NEXT year’s 1895 Cup will begin with two preliminary rounds featuring all eleven League One clubs – and once again it will end with a Wembley final.
Cornwall and third-tier newcomers Goole Vikings make their debuts in the competition for sides outside Super League, which is still sponsored by AB Sundecks but has once again undergone a format change.
Now it’s back to a straight knockout system, as it was in the inaugural season of 2019, when Sheffield Eagles were the winners.
The 2020 competition was shelved due to the pandemic, while truncated versions linked to the outcome of Challenge Cup ties took place in 2021 (won by Featherstone Rovers), 2022 (Leigh Centurions ahead of their name change to Leopards) and 2023 (Halifax Panthers).
This year’s 1895 Cup was back to stand-alone, but with the early stages run on a mini-league basis (seven groups of three, with each section winner after two matches and also the best second-placed side going into the quarter-finals).
Wakefield Trinity were 50-6 victors over Sheffield in the final, but having returned to Super League, won’t be defending the silverware.
There will be three preliminary round-one ties on the weekend of February 1/2, including Rochdale Hornets versus Cornwall.
The winners of each and the five clubs with byes will then compete in preliminary round two on the weekend of February 15/16, with those four matches including Goole against Newcastle Thunder or North Wales Crusaders.
The opening League One fixtures are on Sunday, February 23.
The twelve English-based Championship clubs (Toulouse Olympique don’t take part) come into the 1895 Cup for the first round on the weekend of March 1/2.
The quarter-finals are set for the weekend of April 5/6, and the semis for the weekend of May 17/18.
The final will be alongside those of the men’s and women’s Challenge Cup and Year 7 Boys’ Champion Schools at Wembley on Saturday, June 7, starting at 5.45pm.
Preliminary round one: Midlands Hurricanes v Whitehaven, Rochdale Hornets v Cornwall, Newcastle Thunder v North Wales Crusaders.
Byes: Dewsbury Rams, Goole Vikings, Keighley Cougars, Swinton Lions, Workington Town.
Preliminary round two: Goole Vikings v Newcastle Thunder or North Wales Crusaders, Workington Town v Dewsbury Rams, Rochdale Hornets or Cornwall v Swinton Lions, Keighley Cougars v Midlands Hurricanes or Whitehaven.
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