Ranking Super League clubs by wait for Challenge Cup win: Hull KR 12th, Hull FC 5th…
From left to right: Hull FC (2017), Hull KR (2025) and Wakefield Trinity (1963) celebrate Challenge Cup triumphs
Hull KR ended their long, long wait for a major honour courtesy of their 8-6 Challenge Cup final victory over Warrington Wolves on Saturday afternoon: becoming just the second Robins side to ever win the competition.
KR had only previously won the Challenge Cup in 1980, so when Mikey Lewis slotted over the late conversion that won an absolute thriller of a showpiece at Wembley, the joy was unprecedented for many of the supporters that had made the journey.
The East Hull natives aren’t the only club who have had to wait a long time between drinks in the Challenge Cup though, and while their quest is now over, others will resume theirs next year.
Below, we’ve ranked how long has passed since each one of the current Super League clubs last lifted the cup, from shortest to longest…
12. Hull KR: June 7, 2025
We obviously kick things off with this year’s winners in the shape of KR. Having gone so close to a major honour on a number of occasions recently, Saturday’s victory at Wembley against Warrington will have been all the more sweeter for anyone of a Robins persuasion. Could this be the first of many?
11. Wigan Warriors: June 8, 2024
Wigan have won the Challenge Cup more often than anyone else and were last Wembley winners in 2024 when they beat Warrington 18-8 under the arch. Matt Peet’s side would, of course, go on to complete a clean sweep of all four major honours on offer last year.
10. Leigh Leopards: August 12, 2023
Just under a year prior, then-newly-promoted Leigh marked their return to the top-flight with a first Challenge Cup triumph for more than 50 years. Lachlan Lam was the Leopards’ hero in the capital against Hull KR, kicking the drop goal which made it 17-16 to win it for them in the first-ever Challenge Cup final to require Golden Point extra time.
9. St Helens: July 17, 2021
Saints are next up in the most recent winners list having beat Castleford 26-12 at Wembley back in 2021. It’s quite frightening to think that we’re almost four years on from then already, with Kristian Woolf’s side going on to secure the double that year by winning the Super League Grand Final against Catalans.
8. Leeds Rhinos: October 17, 2020
The 2020 edition of the final was delayed due to COVID-19 and when it eventually took place, a thriller unfolded behind closed doors without any fans there to see it. Leeds came out on top against Salford, winning 17-16 thanks to Luke Gale’s late drop goal.
7. Warrington Wolves: August 24, 2019
Warrington have now lost the last two Challenge Cup finals, so their wait for glory in the competition will go into a seventh year come 2026. The Wire’s last Wembley win – and last major trophy – came back in 2019 when they were huge underdogs, but beat St Helens 18-4 at the national stadium.
6. Catalans Dragons: August 25, 2018
A year prior, Warrington had been on the wrong end of an upset as Catalans beat them under the arch. The French side were 20-14 victors, earning their first major honour in the British game, though this marks their only Challenge Cup triumph to date. This term, prior to Steve McNamara’s dismissal, they were beaten in the semi-finalists by Hull KR.
5. Hull FC: August 26, 2017
This, really, is the last Challenge Cup triumph on this list that we can still class as recent. Back in 2016 and 2017, Hull FC went back-to-back in the competition, a feat very few clubs have achieved over the years. The latter of those two triumphs saw them beat Wigan 18-14 at Wembley, with Marc Sneyd claiming the Lance Todd Trophy for the second year on the spin.
4. Castleford Tigers: May 3, 1986
Now we really are digging back through the history books. Castleford are four-time Challenge Cup winners, but haven’t won it since 1986 when they beat Hull KR 15-14 in front of over 82,000 fans at the ‘old’ Wembley. Bob Beardmore’s drop goal made the difference for Mal Reilly’s side, but more than 14,000 days and three cup final defeats have passed since then!
3. Wakefield Trinity: May 11, 1963
We’re well over the 22,000-day mark now, with Wakefield‘s most recent Challenge Cup triumph coming courtesy of a 25-10 victory against Wigan in 1963. That was Trinity’s second successive cup win, but they’ve had to wait 62 years (and counting) for the next. Two Wembley defeats have followed to date.
2. Huddersfield Giants: April 25, 1953
Huddersfield is the birthplace of rugby league, but the Giants haven’t won the Challenge Cup for 72 years now! They’ve been in the competition’s final four times since, including in 2022 when Wigan beat them, but their most recent triumph remains the 1953 final against St Helens. They won 15-10 in front of almost 90,000 spectators that day!
1. Salford Red Devils: May 7, 1938
As bad as some of the other waits on this list are, none really compare to Salford’s, which currently sits at 87 years and almost 32,000 days! The Red Devils have won the Challenge Cup just once in their history, beating Barrow 7-4 at Wembley back in 1938 with Lance Todd as coach.
They’ve been in the competition’s final three times since then, but the most recent of those was behind closed doors against Leeds in 2020 due to COVID-19, so most of the club’s current fanbase won’t ever have seen them at Wembley. A travesty.
