FROM Aberavon in South Wales to the British Army’s sporting headquarters at Aldershot in Hampshire to Colchester in Essex…
The first round of the Challenge Cup will take Rugby League to a range of far-flung venues around the country this weekend.
The Talbot Athletic Ground, the home of Aberavon’s red-and-black-clad Wizards, has long been a bastion of rugby, albeit the 15-a-side variety.
But it’s one of the town’s two more junior union clubs, the Green Stars, who will stage Sunday’s tie between South Wales Conference RL team Aberavon Fighting Irish and Blackbrook at Darwin Road, a round trip of 350 miles for the North West Men’s League side from St Helens.
On the same day Blackbrook’s neighbours Portico Vine Panthers, also of the NWML, will host GB Police’s clash with National Conference League York Acorn, who reached round five last year.
And Colchester Sports Park will be the scene of the meeting of Southern Conference League rivals Eastern Rhinos and Wests Warriors.
The £28.8 million facility just off the A12 and close to Colchester United Football Club’s JobServe Community Stadium opened in 2021.
It also serves British Cycling and Essex County Cricket Club as well as the Roman city’s rugby union and archery clubs.
On Saturday, there is a Challenge Cup doubler-header at Dukes Meadows, the headquarters of Chiswick RU Club close to the River Thames in the west of London which is used by SCL clubs London Chargers and Hammersmith Hills Hoists.
The Chargers face Oulton Raiders before the Hoists, who got to round four in 2024, play another NCL team in Siddal.
The Army’s match against fellow services side the RAF is at Aldershot Military Stadium.
In the second round of 2022, the Army were beaten 14-10 in golden-point extra time by the Royal Navy at that ground, the original version of which opened in 1955.
This year Championship and League One clubs enter in round two, on the weekend of January 25/26, and Super League in round three (February 8/9).