THE 1895 Cup first round will feature three all-Yorkshire clashes among its eight ties as clubs target a trip to Wembley as part of the RFL’s finals day on Saturday, June 7.
Sheffield, the inaugural winners in 2019 and last year’s beaten finalists, host Doncaster on the weekend of March 1/2.
Bradford, who went down to Wakefield in last year’s semi-finals, go to Batley, the beaten finalists in 2023.
And Halifax, the 2023 winners, will visit York, who were beaten finalists (by Featherstone) in 2021 and lost to Sheffield in last year’s semi-finals.
There is also a fourth guaranteed all-Championship clash, between Hunslet and Widnes.
Round one marks the entry of the twelve Championship clubs other than Toulouse, who don’t participate.
This year’s sixth version of the competition (it didn’t take place in 2020 because of the pandemic) will begin with two preliminary rounds featuring all eleven League One clubs.
Cornwall and third-tier newcomers Goole 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.
Truncated versions linked to the outcome of Challenge Cup ties took place in 2021, 2022, when Leigh were the winners, and 2023.
Last year’s 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).
The three-tie preliminary round one takes place this weekend, with Rochdale hosting Cornwall, Midlands taking on Whitehaven and Newcastle facing North Wales.
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 or North Wales.
The opening League One fixtures are on Sunday, February 23.
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 v Whitehaven, Rochdale v Cornwall, Newcastle v North Wales.
Byes: Dewsbury, Goole, Keighley, Swinton, Workington.
Preliminary round two: Goole v Newcastle or North Wales, Workington v Dewsbury, Rochdale or Cornwall v Swinton, Keighley v Midlands or Whitehaven.
Round one: Batley v Bradford, Sheffield v Doncaster, Hunslet v Widnes, London v Workington or Dewsbury, York v Halifax, Goole or Newcastle or North Wales v Barrow, Featherstone v Keighley or Midlands or Whitehaven, Oldham v Rochdale or Cornwall or Swinton.
Key weekends for lower divisions
February 1/2: 1895 Cup preliminary round one.
February 8/9: Challenge Cup round three (includes Super League sides).
February 15/16: Championship starts; 1895 Cup preliminary round two.
February 23: League One starts.
March 1/2: 1895 Cup round one (includes Championship sides).
