2018 Challenge Cup final
{{Short description|Rugby league match in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby league football match
|year = 2018
|title = Challenge Cup Final
|image =
|imagesize =
|alt =
|home = {{leagueicon|Catalans|12}} Catalans Dragons
|away = {{leagueicon|Warrington|12}} Warrington Wolves
|home_abbr = {{leagueicon|Catalans|12}} CAT
|away_abbr = {{leagueicon|Warrington|12}} WAR
|home_half1 = 14
|home_half2 = 6
|home_total = 20
|away_half1 = 6
|away_half2 = 8
|away_total = 14
|date = 25 August 2018
|location = London, United Kingdom
|MoM_title = Lance Todd Trophy
|MoM = Tony Gigot
|anthem_title = God Save The Queen and Abide with Me
|anthem = Laura Wright
|referee = Robert Hicks
|attendance = 50,672
|stadium = Wembley Stadium, London
|network = BBC One
|commentators =
|commentators2=
|commentators3=
|tournaments = Finals
|last = 2017
|next = 2019
}}
The 2018 Challenge Cup Final was the 117th cup-deciding game of the rugby league 2018 Challenge Cup Season. It was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 25 August 2018, kick off 15:00. The final was contested by Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves. The game saw Catalans Dragons beat Warrington Wolves by 20 points to 14 and saw the Dragons win the competition for the first time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/rugby-league/45260134|title=Catalans Dragons win Challenge Cup|date=23 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/25/catalans-dragons-warrington-wolves-challenge-cup-final-match-report|title = Catalans Dragons beat Warrington in Challenge Cup final to make history|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 25 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/catalans-vs-warrington/49862|title = Catalans 20-14 Warrington: Dragons make history with stunning Challenge Cup win}}
Background
This would be Catalans Dragons second appearance in a Challenge Cup Final having come runners-up to St Helens during the 2007 Challenge Cup Final. By contrast, this would be warrington's 18th cup final and the 5th of the Super League era, having most recently achieving a runners-up place in 2016, and winning the competition in 2009, 2010, and 2012.
Route to the final
=Catalans Dragons=
Having played in the qualifiers during the 2017 Super League, Catalans Dragons entered in one round earlier than their finalist opponents. In the fifth round they drew eventual League 1 champions York City Knights who they beat 34–22. The sixth round saw them face a second League 1 team, Whitehaven who they thrashed 56 points to 10. The quarter finals saw the Dragons play Super League side Huddersfield Giants beating them 20 points to six. In the semi-finals, Catalans Dragons beat eventual Super League league leaders St Helens 53 points to 16 to reach the final.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;margin:0" |
| scope="col" style="width:25px"|Round
!scope="col" style="width:175px"|Opposition !scope="col" style="width:70px"|Score |
|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|5th
|{{leagueicon|York RLFC|16}} York City Knights (A) |34–22 |
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|6th
|{{Leagueicon|Whitehaven|16}} Whitehaven (H) |56–10 |
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|QF
|{{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} Huddersfield (A) |20–6 |
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|SF
|{{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} St Helens (N) |35–16 |
=Warrington Wolves=
Warrington Wolves drew Championship side Toronto Wolfpack, thrashing them 66–10, before nilling rivals and eventual league champions Wigan Warriors, scoring 23 points, to reach the semi-finals. The semi-final saw the Wolves comfortably beat relegation threatened Leeds Rhinos 48–12 to reach the final.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;margin:0" |
| scope="col" style="width:25px"|Round
!scope="col" style="width:175px"|Opposition !scope="col" style="width:70px"|Score |
|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|6th
|{{leagueicon|Toronto|16}} Toronto Wolfpack (H) |66–10 |
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|QF
|{{leagueicon|Wigan|16}} Wigan Warriors (H) |23–0 |
| scope=row style="text-align:center"|SF
|{{leagueicon|Leeds|16}} Leeds Rhinos (N) |48–12 |
Match details
{{rugbyleaguebox
| date = Saturday, 25 August
| time = 15:00
| team1 = Catalans Dragons
| score = 20 - 14
| report = [https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/rugby-league/45260134 Report]
| team2 = Warrington Wolves
| points1 = Tries
Lewis Tierney ('2)
Benjamin Garcia ('35)
Brayden Wiliame ('46)
Goals
Josh Drinkwater ('3, '8, '36, '47)
| points2 = Tries
Ben Murdoch-Masila ('29)
George King ('56)
Goals
Tyrone Roberts ('30, '57,)
Penalty Goals
Tyrone Roberts ('70)
| stadium = Wembley Stadium, London
| attendance= 50,672
| referee = {{flagicon|ENG}} Robert Hicks
| manofmatch= {{flagicon|FRA}} Tony Gigot
}}
File:Challenge Cup Final Winners 2018.jpg
| align=center style="font-size:90%; margin-left:1em" | ||
| bgcolor=#FF0033
!align="centre" width="146" style="background:red; color:white; border:2px solid yellow;"|Catalans Dragons !align="center" style="background: #eeeeee; color: black" colspan="2"| Posit. !align="centre" width="146" style="background:#00529c; color:#fff300; border:2px #00529c;"|Warrington Wolves | ||
| align="center"|Tony Gigot
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Stefan Ratchford | ||
| align="center"|Lewis Tierney
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Tom Lineham | ||
| align="center"|David Mead
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Bryson Goodwin | ||
| align="center"|Brayden Wiliame
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Toby King | ||
| align="center"|Fouad Yaha
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Josh Charnley | ||
| align="center"|Samisoni Langi
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Kevin Brown | ||
| align="center"|Josh Drinkwater
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Tyrone Roberts | ||
| align="center"|Mickael Simon
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Chris Hill (c) | ||
| align="center"|Michael McIlorum
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Daryl Clark | ||
| align="center"|Sam Moa
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Michael Cooper | ||
| align="center"|Benjamin Jullien
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Harvey Livett | ||
| align="center"|Benjamin Garcia
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Jack Hughes | ||
| align="center"|Rémi Casty (c)
|align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center" style="background: #eeeeee"|. |align="center"|Ben Westwood | ||
| align="center"|Julian Bousquet | align="center" style="background: #eeeeee" colspan="2" |Int. | align="center"|Ben Murdoch-Masila |
| align="center"|Jason Baitieri | align="center" style="background: #eeeeee" colspan="2" |Int. | align="center"|George King |
| align="center"|Mickael Goudemand | align="center" style="background: #eeeeee" colspan="2" |Int. | align="center"|Declan Patton |
| align="center"|Kenny Edwards | align="center" style="background: #eeeeee" colspan="2" |Int. | align="center"|Joe Philbin |
| align="center"|Steve McNamara | align="center" style="background: #eeeeee" colspan="2" |Coach | align="center"|Steve Price |
Post match
As winners of the 2018 Challenge Cup Final, Catalans Dragons became the first non-English team to win the tournament. Unfortunately, the match attendance of 50,672 was the lowest since the second world war. The presence of Catalans Dragons, a French team, in the final was thought to be a factor; despite an attendance of almost 35,000 more making the journey to Wembley for the 2007 Challenge Cup Final where the Dragons finished as runners-up.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Challenge Cup}}
{{2018 in rugby league}}
{{Catalans Dragons - 2018 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Challenge Cup Final}}
Category:2018 in English rugby league
Category:2018 in sport in London
Category:Warrington Wolves matches
Category:August 2018 sports events in the United Kingdom