Leigh Leopards 17-16 Hull Kingston Rovers — 2023 Challenge Cup Final

Wembley Stadium, London · Attendance: 58,213

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

2023 Challenge Cup Final: Leigh Leopards 17-16 Hull Kingston Rovers, at Wembley Stadium, London.

Sourcing caveat: Reynolds' and Schneider's exact goal-kicking breakdowns (conversions vs. penalty goals) come from a single secondary source each and were not independently cross-confirmed against a second box score. Lineups added from Rugby League Project's match-page team sheets — squad numbers are non-sequential (e.g. Leigh's 17, 24; Hull KR's 20, 21, 26, 37) confirming they are genuine shirt numbers, not a position-order renumbering.

Scoring timeline

15′Hull Kingston Rovers — try, Litten
26′Leigh Leopards — try, Lam
66′Leigh Leopards — try, Briscoe

Tries with a sourced minute, in order scored. Tries whose exact minute isn't recorded in available sources appear in the Scorers table below but not here.

Scorers

Leigh LeopardsTries: Lam 26'; Briscoe 66'
Goals: Reynolds (goals from both tries plus 2 penalty goals — exact conversion fraction not independently cross-confirmed beyond a single club-site source)
Drop goals: Lam (golden-point extra time, ~83'-84')
Hull Kingston RoversTries: Litten 15'; Parcell 79' (upheld after lengthy video review, forcing extra time)
Goals: Schneider (goals — exact conversion fraction not independently cross-confirmed)

Teams

Leigh LeopardsHull Kingston Rovers
17Gareth O'BrienFullbackMikey Lewis20
2Tom BriscoeWingEthan Ryan2
3Ed ChamberlainCentreTom Opacic3
1Zak HardakerCentreShaun Kenny-Dowall4
5Josh CharnleyWingRyan Hall5
15Ben ReynoldsFive-eighthRowan Milnes21
7Lachlan LamHalfbackBrad Schneider37
8Tom AmoneFront rowRhys Kennedy15
9Edwin IpapeHookerJez Litten14
10Robbie MulhernFront rowGeorge King10
24Kai O'DonnellSecond rowJames Batchelor16
12Jack HughesSecond rowKane Linnett12
13John AsiataLockElliot Minchella13
Substitutes
6Joe MellorMatt Parcell9
14Ben NakubuwaiMatthew Storton17
16Oliver HolmesDean Hadley22
18Matt DavisSam Luckley26
Adrian LamCoachWillie Peters

Match officials

RefereeChris Kendall
Lance Todd TrophyLachlan Lam (Leigh Leopards)

Match report

Leigh Leopards, promoted from the Championship only months earlier and playing in their first final in 52 years, produced one of the great Cup upsets. Hull Kingston Rovers were expected to have the class edge, but Leigh, driven by a ferocious defensive shift, matched them physically throughout. Lachlan Lam's first try put Leigh ahead after Jez Litten's earlier score for Hull KR had set the tone; Blake Briscoe extended Leigh's lead before Matt Parcell's stoppage-time try, upheld after a lengthy video review, forced the scores level and golden-point extra time — the first Challenge Cup final to need it in the modern format. In extra time both sides missed drop-goal attempts before Lam, at his second attempt, slotted the winner. It capped a remarkable rise for a club that had been playing second-tier rugby only a year earlier, and was the first final since 1986 not to feature Leeds, St Helens, Wigan or Warrington. The Challenge Cup, first contested in 1896/97, is the oldest rugby league knockout competition in the world, interrupted only by the two World Wars.

Round by round

Round 1

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
West Bowling 30–12 WaterheadHorsfall Stadium—11-12 February 2023
Brentwood 34–24 Bedford TigersAshwells—11-12 February 2023
British Army 12–28 Ashton BearsMilitary Stadium—11-12 February 2023
Edinburgh 20–30 SaddleworthRoyal HS—11-12 February 2023
Navy 28–16 Barrow Is.Victory Stadium—11-12 February 2023
Skirlaugh 16–26 Wests WarriorsEastside—11-12 February 2023
Westgate Common 36–18 CrosfieldsPark Grove—11-12 February 2023
Distington 4–16 Orrell St JamesWest View—11-12 February 2023
Doncaster 24–36 RAFProspect—11-12 February 2023
Featherstone Lions 6–20 British PoliceWakefield—11-12 February 2023
Fryston 38–22 ThornhillAskham—11-12 February 2023
Hull Dockers 54–10 Rhondda OutlawsWillows Sports—11-12 February 2023
London Chargers 32–12 North HertsKing's House—11-12 February 2023
Stanningley 38–4 Milford AmateursArthur Miller—11-12 February 2023
Wigan St Pats 22–30 Wigan Rose BridgeClarington—11-12 February 2023
Hammersmith 8–42 Dublin ExilesDukes Meadows—11-12 February 2023
Heworth 22–6 OultonElm Park Way—11-12 February 2023
Jarrow Vikings 26–40 MytonMonkton—11-12 February 2023

Round 2

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Brentwood 4–58 Wath Brow HornetsAshwells—25-26 February 2023
Cornwall 14–20 Rochdale MayfieldMemorial Ground1,06125-26 February 2023
Fryston 12–28 StanningleyAskham—25-26 February 2023
Lock Lane 22–30 West BowlingLock Lane Sports—25-26 February 2023
Saddleworth 4–18 Thatto HeathBank Road—25-26 February 2023
Ashton Bears 8–38 DewsburyFLAIR48325-26 February 2023
Hunslet ARLFC 66–0 Pilkington R.The Oval—25-26 February 2023
Myton 22–34 Leigh Miners R.Marist Sporting—25-26 February 2023
North Wales 70–0 NavyStadiwm CSM25525-26 February 2023
RAF 10–12 York AcornRAF College—25-26 February 2023
Siddal 14–8 West HullSiddal Sports—25-26 February 2023
Wests Warriors 18–14 London ChargersTwyford Av—25-26 February 2023
Orrell St James 68–14 Dublin ExilesBankes Ave—25-26 February 2023
Rochdale H. 42–4 LondonCrown Oil30025-26 February 2023
British Police 18–22 Westgate CommonScholes Lane—25-26 February 2023
Hull Dockers 4–50 MidlandsCraven Park96525-26 February 2023
Workington 68–6 Wigan Rose BridgeDerwent Park60325-26 February 2023
Doncaster 28–26 OldhamEco-Power51725-26 February 2023
Hunslet 68–6 HeworthSouth Leeds55625-26 February 2023

Round 3

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Westgate Common 12–15 Hunslet ARLFCPark Grove—11-12 March 2023
Leigh Miners R. 10–38 Rochdale MayfieldLeigh Miners—11-12 March 2023
Orrell St James 12–19 MidlandsBankes Ave—11-12 March 2023
London 32–10 WhitehavenCherry Red34711-12 March 2023
Wests Warriors 4–80 WidnesDCBL84311-12 March 2023
Thatto Heath 10–18 North WalesHattons Sol.—11-12 March 2023
Batley 60–0 Wath Brow HornetsFox's Biscuits49311-12 March 2023
Dewsbury 38–18 Rochdale H.FLAIR44511-12 March 2023
Siddal 12–34 SheffieldSiddal Sports—11-12 March 2023
Stanningley 16–58 NewcastleArthur Miller—11-12 March 2023
Barrow 32–14 SwintonPrestige Stadium1,16111-12 March 2023
Bradford 62–6 York AcornOdsal1,14311-12 March 2023
Doncaster 24–20 WorkingtonEco-Power48511-12 March 2023
Featherstone R. 18–22 HalifaxMillennium1,48711-12 March 2023
Hunslet 14–16 KeighleySouth Leeds51911-12 March 2023
York 52–12 West BowlingLNER1,04011-12 March 2023

Round 4

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Rochdale Mayfield 12–22 NewcastleMayfield Sports—1 April 2023
Keighley 36–14 North WalesCougar Park8621 April 2023
London 66–16 DoncasterThe Rock4281 April 2023
York 24–22 SheffieldLNER8322 April 2023
Hunslet ARLFC 6–80 BatleyFox's Biscuits5792 April 2023
Dewsbury 32–12 WidnesFLAIR8022 April 2023
Halifax 24–18 BarrowThe Shay1,4742 April 2023
Midlands 18–66 BradfordOdsal1,0032 April 2023

Round 5

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
York 22–18 NewcastleLNER1,10021 April 2023
Halifax 26–0 BradfordThe Shay2,14622 April 2023
Batley 34–16 KeighleyFox's Biscuits92323 April 2023
London 36–16 DewsburyThe Rock35323 April 2023

Quarter-Finals

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Hull KR 28–10 SalfordCraven Park6,28917 June 2023
Hull FC 18–32 St HelensMKM Stadium8,12717 June 2023
Wigan 14–12 WarringtonDW Stadium9,30218 June 2023
York 14–34 LeighLNER Stadium2,41218 June 2023

Semi-Finals

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Leigh 12–10 St HelensHalliwell Jones Stadium12,11322 July 2023
Hull KR 11–10 WiganHeadingley10,92623 July 2023

Final

ResultVenueAttendanceDate
Leigh Leopards 17–16 Hull Kingston RoversWembley Stadium58,21312 August 2023

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

← All Challenge Cup Finals