Festive Challenge

The Festive Challenge is an annual friendly rugby match played between Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity that is played on Boxing Day.

History Background Matches played on Boxing Day were a regular part of rugby league season in Great Britain before the establishment of the Super League in 1996 and the switch to a summer season. Following the winter of 1962–1963, which caused the postponement of many sports fixtures, undersoil heating was installed at Headingley. This ensured that the surface would be playable for the 1963 Boxing Day match between Leeds and Wakefield, and led to the league schedule including a Leeds home fixture on Boxing Day every year apart from 1994 when they were away to Hull F.C. During this period Leeds faced numerous opponents, but the most frequent was Wakefield, who they faced a further ten times after 1963. In 1995, Leeds defeated Castleford at Headingley in their final competitive Boxing Day match before the move to the summer era.

Establishment In 1996, Gary Hetherington, the recently appointed chief executive at Leeds, wanted to continue the tradition of a Boxing Day game so a friendly against Halifax was played as the first "festive challenge". In the following years Leeds played Halifax three more times and faced Bradford Bulls in 1999. Between 2001 and 2003 Leeds played Castleford Tigers and defeated them in all three matches.

Leeds and Wakefield

The first festive challenge between Leeds and Wakefield was played in 2004.

The 2010 event was postponed to New Year's Day due to poor weather.

In 2017, the fixture was moved to Belle Vue, the first time it was played away from Headingley, due to the redevelopment of Headingley Stadium.

Results YearWinnerScoreRunners upVenue2004 Leeds Rhinos32–12 Wakefield Trinity WildcatsHeadingley Stadium2005 Leeds Rhinos42–18 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2006 Leeds Rhinos22–14 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2007 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats26–18 Leeds Rhinos2008 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats22–16 Leeds Rhinos2009 Leeds Rhinos32–12 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2010 Leeds Rhinos40–22 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2011 Leeds Rhinos26–10 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2012 Leeds Rhinos40–26 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2013 Leeds Rhinos18–18 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2014 Leeds Rhinos50–28 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats2015 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats14–6 Leeds Rhinos2016 Wakefield Trinity 30–6 Leeds Rhinos2017 Leeds Rhinos 17–10 Wakefield TrinityBelle Vue2018 Leeds Rhinos10–4 Wakefield TrinityHeadingley Stadium2019 Wakefield Trinity30–4 Leeds Rhinos2020colspan=42021 Leeds Rhinos34–6 Wakefield TrinityHeadingley Stadium2022 Wakefield Trinity32–20 Leeds Rhinos2023 Leeds Rhinos41–22 Wakefield Trinity2024 Leeds Rhinos18–16https://www.therhinos.co.uk/article/21211/leeds-rhinos-18-wakefield-trinity-16 Wakefield Trinity2025 Leeds Rhinos18–10https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/boxing-day-round-up-rugby-league-leeds-rhinos Wakefield Trinity

Winners TeamWinsYears1 Leeds Rhinos142004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, 20252 Wakefield Trinity62007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022

Sponsors PeriodSponsorName2009CravendaleCravendale Festive Challenge2011–2013HeatshotHeatshot Festive Challenge2014Tetley'sTetley's Festive Challenge2015–Wetherby WhalerWetherby Whaler Festive Challenge

Festive Challenge

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