The 1979–80 Challenge Cup, for sponsorship reasons known as the 1979–80 State Express Challenge Cup was the 79th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

The final was the first Hull Cup final derby, with a heavy entourage of supporters from the East and West of the city making the trip to London. Hull Kingston Rovers defeated Hull 10–5 at Wembley before a crowd of 95,000.

The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Rovers' prop, Brian Lockwood, despite Rovers' Steve Hubbard's scoring 9 out of his side's 10 points.

This was Hull Kingston Rovers' first cup final win.

First round Date Team one Team two Score9 Feb Wigan Hull Kingston Rovers 13-1810 Feb Ace Amateurs Widnes 5-2210 Feb Barrow Batley 31-1110 Feb Blackpool Bradford Northern 7-2610 Feb Dewsbury Oldham 2-2410 Feb Featherstone Rovers Halifax 13-1710 Feb Huddersfield Whitehaven 11-410 Feb Hull FC Millom 33-1010 Feb Huyton Salford 0-2510 Feb Keighley Castleford 5-2110 Feb Leigh Leeds 5-1210 Feb Rochdale Hornets Doncaster 11-310 Feb St Helens Workington Town 16-010 Feb Swinton Warrington 2-2510 FebWakefield Trinity Hunslet 24-1710 FebYork Bramley 17-16

Second round Date Team one Team two Score23 Feb St Helens Bradford Northern 10-1124 Feb Barrow Halifax 4-1024 Feb Huddersfield Widnes 3-4824 Feb Hull FC York 18-824 Feb Hull Kingston Rovers Castleford 28-324 Feb Oldham Wakefield Trinity 5-1024 Feb Rochdale Hornets Salford 5-2024 Feb Warrington Leeds 8-2

Quarter-finals Date Team one Team two Score8 Mar Salford Widnes 8-99 Mar Bradford Northern Hull FC 0-39 Mar Halifax Wakefield Trinity 7-39 Mar Hull Kingston Rovers Warrington 23-11

Semi-finals Date Team one Team two Score22 Mar Halifax Hull Kingston Rovers 7-2029 Mar Widnes Hull FC 5-10

Final

FB 1 David HallRW 2 Steve Hubbard RC 3 Mike SmithLC 4 Steve HartleyLW 5 Clive SullivanSO 6 Roger Millward (c)SH 7 Allan AgarPR 8 Roy HoldstockHK 9 David Watkinson PR 10 Brian LockwoodSR 11 Paul Rose SR 12 Phil LoweLF 13 Len CaseySubstitutions:IC 14 Phil Hogan IC 15 John Millington Player-coach: Roger Millward FB 1 Paul WoodsRW 2 Graham BrayRC 3 Graham WaltersLC 4 Tim WilbyLW 5 Paul PrendivilleSO 6 John Newlove SH 7 Clive PickerillPR 8 Keith TindallHK 9 Ron Wileman PR 10 Charlie Stone SR 11 Charlie BirdsallSR 12 Sammy LloydLF 13 Steve Norton (c)Substitutions:IC 14 Vince Farrar IC 15 Brian Hancock Coach: Arthur Bunting

References

External links Challenge Cup official website Challenge Cup 1979/80 results at Rugby League Project