Broadcast details confirmed for Betfred Challenge Cup Elland Road triple-header

Broadcast details have been confirmed for the Betfred Challenge Cup triple-header at Elland Road, Leeds, on Saturday 7 May – a feast of Rugby League entertainment including the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final, followed by the semi-finals of the men’s competition.   

The Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final and the men’s semi-final between Huddersfield Giants and Hull HR will be shown live on BBC2 at midday and 5pm respectively. In between those games, BBC1 will show the clash between arch-rivals Wigan Warriors and St Helens live at 2.30pm. 

Six-time cup winners Huddersfield Giants last reached the Challenge Cup final in 2009, when they lost 25-16 to Warrington Wolves at Wembley Stadium. This year’s final will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 28 May and standing in the Giants’ way are Hull KR, who defeated Castleford Tigers to reach their second semi-final in the space of three years, but who haven't won the competition since 1980.

Wigan Warriors famously won the Challenge Cup on eight consecutive occasions from 1988 to 1995, their latest – and nineteenth – triumph coming against Hull FC in 2013. Cup holders St Helens are seeking a third final appearance in four years, having defeated the 2018 winners Catalans Dragons in Perpignan in the quarter-finals. 

This will be the third time in succession that the women’s final features as part of a triple header, following triumphs for Leeds Rhinos at the University of Bolton Stadium in 2019 and St Helens at Leigh Sports Village in 2021. The semi-finals of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup will take place at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday 24 April, when cup holders St Helens take on Featherstone Rovers and Leeds Rhinos face York City Knights. Both matches will be shown live on the BBC’s digital platforms, including BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.   

Mark Foster, the RFL’s Chief Commercial Officer, says: 
“Elland Road is no stranger to Rugby League drama and all the ingredients are in place for another memorable occasion. Four men’s teams will be giving everything they have to become the first Rugby League sides to play at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while we could see a record crowd for a domestic women’s fixture. If last year’s triple-header – also broadcast by the BBC – is anything to go by, this is an occasion absolutely not to be missed. The atmosphere in the stadium will be electric and armchair viewers can enjoy more than seven hours of superb BBC coverage.” 

BBC triple-header broadcast times 

11.30am-2pm, BBC2 – Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final (KO 12noon) 

2pm-4.30, BBC1 – Betfred Challenge Cup Semi-final: Wigan Warriors v St Helens (KO 2.30pm)

4.30pm-7, BBC2 – Betfred Challenge Cup Semi-final: Huddersfield Giants v Hull KR (KO 5pm) 

Tickets for both the Betfred Challenge Cup triple-header at Elland Road on Saturday 7 May, and the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup semi-finals at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, are on sale via the RFL website here and directly from the four semi-finalists.