Challenge Cup third round draw
The British Army have been handed home advantage against amateur opposition as they aim to continue their Coral Challenge Cup run next month.
The Army, who beat the renowned Hull community club Skirlaugh at their Aldershot base in Golden Point Extra Time in the Second Round on Saturday, will now host Ince Rose Bridge of Wigan – knowing that another win would earn a place in the Fourth Round draw alongside Championship clubs and former Wembley winners such as Bradford Bulls, Widnes Vikings and Featherstone Rovers.
Of the 11 League 1 teams who enter the competition at the Third Round stage, Keighley Cougars will face Newcastle Thunder in a meeting of two of the pre-season promotion favourites.
Both Rochdale clubs in the draw, which was held at the town’s Crown Oil Arena, were pleased to receive home ties, courtesy of the St Helens and England Knights forwards Jack Ashworth and Matty Lees, who pulled out the balls.
Rochdale Hornets will host York Acorn of the National Conference League, while Rochdale Mayfield – the community club where Ashworth and Lees both played as juniors – have an intriguing tie against North Wales Crusaders of League 1.
Underbank Rangers and London Skolars were less fortunate, as they face lengthy journeys to West Wales Raiders and Barrow respectively.
Bentley, the Yorkshire Men’s League champions who have earned their Third Round place with away wins at the RAF and West Bank Bears, have another tough trip to Leigh Miners Rangers, and their professional neighbours Doncaster also have to travel, to the West Yorkshire community club Thornhill Trojans.
Hunslet host their League 1 rivals Coventry Bears, and there will be an all-National Conference League showdown between Siddal, the four-time champions whose last title was in 2016, and West Hull, who earned their sixth title last year.
West Bowling’s reward for Sunday’s win against Sherwood Wolf Hunt is a long haul to West Cumbria to face Workington Town.
The ties will be played on the weekend of February 8-9, with the Fourth Round draw in Halifax on Monday February 10.
As in the previous two rounds, one Third Round tie will be selected for live streaming by BBC Sport, and another by the RFL’s Our League app.
Coral Challenge Cup Third Round (ties to be played February 8-9):
Workington Town v West Bowling
British Army v Ince Rose Bridge
Leigh Miners Rangers v Bentley
Rochdale Mayfield v North Wales Crusaders
Thornhill Trojans v Doncaster
Siddal v West Hull
Barrow v London Skolars
Hunslet v Coventry Bears
Keighley Cougars v Newcastle Thunder
Rochdale Hornets v York Acorn
West Wales Raiders v Underbank Rangers.
