Lions	Big Fellas Stadium	—	18 Feb 2012
Hunslet Warriors 50–22 Loughborough Uni	Holywell Park	—	18 Feb 2012
Hunslet 50–0 Nott. Outlaws	Harvey Hadden Stadium	—	18 Feb 2012
Oldham St Annes 40–4 Bentley	Higginshaw Road	—	18 Feb 2012
Uni Gloucestershire 33–14 Rochdale Mayfield	Mayfield Sports Centre	—	18 Feb 2012
Stanley 60–12 Edinburgh	Stanley Sports and Social Club	—	18 Feb 2012
East Leeds 28–18 Warrington Wizards	Wilderspool	—	18 Feb 2012
York Acorn 42–4 Norland	Acorn Sports & Social Club	—	18 Feb 2012
Waterhead 68–10 Hull Uni	Cottingham Road	—	19 Feb 2012

Round 1

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Egremont 30–6 Leeds Met Uni	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	18 Feb 2012
Blackbrook 24–20 East Leeds	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	25 Feb 2012
Dudley Hill 52–12 Askam	Neil Hunt Memorial Ground	—	25 Feb 2012
Hunslet 26–14 Waterhead	Hillidge Road	—	25 Feb 2012
Hunslet Warriors 32–8 Oldham St Annes	The Oval (Hunslet)	—	25 Feb 2012
Kells 34–12 Normanton	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	25 Feb 2012
Millom 36–8 Uni Gloucestershire	Coronation Field	—	25 Feb 2012
York Acorn 18–10 Shaw Cross	Paul Hinchliffe Memorial Playing Fields	—	25 Feb 2012
Underbank 48–10 Stanley	The Cross Grounds	—	25 Feb 2012
Wigan St Cuthberts 46–22 Eastmoor	Montrose Avenue	—	25 Feb 2012

Round 2

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
East Hull 32–14 RAF	Rosmead Sports Centre	—	10 Mar 2012
Egremont 32–22 Wigan Rose Bridge	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	—	10 Mar 2012
Hull Dockers 30–21 Kells	The Willows Sports & Social Club	—	10 Mar 2012
Hunslet 16–12 Blackbrook	Hunslet Green	—	10 Mar 2012
Hunslet Warriors 30–0 Wigan St Pats	The Oval (Hunslet)	—	10 Mar 2012
Dudley Hill 16–6 Leigh East	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	—	10 Mar 2012
Oulton 19–5 British Army	Raider Park	—	10 Mar 2012
Navy 32–24 Leigh Miners R.	Victory Stadium	—	10 Mar 2012
Myton 36–18 Saddleworth	Shaw Hall Bank Road	—	10 Mar 2012
Sharlston Rovers 20–19 Wigan St Cuthberts	George Green Playing Fields	—	10 Mar 2012
Siddal 62–12 West Hull	Exley Lane	—	10 Mar 2012
Thatto Heath 32–10 Millom	Hattons Solicitors Crusaders Park	—	10 Mar 2012
York Acorn 26–10 Skirlaugh	Acorn Sports & Social Club	—	10 Mar 2012
Wath Brow Hornets 24–10 Underbank	The Cross Grounds	—	11 Mar 2012

Round 3

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Oldham 22–14 Egremont	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	468	23 Mar 2012
Doncaster 57–10 Sharlston Rovers	Keepmoat Stadium	496	24 Mar 2012
Gateshead 28–20 York Acorn	Gateshead International Stadium	179	24 Mar 2012
Leigh 43–26 London	New River Stadium	376	24 Mar 2012
North Wales 28–10 Toulouse	Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium	567	24 Mar 2012
Sheffield 58–8 Oulton	Rapid Solicitors Stadium	360	24 Mar 2012
South Wales 24–22 Wath Brow Hornets	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	350	24 Mar 2012
Barrow 32–22 Lezignan	Craven Park (Barrow)	1,340	25 Mar 2012
Keighley 58–6 Dudley Hill	Cougar Park	814	25 Mar 2012
Dewsbury 84–12 Thatto Heath	Tetley's Stadium	606	25 Mar 2012
Rochdale 48–20 East Hull	Spotland Stadium	303	25 Mar 2012
Hunslet 34–14 Navy	John Charles Centre for Sport	302	25 Mar 2012
Featherstone 86–12 Hunslet Warriors	Big Fellas Stadium	785	25 Mar 2012
Halifax 94–4 Myton	The Shay	1,011	25 Mar 2012
Swinton 66–0 Siddal	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	404	25 Mar 2012
Whitehaven 52–6 Hunslet Warriors 2	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	534	25 Mar 2012
Batley 22–6 Workington	Derwent Park	601	25 Mar 2012
York City Knights 40–14 Hull Dockers	South Ryedale Stadium	346	25 Mar 2012

Round 4

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Leeds Rhinos 38–18 Wakefield Trinity	Headingley Carnegie Stadium	7,140	13 Apr 2012
Swinton 70–10 Gateshead	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	415	14 Apr 2012
Featherstone 23–16 Castleford Tigers	Big Fellas Stadium	4,165	14 Apr 2012
Halifax 84–28 South Wales	The Shay	879	14 Apr 2012
St Helens 40–38 Widnes Vikings	Stobart Stadium Halton	3,069	14 Apr 2012
Warrington Wolves 44–18 Keighley	Cougar Park	2,196	15 Apr 2012
London Broncos 72–4 Dewsbury	Twickenham Stoop Stadium	652	15 Apr 2012
Bradford Bulls 72–6 Doncaster	Odsal Stadium	3,210	15 Apr 2012
Huddersfield Giants 42–16 Hull FC	Kingston Communications Stadium	8,327	15 Apr 2012
Catalans Dragons 20–18 Hull KR	MS3 Craven Park	4,425	15 Apr 2012
Batley 21–18 Hunslet	John Charles Centre for Sport	664	15 Apr 2012
Leigh 68–18 Rochdale	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	1,229	15 Apr 2012
Oldham 26–14 Barrow	Whitebank Stadium	773	15 Apr 2012
Salford City Reds 58–18 Whitehaven	Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)	751	15 Apr 2012

Round 5

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Wigan Warriors 32–16 Featherstone	Big Fellas Stadium	4,082	27 Apr 2012
St Helens 76–0 Oldham	Langtree Park	5,746	27 Apr 2012
Catalans Dragons 68–6 Sheffield	Stade Gilbert Brutus	3,102	28 Apr 2012
Warrington Wolves 32–16 Bradford Bulls	Halliwell Jones Stadium	5,505	28 Apr 2012
London Broncos 22–16 Batley	Love Rugby League Stadium	1,025	29 Apr 2012
Leigh 19–18 Halifax	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	2,182	29 Apr 2012
Huddersfield Giants 52–0 Swinton	Galpharm Stadium	2,617	29 Apr 2012
Leeds Rhinos 16–10 Salford City Reds	Salford City Stadium	4,500	29 Apr 2012

Quarter-Final

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Leeds Rhinos 60–12 Leigh	Leigh Sports Village Stadium	5,290	11 May 2012
Wigan Warriors 18–4 St Helens	DW Stadium	12,864	12 May 2012
Warrington Wolves 32–22 Catalans Dragons	Stade Gilbert Brutus	7,476	13 May 2012
Huddersfield Giants 50–14 London Broncos	Galpharm Stadium	2,574	13 May 2012

Semi-Final

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Leeds Rhinos 39–28 Wigan Warriors	Galpharm Stadium	12,860	14 Jul 2012
Warrington Wolves 33–6 Huddersfield Giants	Salford City Stadium	9,473	15 Jul 2012

Final

Result	Venue	Attendance	Date
Warrington Wolves 35–18 Leeds Rhinos	Wembley Stadium	79,180	25 Aug 2012

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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