The Regal Trophy was an annual knock-out competition for British rugby league football clubs.

The fixtures were normally played during the early part of the season, with the final usually taking place at a neutral venue in January.

The initial sponsors were the tobacco manufacturer John Player & Sons with Regal taking over in 1989 until the competition's end.

[5] Following the introduction of the Super League in 1996, the Regal Trophy faced an uncertain future,[6] and was ultimately abandoned.

The BBC could no longer fit the competition into its TV schedule due to the switch to playing rugby league in the summer, and Regal were unwilling to continue sponsoring the tournament without television coverage.