BBC2 Floodlit Trophy

The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy (also known as the BBC2 Television Trophy) was an annual knockout competition for British rugby league clubs. Organised by the Rugby Football League (RFL), the competition was open to all professional clubs with floodlights installed.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
SportRugby league
Instituted1965
Ceased1980
Country United Kingdom (RFL)
Last winnersHull (1979)
Most titlesCastleford (4 titles)
Broadcast partnerBBC TV

First held in 1965–66, games were typically played during the middle of the week, and were broadcast on BBC television. Eight teams competed during the first season, but the tournament was quickly expanded as more teams erected floodlights at their grounds.

The competition's most successful club was Castleford, who won the trophy four times, including the inaugural tournament. The last staging of the competition was in 1979–80, won by Hull, before the competition was cancelled due to financial cutbacks by the BBC.

History

The tournament was not Rugby League's first foray into evening television; the 1955–56 season saw a tournament titled the Independent Television Floodlit Trophy. Eight clubs participated in a series of games played at football grounds in the London area, with Warrington eventually running out 43–18 victors over Leigh.

In 1965, the rugby league management committee agreed to the televising of a mid-week floodlit competition consisting of eight teams,[1] with director of BBC2, broadcaster David Attenborough, being instrumental in its creation. When the competition was first mooted only a few grounds were equipped with floodlights, but the tournament prompted several clubs to apply for loans from the Rugby Football League to install them.[2] The tournament was intended to coincide with the launch of BBC2 in the North of England.[3]

The tournament was played during the early part of the season. Each week, one match would be played under floodlights on a Tuesday evening; the second half of this match that would be broadcast live on BBC2. Non-televised matches were played at various times, depending on clubs' commitments in more prestigious tournaments. Despite the title many matches did not take place under floodlights; clubs such as Barrow and Bramley (for example) did not possess adequate lighting.[4]

The first season, 1965–66, eight clubs - Castleford, Leeds, Leigh, Oldham, St. Helens, Swinton, Warrington and Widnes took part.[5] Seven of the eight teams had floodlights and Leeds installed theirs the following season.

The four-tackles-then-a-scrum rule[6] was first introduced in the competition's second season, in October 1966, before being implemented in all competitions by December.

Castleford won the trophy in the first season, 1965–66 and won the trophy the most times, on three more occasions 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1976–77.

Despite disagreements over shirt sponsorship in the early 1970s, Rugby League remained a mainstay of BBC Television during the 1970s, and 1980s, although the commitment to the Floodlit Trophy decreased before financial cutbacks at the BBC lead to its cancellation after the 1979–80 competition.[4] In the last final, Hull F.C. beat local rivals Hull Kingston Rovers.

List of finals
YearSeasonWinnersScore Runner-upVenueDate
19651965–66 season Castleford 4–0 St. HelensKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 14 December 1965
19661966–67 season Castleford 7–2 SwintonWheldon Road, CastlefordTuesday, 20 December 1966
19671967–68 season Castleford 8–5 LeighHeadingley, LeedsSaturday, 16 January 1968
19681968–69 season Wigan7–4 St. HelensCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 17 December 1968
19691969–70 season Leigh 11–6 WiganCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 16 December 1969
19701970–71 season Leeds9–5 St. HelensHeadingley, LeedsTuesday, 15 December 1970
19711971–72 season St. Helens 8–2 Rochdale HornetsKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 14 December 1971
19721972–73 season Leigh 5–0 WidnesCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 19 December 1972
19731973–74 season Bramley 15–7 WidnesNaughton Park, WidnesTuesday, 18 December 1973
19741974–75 season Salford 0–0 WarringtonThe Willows, SalfordTuesday, 17 December 1974
(replay) Salford 10–5 WarringtonWilderspool, WarringtonTuesday, 28 January 1975
19751975–76 season St. Helens 22–2 DewsburyKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 16 December 1975
19761976–77 season Castleford 12–4 LeighHilton Park, LeighTuesday, 14 December 1976
19771977–78 season Hull Kingston Rovers26–11 St. HelensCraven Park, HullTuesday, 13 December 1977
19781978–79 season Widnes 13–7 St. HelensKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 12 December 1978
19791979–80 season Hull F.C.13–3 Hull Kingston RoversThe Boulevard, HullTuesday, 18 December 1979

Wins by club
Club Wins Winning years
1Castleford41965, 1966, 1967, 1976
2=Leigh21969, 1972
St Helens21971, 1975
4=Bramley11973
Hull11979
Hull Kingston Rovers11977
Leeds11970
Salford11974
Widnes11978
Wigan11968


References
  1. "Hicks will miss semifinal". The Guardian. London. 14 May 1965. p. 17. ProQuest 185064716.
  2. "Two men can now be replaced". Liverpool Daily Post. 22 June 1965. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Northern viewers will get 'real choice' with BBC-2". The Guardian. London. 6 August 1965. p. 3. ProQuest 185085748.
  4. Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781134221455.
  5. Dawson, Neil. "BBC Floodlit Trophy". wire2wolves.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  6. Fagan, Sean (10 February 2011). "Rugby League Helter Skelter". Tribe13. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
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