The 2013 Championship Cup, (known for commercial reasons as the Northern Rail Cup), was the 12th and last season of the rugby league football competition for clubs in Great Britain's Championship and Championship 1.
| 2013 Championship Cup | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 22 |
| 2013 Season | |
Leigh beat Sheffield 43-28 in the final, which was played at Halifax's The Shay.
Format edit
For 2013, the format of the competition was changed to coincide with the expansion of the Championship from 10 to 14 teams. The competition began on 3 March with a group stage containing eight teams from the 2013 Championship 1 split into two groups. Each team played four games (two home, two away) with three of the games being played against the other teams in the group and the fourth game being played against a team from the other group.[1]
Following the completion of the group stage, the teams finishing first in each group progressed to the knock-out stages where they join the 14 teams from the Championship to make up 16 teams. There were three knock-out rounds (play-off, quarter final, semi final) before the final on 20 July 2013 at The Shay in Halifax.[2] The final took place after the inaugural Northern Rail Bowl final, involving the two highest-ranked teams from the group stages.
2013 Competition Results edit
Group stage edit
Round 1 edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
 North Wales Crusaders
|
48 – 12 |  Oldham R.L.F.C.
|
3 March, 14:30 GMT | Racecourse Ground | Clint Sharrad | 721 | |||||
 Gloucestershire All Golds
|
18 – 36 |  Hemel Stags
|
3 March, 15:00 GMT | Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham | Peter Brooke | 256 | |||||
 Rochdale Hornets
|
58 – 16 |  Gateshead Thunder
|
3 March, 15:00 GMT | Spotland Stadium | Joe Cobb | 508 | |||||
 South Wales Scorpions
|
12 – 54 |  London Skolars
|
3 March, 15:00 GMT | The Gnoll | Tom Crashley | 329 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Round 2 edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Gateshead Thunder
|
4 – 30 | North Wales Crusaders
|
10 March, 15:00 GMT | MS3 Craven Park, Hull A | Dave Sharpe | 228 | |||||
| Gloucestershire All Golds
|
20 – 42 | South Wales Scorpions
|
10 March, 15:00 GMT | Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham | Clint Sharrad | ||||||
| London Skolars
|
26 – 4 | Hemel Stags
|
10 March, 15:00 GMT | New River Stadium | Jamie Bloem | ||||||
| Oldham R.L.F.C.
|
26 – 10 | Rochdale Hornets
|
10 March, 15:00 GMT | Whitebank Stadium | Tom Crashley | 518 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Round 3 edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| North Wales Crusaders
|
30 – 16 | Rochdale Hornets
|
17 March, 14:30 GMT | Racecourse Ground | Peter Brooke | 659 | |||||
| Hemel Stags
|
20 – 22 | South Wales Scorpions
|
17 March, 15:00 GMT | Pennine Way stadium | Dave Sharpe | 179 | |||||
| London Skolars
|
20 – 0 | Gloucestershire All Golds
|
17 March, 15:00 GMT | New River Stadium | Tom Crashley | 251 | |||||
| Oldham R.L.F.C.
|
34 – 16 | Gateshead Thunder
|
17 March, 15:00 GMT | Whitebank Stadium | Joe Cobb | 476 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Round 4 edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Gateshead Thunder
|
16 – 18 | Gloucestershire All Golds
|
24 March, 15:00 GMT | Crow Trees (Blaydon RFC)B | Jamie Bloem | 142 | |||||
| South Wales Scorpions
|
12 – 24 | Oldham R.L.F.C.
|
24 March, 15:00 GMT | The Gnoll | Peter Brooke | 280 | |||||
| Rochdale Hornets
|
40 – 16 | London Skolars
|
1 April 15:00 BST C | Spotland Stadium | Joe Cobb | 413 | |||||
| Hemel Stags
|
24 – 36 | North Wales Crusaders
|
23 April 19:00 BST C | Pennine Way stadium | Tom Crashley | 129 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Tables edit
| 2013 Northern Rail Cup: Pool A | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | PLD | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | PTS | |
| 1 | North Wales Crusaders
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 56 | +88 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Oldham R.L.F.C.
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 86 | +10 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Rochdale Hornets
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 88 | +36 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Gateshead Thunder
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 140 | -88 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 Northern Rail Cup: Pool B | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | PLD | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | PTS | |
| 1 | London Skolars
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 116 | 56 | +60 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | South Wales Scorpions
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 88 | 118 | -30 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Hemel Stags
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 84 | 102 | -18 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Gloucestershire All Golds
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 114 | -58 | 0 | 3 |
| Teams qualifying for the next round |
Tables are correct as of 23 April 2013.
Source: rugbyleaguechampionships.co.uk and BBC Sport.
Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference.
Competition Points: For win = 3; For draw = 2; For loss by 12 points or fewer = 1
Knock-out Stages edit
Finals Tournament Bracket edit
| 1st Knock-out Round | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final | ||||||||||||||||
 Keighley Cougars
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Batley Bulldogs
| 38 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Batley Bulldogs
| 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Workington Town
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Workington Town
| 36 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Hunslet Hawks
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Batley Bulldogs
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Leigh Centurions
| 23 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Featherstone Rovers
| 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Leigh Centurions
| 22 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Leigh Centurions
| 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Whitehaven
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
| London Skolars
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Whitehaven
| 62 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Leigh Centurions
| 43 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Sheffield Eagles
| 28 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Swinton Lions
| 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| North Wales Crusaders
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Swinton Lions
| 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Doncaster
| 36 | ||||||||||||||||||
 York City Knights
| 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Doncaster
| 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Doncaster
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sheffield Eagles
| 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sheffield Eagles
| 64 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Barrow Raiders
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sheffield Eagles
| 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Dewsbury Rams
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dewsbury Rams
| 20 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Halifax
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
Play Off Round edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Dewsbury Rams
|
20 – 18 | Halifax
|
16 May, 19:30 BST | Tetley's Stadium | George Stokes | 800 | |||||
| London Skolars
|
16 – 62 | Whitehaven
|
19 May, 14:00 BST | New River Stadium | Joe Cobb | 276 | |||||
| Featherstone Rovers
|
12 – 22 | Leigh Centurions
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Bigfellas Stadium | Matt Thomason | 1,745 | |||||
| Keighley Cougars
|
18 – 38 | Batley Bulldogs
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Cougar Park | Dave Merrick | 714 | |||||
| Sheffield Eagles
|
64 – 10 | Barrow Raiders
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Don Valley Stadium | Chris Leatherbarrow | 408 | |||||
| Swinton Lions
|
26 – 18 | North Wales Crusaders
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Leigh Sports Village | Jamie Leahy | 544 | |||||
| Workington Town
|
36 – 16 | Hunslet Hawks
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Derwent Park | Gareth Hewer | 569 | |||||
| York City Knights
|
12 – 24 | Doncaster
|
19 May, 15:00 BST | Huntington Stadium | Ronnie Laughton | 451 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Quarter-final edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Swinton Lions
|
14 – 36 | Doncaster
|
13 June, 19:30 BST | Leigh Sports Village | Chris Leatherbarrow | ||||||
| Sheffield Eagles
|
26 – 16 | Dewsbury Rams
|
14 June, 20:00 BST | Don Valley Stadium | Matt Thomason | 576 | |||||
| Batley Bulldogs
|
30 – 4 | Workington Town
|
16 June, 14:00 BST | Loverugbyleague.com Stadium | George Stokes | 671 | |||||
| Leigh Centurions
|
34 – 18 | Whitehaven
|
16 June, 15:00 BST | Leigh Sports Village | Jamie Leahy | 1,320 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Semi-final edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Leigh Centurions
|
23 – 6 | Batley Bulldogs
|
27 June, 19:30 BST | Leigh Sports Village | Jamie Leahy | 1,807 | |||||
| Doncaster
|
10 – 32 | Sheffield Eagles
|
28 June, 20:00 BST | Doncaster Athletics Stadium | Chris Leatherbarrow | 611 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Finals edit
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Northern Rail Cup | |||||||||||
| Leigh Centurions
|
43 – 28 | Sheffield Eagles
|
20 July, 17:00 BST | The Shay, Halifax | Chris Leatherbarrow | 4,179 | |||||
| Northern Rail Bowl | |||||||||||
| North Wales Crusaders
|
42 – 24 | London Skolars
|
20 July, 14:30 BST | The Shay, Halifax | Joe Cobb | 2,000 | |||||
| Source:[3][4] | |||||||||||
Notes edit
A.^ Game switched from Thunderdome to Craven Park due to Stan Calvert Cup match between Northumbria University and Newcastle University[5]
B.^ Game switched from Thunderdome to Blaydon RFC due to poor conditions of pitch at Gateshead[6]
C.^ Match originally postponed on 24 March due to snow
References edit
- ^ "Northern Rail Cup 2013" (PDF). RFL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "History beckons as 2013 Northern Rail Cup begins". RFL. 25 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Results - Championship Cup - Rugby League - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Results". Rugby League Championship. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "Gateshead Thunder to stage match at Hull KR's Craven Park". BBC Sport. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "Thunder to play at Blaydon". Gateshead Thunder. 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.