As far as I´m aware no 2nd division team has ever played in a CC Final, but which team came closest.

Halifax made the semi and lost to Hull in around 1981, losing 22-4 if I remember correctly, since the advent of Super League no one has come close if I recall correctly, so which other Div 2 teams made the semi´s, and did any nearly pull it off.

Hull KR in 06, Toulouse in 05. Don't think either put up a fight in the semis though.

Keighley 4 St's 5 1976 S/F
Hull KR 20 Halifax 7 1980 S/F
Wigan 14 York 8 1984 S/F

Would Alan Kellet have been at Keighley in 1976?

My memory is clearly shot, I thought Halifax played Hull in the semi.

Indeed we didnt, got hammered by Saints 50-0 after knocking Wire out at Craven Park. Its just too difficult for a championship team to go all the way.. watch Fax or Sheffield win it this year

1996 St Helens 24 Widnes 14

To be fair there were a couple of finalists in the early years who were in the bottom half of a large single league (25-30 teams) that would have been in the 2nd division had the league been split into 2 smaller leagues.

am sure toulouse led leeds at one point in the first half!

Aye, I'll never forget Seb Raguin (a fat part time second rower at the time) steam rolling Richie Mathers to score!

Hull played Widnes at Station Road in the 1980 Semi

Oldham 6 Warrington 10 in 1990.

Oldham had a try chalked off for offside on the bell and the conversion would have seen them through to Wembley.

Not the Challenge Cup, but in 1976 Blackpool Borough reached the final of the John Player Trophy (later the Regal Trophy) despite being second from bottom in the 2nd Division (only Dooncaster below them). They got beat 25-15 in the final by Cas at the Willows.

In 1991/2 Rochdale Hornets got to the final of the Lancashire Cup as a second division team (we had 3 leagues then) and got beat 24-14 by St Helens in the final.

The only team to win one of the major trophies as a lower league team was Barrow in 1983 when they won the Lancashire Cup, beating Widnes 12-8 in the final.

Halifax as a 2nd division side played in the final of the Regal Trophy Final in 1990.
Semi-Final & Final Stats:

1st Semi Final
Date: Dec 23rd 1989
St Helens 9 Halifax 10
Venue: Central Park.
Attendance: 6,085
Referee: Gerry Kershaw
Saints Scorers:
T: A. Bateman
G: P. Loughlin (2)
DG: R. Haggerty
Halifax Scorers:
T: E. Riddlesden, M. Scott
G: C. Whitfield

2nd Semi Final
Date: Dec 30th 1989
Castleford 10 Wigan 24
Referee: R. Whitfield
Venue: Headingley
Attendance: 10,193
Castleford Scorers:
T: St John Ellis, S. Larder
G: S. Larder
Wigan Scorers:
T: D. Betts, S. Edwards, J. Lydon, D. Marshall
G: J. Lydon (4)

FINAL:
Date: Jan 13th 1990
Halifax 12 Wigan 24
Referee: Gerry Kershaw
Venue: Headingley
Attendance: 17,810
Halifax Scorers
T: B. Hill
G: L. Holliday (4)
Wigan Scorers
T: E. Hanley (3), S. Edwards, A. Goodway
G: J. Lydon (2)

featherstone in 1994?? or 95

1983

Incognito - i think Meast means they got to the Semi final as a lower divison side, which they did in 1995.

Same coach as well.

I took 6 people who'd never been to a RL game to Huddersfield to watch that semi final. They were quite excited beforehand, but had started to lose interest by half time due to the one sided nature, and were completly underwhelmed by the end.

Perhaps they should lengthen a cup game until such time as the SL club are in front. In the above case we could have had a Saints v Wire semi

Not really related to the question but weren't Salford out of the top tier when they ended Wigan's domination of the cup? Or am I making that up?

You are not making that up.

Part true - we did get to the semis that year and lost to Leeds 39-22 but were a top tier side, our last season in the top tier infact, hopefully not for long

Whoops! Saw the thread title and jumped in feet first as usual!!!!