1895 Cup 2026

[RigbyLuger]

Nothing much announced, aside of the date of August Bank Holiday weekend for the Final at an un-named venue (rumoured as Wakefield on the Forty20 podcast) but no mention of the sponsors etc Does anyone care about it anymore?

[Wanderer]

Bin it

[JonM]

1 hour ago, RigbyLuger said:

Nothing much announced, aside of the date of August Bank Holiday weekend for the Final at an un-named venue (rumoured as Wakefield on the Forty20 podcast) but no mention of the sponsors etc Does anyone care about it anymore?

Championship clubs have free weekends on Feb 28/ Mar 1st, April 18/19, May 16/17 and July 4/5, so my assumption is those are 1895 Cup rounds. That doesn't quite give enough dates for a 20-club knockout competition though.

Last season's draw was made on December 12th. I assume the delay this time round is that we're still trying to find someone to chip in a tenner to be title sponsor.

[Griff]

2 minutes ago, JonM said:

Last season's draw was made on December 12th. I assume the delay this time round is that we're still trying to find someone to chip in a tenner to be title sponsor.

Or who was going to be competing.

[Coggo]

Here's how it will go. This year's Wembley crowd will have an distinctly underwhelming sales figure, leading to game-wide bedwetting about the death of the Cup and criticism of the RFL's decision to move the 1895 Cup.

The 1895 Cup will then be moved back to Wembley. 

 

[Whippet13]

7 hours ago, JonM said:

Championship clubs have free weekends on Feb 28/ Mar 1st, April 18/19, May 16/17 and July 4/5, so my assumption is those are 1895 Cup rounds. That doesn't quite give enough dates for a 20-club knockout competition though.

Last season's draw was made on December 12th. I assume the delay this time round is that we're still trying to find someone to chip in a tenner to be title sponsor.

Preliminary round to get 16 clubs, then 8, 4, 2 - covers the 4 weekends, then the final in August.

[JonM]

8 hours ago, Whippet13 said:

Preliminary round to get 16 clubs, then 8, 4, 2 - covers the 4 weekends, then the final in August.

No weekend kept free in August though, so that suggests postponing a couple of league fixtures and playing them midweek?

I did wonder whether they'd put clubs who exit the challenge cup early into the preliminary round, which has the benefit of evening up numbers of fixtures a bit, but the timings don't allow it.

[sam4731]

I still maintain that when SL had 12 teams, the loop fixtures could have been eliminated through a Super League Cup which would mirror the 1895 Cup (group stages to guarantee home games). This way the finals could be played as a double header (obviously not Wembley) and have a chance of getting a decent ish crowd.

I think teams with no real play off aspirations might have taken it seriously whilst giving title chasing teams a chance to give their fringe/younger players a run out and rest some first teamers.

It's not a popular opinion but it's definitely better than having an isolated 1895 Cup in my opinion.

[Phil W]

Anyone heard anything else on this? 

[Charlie]

I’d rather bin off this comp playing a final at wakey or Leeds or wherever is just a waste of time 

[Fevrover]

14 minutes ago, Charlie said:

I’d rather bin off this comp playing a final at wakey or Leeds or wherever is just a waste of time 

Only chance of a team playing at Wembley ( every players dream) outside of SL.

[Charlie]

6 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Only chance of a team playing at Wembley ( every players dream) outside of SL.

Exactly! I’m a Salford fan so new to this cup but I’m really not interested at all just has no end game 

[AgbriggAmbler]

Should be the curtain raiser for the challenge cup final. 

[RigbyLuger]

22 minutes ago, AgbriggAmbler said:

Should be the curtain raiser for the challenge cup final. 

The BBC want the women's final, no broadcaster wants the 1895.

[Griff]

3 hours ago, Phil W said:

Anyone heard anything else on this? 

Too early yet.

[Eddie]

On 13/01/2026 at 16:27, Coggo said:

Here's how it will go. This year's Wembley crowd will have an distinctly underwhelming sales figure, leading to game-wide bedwetting about the death of the Cup and criticism of the RFL's decision to move the 1895 Cup.

The 1895 Cup will then be moved back to Wembley. 

 

Hopefully.  I’d move the women’s game to its own venue on a different day and have the 1895 before the CC final. 

[Gav Wilson]

Hopefully its binned off altogether. 

[RigbyLuger]

28 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Hopefully.  I’d move the women’s game to its own venue on a different day and have the 1895 before the CC final. 

It won't change the fact that the BBC won't show it, but I'm still unsure why anyone thinks anything other than only a very small number of people will be there for all three, or even two games.

Whether you don't care about the women's game or not, the BBC do, and the sport does as a way of increasing participation etc.

Edited January 31 by RigbyLuger

[Eddie]

9 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

It won't change the fact that the BBC won't show it, but I'm still unsure why anyone thinks anything other than only a very small number of people will be there for all three, or even two games.

Whether you don't care about the women's game or not, the BBC do, and the sport does as a way of increasing participation etc.

Actually I suggested a stand alone to enhance the women’s event further, not to diminish it. 
 

Also I’m a sample of one admittedly, but I usually go to the CC final and only once have I stayed back for the 1895. If it was before the main event I’d probably have watched all of them. 

[Fevrover]

2 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

Hopefully its binned off altogether. 

Aye cos York have it , what about us mere mortals not in SL - or any league lol ?

[Gav Wilson]

3 hours ago, Fevrover said:

Aye cos York have it , what about us mere mortals not in SL - or any league lol ?

If there was still two ten team divisions it would have been a very useful cup comp with a pre-season group stage. As it is now there's just no need for it. 

[Fevrover]

33 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

If there was still two ten team divisions it would have been a very useful cup comp with a pre-season group stage. As it is now there's just no need for it. 

I understood it was a chance for teams to get to Wembley who have NO CHANCE otherwise, what do i know.

[Griff]

10 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

If there was still two ten team divisions it would have been a very useful cup comp with a pre-season group stage. As it is now there's just no need for it. 

No groups, thanks.

And the days of two divisions below Superleague are over. There's just not enough stable clubs to make it work. So get used to not playing everyone else in the league.

[AgbriggAmbler]

21 hours ago, RigbyLuger said:

The BBC want the women's final, no broadcaster wants the 1895.

I don't care what the BBC want, I care what the fans want. 10,000 Wakefield fans boosted the attendance 2 years ago, and hardly anyone took any notice of the women's final. 

[Tommygilf]

12 hours ago, Fevrover said:

I understood it was a chance for teams to get to Wembley who have NO CHANCE otherwise, what do i know.

I agree with that point, though if it is not going to be played at Wembley, then it becomes more difficult to justify IMO.