THE draw for the Challenge Cup Third Round has been made – with a number of mouthwatering ties!
Widnes Vikings will break new ground in their Challenge Cup history next month after being handed a trip to the Southern Conference League champions Wests Warriors in the Third Round draw.
The Warriors, who play their home matches at the old home of Wasps FC in west London, have earned their place in the Third Round with victories over Skirlaugh and London Chargers – and now have a dream tie against the seven-time Challenge Cup winners.
Two community clubs are guaranteed to reach the Fourth Round, with Leigh Miners Rangers hosting Rochdale Mayfield in an all-National Conference League fixture, and the Cup debutants Westgate Common from the Yorkshire Men’s League relishing a home draw against the NCL champions Hunslet ARLFC.
There are a number of other potential upsets, with Siddal hosting the 1998 Wembley winners Sheffield Eagles, Stanningley also having home advantage against Newcastle Thunder, and a meeting of two teams of Crusaders as the St Helens community club Thatto Heath take on North Wales of Betfred League One.
York Acorn will have the opportunity to play at one of the sport’s most famous venues having been drawn to face Bradford Bulls at Odsal, and West Bowling will make the reverse journey to take on York Knights at the LNER Community Stadium.
But the blockbuster tie of the draw, which was held at Featherstone’s Millennium Stadium to mark the 40th and 50th anniversaries of their 1973 and 1983 Cup wins, sees Rovers take on Halifax Panthers.
The ties will be played on the weekend of March 10-12, and the 16 winners will go forward to the draw for the Fourth Round which will be held at the Cumbrian community club Millom on Tuesday March 14 – helping Millom’s celebration of their 150th anniversary, which is thought to make them the world’s oldest amateur Rugby League club.
The Betfred Super League sides enter the Cup at the Sixth Round stage in May, with the Quarter Finals in June, the Semi Finals in July, and the 2023 Betfred Challenge Cup Final returning to Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 12 – and for the first time, being played as the second half of a double header also including the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final.
Featherstone Rovers vs Halifax Panthers
Wests Warriors vs Widnes Vikings
Leigh Miners Rangers vs Rochdale Mayfield
Doncaster vs Workington Town
Westgate Common vs Hunslet ARLFC
Dewsbury Rams vs Rochdale Hornets
Siddal vs Sheffield Eagles
Orrell St James vs Midlands Hurricanes
Batley Bulldogs vs Wath Brow Hornets
Thatto Heath Crusaders vs North Wales Crusaders
Hunslet RLFC vs Keighley Cougars
York Knights vs West Bowling
Stanningley vs Newcastle Thunder
London Broncos vs Whitehaven
Bradford Bulls vs York Acorn
Barrow Raiders vs Swinton Lions
