The game´s amateur clubs were forced into the limelight as the first round of the Challenge Cup took place over the second weekend in February. The game which the BBC selected for transmission sent them north of the border as the Edinburgh Eagles went head-to-head with one of the games great stalwarts, Saddleworth Rangers.

A round trip of five hundred miles signalled an early start for the Lancastrians as they embarked for Royal High School in the western outskirts of the Scottish capital, the prize was a second-round tie at home to Thatto Heath Crusaders in the second round.

Saddleworth kicked off in decent conditions, Edinburgh with first use of the ball.

There were plenty of mistakes from both sides in the early exchanges, Rangers with a slight upper hand. On ten minutes Matthew Whitehead stretched for the line from a couple of metres out and grounded under the nose of the referee Fraser but attempting to convert his own try he slid his kick across the front of the sticks.

Edinburgh forced a mistake from the kick off and within four minutes of the opening score player coach Craig Robertson burrowed over the line from close to level the scores. The goal was added by Peter Burns to give the home side a two-point lead.

After conceding a penalty on their own ten and the lost tackle, Saddleworth took full advantage with a pass from Wilson to Charles with the winger grounding one handed in the right corner. Whitehead was short with the conversion, Rangers now 8-6 ahead.

On twenty-six Rangers were in again with Freddie Wilson throwing the dummy to outsmart the Edinburgh defence to ground. Whitehead was again off target with the boot, despite outscoring their hosts by three tries to one they were only six points ahead.

On hand to poach the try, Robertson got his second of the game on thirty minutes as he picked up a loose ball and grounded. Burns smashed the conversion between the uprights from an acute angle and the scores were level again.

Conceding a ball steal under the sticks, Edinburgh again gifted an opportunity and Saddleworth went over in the corner, but the referee took advice from the touch judge and ruled out the score.

Edinburgh indiscipline meant that they were spending too many minutes defending in their own twenty and with a couple of minutes remaining Kelvin Ojeaburu stepped past his opponent and stretched for the line to ground. Whitehead finally found his distance and direction as he slotted over his first conversion for an 18-12 lead.

It was a great start to the second half for Saddleworth with Wilson scooting from dummy half on forty-two to score under the sticks. Whitehead added the conversion for a twelve-point lead.

It was one way traffic, Vinny Fitzgerald crashing through the defensive line and diving over from ten metres, again under the sticks making the Whitehead goal a formality for 30-12.

The Eagles had to score next and did so through the quick thinking and feet of Billy Rokobuli who took a pass wide down the left to step past the tackler and ground five in from the side-line. Burns was wide left with his conversion, so the margin was still fourteen points.

Edinburgh went down to twelve me on fifty-seven minutes after a clumsy tackle from Tawa, to really put them up against it.

The twelve men scored against the run of play on sixty-one with debutant Rory Meldrum finding a small gap in the Saddleworth line to dive over from five metres. Burns was again short with his conversion, the Eagles trailing by ten as they waited the return to thirteen men.

But it was too little too late as Saddleworth held on for the win and a happy trip back down to Oldham. Edinburgh put in every effort and did themselves proud, but it was the season side from the Lancashire/Yorkshire boundary who made their experience count for the win. 

Edinburgh Eagles: Burns (2G), Taylor, Meldrum (T), Kororua, Rokobuli (T), Robertson (2T), Clarke, Wishart, Duncan, Sheppard, Holt, Dakuidreketi, Hall.  Subs: Tawa (SB on 57), Waibuta, Logan, Fraser.

Saddleworth Rangers: Taylor, Mills, Dodd, Ojeaburu (T), Charles (T), Whitehead (T, 3G), Nield, Holden, Wilson (2T), Kira, Hart, Molden, England. Subs: Gosling-Merrington, Parry, Fitzgerald (T), Collier.

Half-Time: 12-18.  

Full-Time: 20-30.

Score Progression: 0-4, 4-4, 6-4, 6-8, 6-12, 10-12, 12-12, 12-16, 12-18 : HT : 12-22, 12-24, 12-28, 12-30, 16-30, (SB), 20-30: FT.

Lead Exchanges: Saddleworth - Square – Edinburgh – Saddleworth – Square – Saddleworth.

Referee: Stuart Fraser.

Attendance: .