The move to a summer season for rugby league in 1996 did not see the Challenge Cup moved .
Challenge Cup became instead essentially a pre-season tournament , with the first Summer Cup Final held earlier in the season , on 27 August at the Millennium Stadium , Cardiff .
The move to a summer season for rugby league in 1996 did not see the Challenge Cup moved , and it became instead essentially a pre-season tournament , with the first Summer Cup Final held earlier in the season , on 27 August at the Millennium Stadium , Cardiff .