2025 Challenge Cup: Round 1 and 2 draw details confirmed, including ball numbers
The Challenge Cup will have a new format in 2025
Hull KR star Mikey Lewis and Wakefield Trinity ace Max Jowitt will conduct the draws for rounds one and two of the 2025 Challenge Cup next Monday evening (December 2).
With the draws taking place at the RaisE Business Centre in Goole, they will be shown live on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, with coverage starting from 6.30pm (GMT).
The two Super League players will be joined by three-time Challenge Cup winner Scott Taylor, who has been appointed as the head coach of Goole Vikings ahead of their inaugural campaign in League 1.
Lewis‘ rugby league career began with West Hull, while Jowitt donned a shirt for Stanley Rangers as a junior. Those are two of the 34 teams from the community game that will enter the First Round draw.
Once that draw has concluded, it will then be followed up with the draw for the Second Round. That’s when the 12 English teams from the Championship and the 11 clubs from League 1 will join the competition.
Those 23 clubs will join the 17 community clubs that win their First Round ties to produce 20 ties for Round Two.
And then the winners of those 20 ties will joined by the 12 Super League clubs in the Third Round draw, which comes in January.
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2025 Challenge Cup: Round 1 and 2 draw details confirmed, including ball numbers
Ahead of Monday evening’s event in Goole, the RFL have revealed the ball numbers for the two draws, which are as follows…
Round One draw
Ties to be played over the weekend of January 11/12
1.British Army
2. RAF
3. Royal Navy
4. Maryport
5. GB Police
6. Longhorns
7. Telford Raiders
8. Crosfields
9. Dewsbury Moor
10. Hunslet ARLFC
11. Ince Rose Bridge
12. Leigh Miners Rangers
13. Lock Lane
14. Oulton Raiders
15. Rochdale Mayfield
16. Siddal
17. Thatto Heath
18. Waterhead Warriors
19. Wath Brow Hornets
20. West Bowling
21. West Hull
22. York Acorn
23. Blackbrook
24. Haresfinch
25. Orrell St James
26. Mirfield
27. Edinburgh Eagles
28. Eastern Rhinos
29. Hammersmith Hills Hoists
30. London Chargers
31. Wests Warriors
32. Aberavon Fighting Irish
33. Doncaster Toll Bar
34. Stanley Rangers
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Round Two draw
Ties to be played over the weekend of January 25/26, except the one which features Championship outfit York. They play Hull KR in Amsterdam that weekend, so have been granted permission to play their Challenge Cup Round Two tie at a later date.
1. Barrow Raiders
2. Batley Bulldogs
3. Bradford Bulls
4. Cornwall
5. Dewsbury Rams
6. Doncaster
7. Featherstone Rovers
8. Goole Vikings
9. Halifax Panthers
10. Hunslet
11. Keighley Cougars
12. London Broncos
13. Midlands Hurricanes
14. Newcastle Thunder
15. North Wales Crusaders
16. Oldham
17. Rochdale Hornets
18. Sheffield Eagles
19. Swinton Lions
20. Whitehaven
21. Widnes Vikings
22. Workington Town
23. York
24-40. First Round winners
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