THE FORMAT of this year’s 1895 Cup has at last been outlined, with a preliminary round to kick things off next month.

Six of the Championship’s 19 remaining clubs will play over the weekend of March 14-15, with the winners joining the rest in a round of 16 on April 18-19.

It’s a straight knockout competition from there, with quarter-finals (May 16-17) and semi-finals (June 13-14) before the final on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31.

The venue of the final still remains undecided, with the 1895 Cup no longer culminating at Wembley.

Goole Vikings, Keighley Cougars and Oldham are exempt from the preliminary round having qualified for round four of the Challenge Cup, which takes place on the same weekend.

But every other participating team could face the extra hurdle when the draw is conducted on Sunday (February 15), live on BBC Radio Leeds from 5.40pm.

Broadcaster James Deighton will conduct the draw for the preliminary and first rounds alongside Luke Gale, who won the 1895 Cup with Wakefield Trinity two years ago.

Sheffield Eagles, the inaugural winners in 2019, are the only club involved to have previously lifted the trophy, which is for sides outside the top division.

Leigh Leopards (2022, as Centurions), Wakefield and York Knights (2025) are now in Super League while Featherstone Rovers (2021) and Halifax Panthers (2023) have lost their RFL licenses.

The dates for both the semis and finals coincide with scheduled Championship rounds, meaning some league fixtures will need to be rearranged as the tournament progresses.

Ball numbers: 1 Barrow Raiders, 2 Batley Bulldogs, 3 Dewsbury Rams, 4 Doncaster, 5 Hunslet, 6 London Broncos, 7 Midlands Hurricanes, 8 Newcastle Thunder, 9 North Wales Crusaders, 10 Rochdale Hornets, 11 Salford, 12 Sheffield Eagles, 13 Swinton Lions, 14 Whitehaven, 15 Widnes Vikings, 16 Workington Town, 17 Goole Vikings, 18 Keighley Cougars, 19 Oldham.