CHALLENGE CUP newcomers Sheffield Eagles have landed the perfect draw for their debut in the competition according to rugby development officer Andrea Dobson, who also works closely with the women’s team.
The former Featherstone and England forward knows that the group stage games against Super League champions York, promoted Featherstone and Castleford will all be tough, but she also knows each one will provide the side with a different challenge.
And it is those challenges that will ensure the Eagles, who made their debut in League One in 2022, continue their growth and development in the game.
“If I could have picked three sides to play against it would have been those three,” Dobson, who joined the Eagles in 2021, told League Express.
“We’ve already announced the partnership we’re establishing with York, so I’m hoping Lindsay (Anfield – York coach) will take it a bit easier on us and give some of her other players a chance to play against us.
“On paper they’re probably the last team you want to play, but hopefully they won’t put their best team out and make it a pointless exercise for both teams.
“We know we’re not going to be anywhere near York, but we’re trying to instil in our players where we want to be. We have some really good players at Sheffield and if we can expose them to the level that we ultimately want to be playing at it can only be a positive.
“Featherstone are in Super League as well and are a long-established team, but we still feel like we can have a real dig against them. We’re not unaware of the quality they have, but we’ll go out there and give it a real go.
“Castleford are still struggling, so we can probably eye up that one as a win, so we face three games of different opportunities and we can take benefits from all of them.
“Really we probably couldn’t have asked for a better draw.”
St Helens, who have won the trophy for the last three years, will face Bradford, London and Warrington in their group games, with last season’s Group Two play-off winners Barrow coming up against coach Amanda Wilkinson’s former side Wigan as well as Super League South champions Cardiff and Salford.
Huddersfield, Hull KR, last year’s defeated finalists Leeds and Leigh make up the final group.
The three weekends of group action gets underway on the weekend of March 16-17 and will conclude on April 6-7, with quarter-finals and semi-finals following on before the showpiece final returns to Wembley on Saturday, June 8.
The Challenge Cup draw in full is:
Group One – York Valkyrie, Featherstone Rovers, Castleford Tigers, Sheffield Eagles
Group Two – Wigan Warriors, Barrow Raiders, Salford Red Devils, Cardiff Demons
Group Three – St Helens, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls, London Broncos
Group Four – Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield Giants, Leigh Leopards, Hull KR
The draw for the quarter finals was also made at the same time as the group draw and is: Winner of Group 1 v Runners up of Group 1; Winner of Group 2 v Runners up of Group 2; Winner of Group 3 v Runners up of Group 4; Winner of Group 4 v Runners up of Group 3
These ties will be played on the weekend of April 13-14.
