Challenge Cup first and second round draw details confirmed including teams involved

New League 1 outfit Goole Vikings will host the first and second round draws for the 2025 Challenge Cup on the evening of Monday, December 2, the RFL have confirmed.

The date of those two draws had already been confirmed, but now, the full details have been revealed including a breakdown of the teams that will be involved.

From 2025, the game’s oldest cup competition will adopt a new format which is geared around the earlier entry of Super League clubs.

Those 12 in the top flight will enter in Round 3, which will take place in February – meaning they’ll need to win four matches to reach the final.

Before we get to that though, there’s the matter of the first two rounds.

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Challenge Cup first and second round draw details confirmed including teams involved

34 community clubs will be involved in Round 1 across 17 ties, which will be played out across the weekend of January 11 and 12.

Eastern Rhinos of the Southern Conference League, Mirfield of the Pennine League and Telford Raiders of the Midlands Rugby League are all Challenge Cup debutants.

The First Round draw line-up is listed below, with the division that the clubs belong to bolded.

• Armed Forces (3) – British Army, RAF, Royal Navy
• Cumberland Amateur Rugby League (1) – Maryport
• GB Police (1) – GB Police
• Ireland Rugby League (1) – Longhorns
• Midlands Rugby League (1) – Telford Raiders (Harry Jepson Trophy winners)
• National Conference League (15) – Crosfields, Dewsbury Moor, Hunslet ARLFC, Ince Rose Bridge, Leigh Miners Rangers, Lock Lane, Oulton Raiders, Rochdale Mayfield, Siddal, Thatto Heath (also BARLA National Cup winners), Waterhead Warriors, Wath Brow Hornets, West Bowling, West Hull, York Acorn
• North West Men’s League (3) – Blackbrook, Haresfinch, Orrell St James (as BARLA National Cup runners-up)
• Pennine League (1) – Mirfield
• Scotland Rugby League (1) – Edinburgh Eagles
• Southern Conference League (4) – Eastern Rhinos, Hammersmith Hills Hoists, London Chargers, Wests Warriors
• Wales Rugby League (1) – Aberavon Fighting Irish
• Yorkshire Men’s League (2) – Doncaster Toll Bar, Stanley Rangers

The winners of the 17 First Round ties will already know who they’re up against in Round 2, with both draws taking place on December 2.

Round 2 sees the entry of teams from the Championship and League 1, barring French outfit Toulouse Olympique, who don’t compete in the Challenge Cup.

As a result, 40 teams will be involved in the Second Round, with 20 ties to be set up.

Second Round ties will take place on the weekend of January 25 and 26, with the exception of the one which involves Championship side York.

Mark Applegarth’s side have already committed to playing a ‘challenge match’ against Super League side Hull KR that weekend in Amsterdam, so have been granted permission to play their Second Round tie in the Challenge Cup in early February.

The list of the 23 teams entering the cup in Round 2 can be seen below…

• Championship (12) – Barrow Raiders, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Doncaster, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax Panthers, Hunslet, London Broncos, Oldham, Sheffield Eagles, Widnes Vikings, York
• League 1 (11) – Cornwall, Dewsbury Rams, Goole Vikings, Keighley Cougars, Midlands Hurricanes, Newcastle Thunder, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Swinton Lions, Whitehaven, Workington Town

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