The 1948–49 Lancashire Cup was the thirty-sixth occasion on which the Lancashire Cup competition had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Warrington by the score of 14–8. The match was played at Station Road, Pendlebury, (historically in the county of Lancashire). The attendance was a record-breaking 39,015, over 5,500 more than the previous record, and receipts were £5,518, another record. This was the third of Wigan's record-breaking run of six consecutive Lancashire Cup victories.

Overall, the number of teams entering this year's competition remained the same as last year's 14 with a further invitation to Lancashire Amateurs (a junior/amateur club). The same pre-war fixture format was retained. This season saw no bye but one "blank" or "dummy" fixture in the first round. There was also one bye but no "blank" fixture" in the second round. As last season, all the first round matches of the competition will be played on the basis of two legged, home and away, ties. However this year, the second round becomes a straightforward knock-out basis.

1 * Lancashire Amateurs were a junior (or amateur) club from Lancashire.

2 * Lancashire Amateurs were a junior (or amateur) club from Lancashire. The match was played at Kirkhall Lane, Leigh.

3 * Station Road was the home ground of Swinton from 1929 to 1932 and at its peak was one of the finest rugby league grounds in the country and it boasted a capacity of 60,000. The actual record attendance was for the Challenge Cup semi-final on 7 April 1951 when 44,621 watched Wigan beat Warrington 3–2

4 * The attendance was a record-breaking 39,015, over 5,500 more than the previous record, set in 1934, and receipts were £5518-0-0, another record

• 1948–49 Northern Rugby Football League season
• Rugby league county cups