Challenge Cup 2022

[tms]

January 15/16: Challenge Cup Round 1 (26 Community clubs)

January 29/30: Challenge Cup Round 2 (11 League 1 clubs enter)

February 12/13: Challenge Cup Round 3

February 26/27: Challenge Cup Round 4 (14 Championship clubs enter)

March 12/13: Challenge Cup Round 5

March 26/27: Challenge Cup Round 6 (11 Super League clubs enter)

[Whippet13]

11 SL clubs so no Toulouse presumably.

[Davo5]

I think the Jan 15/16 start will see some community clubs not entering.

[Eddie]

46 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

I think the Jan 15/16 start will see some community clubs not entering.

Only 26 can enter anyway, and I think they’re hand picked by the RFL?

[BridBeachRL]

Cornwall have got 11 weeks this weekend to assemble a squad ready for their 1st fixture. When 2 of those weekends are Christmas Day and New Year's day doesn't leave too much prep time! 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

10 hours ago, Whippet13 said:

11 SL clubs so no Toulouse presumably.

Why? Is this still from the fallout over the (£500,000 was it?) bond demanded from French clubs to play in the Cup?

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

10 hours ago, POR said:

March 26/27: Challenge Cup Round 6 (11 Super League clubs enter)

I think one of the (many) reasons the CC Final has lost a bit of prestige is that it only takes 3 games to get there. This devalues the achievement IMO. Personally, I would much rather see some sort of expanded CC than the overly long SL with loop fixtures. Appreciate that this creates different problems though.

[tms]

18 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Why? Is this still from the fallout over the (£500,000 was it?) bond demanded from French clubs to play in the Cup?

TO first pulled out of the cup in 18 a year before the infamous bond and have not entered since At the time no reason was given  Prior to that TO had entered 14 times 

[Toby Chopra]

Big fan of Toulouse being in Superleague, but they really should be entering the CC now they are there. I hope this is still down to some sort of COVID-related exception for 2022, and not just a choice to opt out.  

[Eddie]

43 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

I think one of the (many) reasons the CC Final has lost a bit of prestige is that it only takes 3 games to get there. This devalues the achievement IMO. Personally, I would much rather see some sort of expanded CC than the overly long SL with loop fixtures. Appreciate that this creates different problems though.

I read an interview with one of Salford’s players when they made the final (can’t remember who) and he said exactly that, ie that winning 3 games to get there isn’t as much of an achievement as getting there was in the past. 

[Niels]

21 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Big fan of Toulouse being in Superleague, but they really should be entering the CC now they are there. I hope this is still down to some sort of COVID-related exception for 2022, and not just a choice to opt out.  

I think my team Batley were the last team to play them in the CC. We beat them in Toulouse which was a good achievement as they had a good side then too, even though neither of us was at full strength. 

If I remember correctly, Toulouse wanted to prioritise the league and I think they opted out after then. 

 

 

[Davo5]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Only 26 can enter anyway, and I think they’re hand picked by the RFL?

And of those some will decline due to the early start.

[del capo]

21 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

And of those some will decline due to the early start.

 The Community clubs provide 26 , a mixture of NCL and regional , as well as Forces etc.

The NCL clubs are selected by final league positions ( 46 to go at ) and usually infill down the line to provide cover for those clubs who chose not to enter.

Should be some entertaining games especially once League 1 enter the fray.

[Sports Prophet]

55 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I read an interview with one of Salford’s players when they made the final (can’t remember who) and he said exactly that, ie that winning 3 games to get there isn’t as much of an achievement as getting there was in the past. 

Agree with this theory.

The Challenge Cup in my opinion should move to a group structure for the final 16. Knock out qualifiers to find the next 4 or 5 teams to join the SL clubs. 

Then 4 groups of four, play each other once gives three rounds with SL quality fixtures to show on BBC on Saturday and Sunday for each round. 

Top 2 go through to quarters and back to knockout.

Gives the BBC some quality content and casual viewers much more SL quality fixtures to watch on terrestrial.

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Sports Prophet said:

Agree with this theory.

The Challenge Cup in my opinion should move to a group structure for the final 16. Knock out qualifiers to find the next 4 or 5 teams to join the SL clubs. 

Then 4 groups of four, play each other once gives three rounds with SL quality fixtures to show on BBC on Saturday and Sunday for each round. 

Top 2 go through to quarters and back to knockout.

Gives the BBC some quality content and casual viewers much more SL quality fixtures to watch on terrestrial.

I prefer the traditional knock out format personally, and how would championship and L1 teams who made it fit the extra games in? 

[RP London]

2 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Agree with this theory.

The Challenge Cup in my opinion should move to a group structure for the final 16. Knock out qualifiers to find the next 4 or 5 teams to join the SL clubs. 

Then 4 groups of four, play each other once gives three rounds with SL quality fixtures to show on BBC on Saturday and Sunday for each round. 

Top 2 go through to quarters and back to knockout.

Gives the BBC some quality content and casual viewers much more SL quality fixtures to watch on terrestrial.

Problem of that though is that the teams from the champ or league 1 (which could happen depending on how the draw falls) will have quite a few extra matches to play which could really hamper their league ambitions which, in the end, is where the money is. Also fitting in loads more games into their shorter season. So somehow you are going to have to deal with that as a potential issue. 

I dont mind it as an idea but just see this as quite a big stumbling block.. 

personally I would bring in Super league teams a couple of rounds earlier. 

[del capo]

 I have read that Spurs have two surfaces to play on - the Grassmaster one can be overlayed by an artificial one for NFL , concerts etc.

I presume the RFL have the former covered in their contract but anyone  know which surface we have for definite ?

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

27 minutes ago, RP London said:

Problem of that though is that the teams from the champ or league 1 (which could happen depending on how the draw falls) will have quite a few extra matches to play which could really hamper their league ambitions which, in the end, is where the money is. Also fitting in loads more games into their shorter season. So somehow you are going to have to deal with that as a potential issue. 

I dont mind it as an idea but just see this as quite a big stumbling block.. 

personally I would bring in Super league teams a couple of rounds earlier. 

Could the Champ and League 1 clubs who don't make it then go into a similar format for the 1895 Cup? I'll be honest - I don't really know what the season structure typically looks like at those levels.

[Davo5]

44 minutes ago, del capo said:

 The Community clubs provide 26 , a mixture of NCL and regional , as well as Forces etc.

The NCL clubs are selected by final league positions ( 46 to go at ) and usually infill down the line to provide cover for those clubs who chose not to enter.

Should be some entertaining games especially once League 1 enter the fray.

Yes I know that,my point is there will be some amateur clubs with a long history of Challenge Cup exploits who will decide to give it a miss because of the early start,which will be a real shame both for the clubs & the competition.

[Davo5]

23 minutes ago, del capo said:

 I have read that Spurs have two surfaces to play on - the Grassmaster one can be overlayed by an artificial one for NFL , concerts etc.

I presume the RFL have the former covered in their contract but anyone  know which surface we have for definite ?

With it being towards the end of the football season you’d expect it to be on the grass one,we really shouldn’t be playing a major final on a 5G pitch,

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I'm really not a fan of the Super League sides entering at the last 16 stage, as has been said winning 3 games to get to the final and only 4 to win the whole comp really takes away from the prestige of winning the cup. If they entered even just a round earlier at the 5th round stage and having to win 4 games to get to the final/5 to win the whole comp sounds a lot more challenging and a much bigger achievement. 

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

Just had a look back on Wikipedia at previous Challenge Cups and how many rounds it took to get to Wembley. Wigan had to play 5 games to get there in 93, and they were in the preliminary round. 4 seems to be the most common number of wins needed. So maybe my memory is fogged a bit, as it was never the long 'road to Wembley' that I remember. 

Incidentally, large numbers of amateur clubs only started entering in the mid 90s by the looks of things. Before then, a handful of amateur clubs took part, but that was it.

[RP London]

1 hour ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Could the Champ and League 1 clubs who don't make it then go into a similar format for the 1895 Cup? I'll be honest - I don't really know what the season structure typically looks like at those levels.

That would probably be the only way to do it I would guess, but you would be adding fixtures to their season which may be fine but may not.. that would be a question for those clubs really about player welfare and how long a season can be etc. 

[del capo]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Yes I know that,my point is there will be some amateur clubs with a long history of Challenge Cup exploits who will decide to give it a miss because of the early start,which will be a real shame both for the clubs & the competition.

Nine days earlier than in 2019 shouldn't really put anyone off ( unless you come from Cumbria where their clubs put off the start of their NCL season by 4 weeks this year !  )

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I'm really not a fan of the Super League sides entering at the last 16 stage, as has been said winning 3 games to get to the final and only 4 to win the whole comp really takes away from the prestige of winning the cup. If they entered even just a round earlier at the 5th round stage and having to win 4 games to get to the final/5 to win the whole comp sounds a lot more challenging and a much bigger achievement. 

Would it really make a difference if they played an extra round, more than likely against a Championship or League One club that’d be an easy win? It wouldn’t to me. Those games were very poorly attended, they bring in no money, the season is already too long with too many games, Super League clubs entering at the last 16 games is the right thing to do imo.