Welsh champions Torfaen Tigers aim to make the most of their first Tetley’s Challenge Cup appearance when they travel to South West London Chargers for a first round tie in Chiswick on Saturday (2.00pm).
Torfaen, the 2013 South Wales Rugby League Conference champions, travel to face Harry Jepson Trophy winners South West London Chargers in a tie that sees two tournament debutants go head-to-head and Tigers Chairman Rob Davies wants to use the experience as a springboard for 2014.
“We want to start the New Year with a bang and we don’t want our run in the Challenge Cup to be a one-game run,” said Davies.
“We don’t know a massive lot about them, though we have seen a bit of the South West London Chargers on YouTube, but it is a bit of an unknown quantity for us, as well as them.
“This will be the first time out for the club in the Challenge Cup and the guys are seeing our team in the First Round of the Challenge Cup draw.
“The local media are taking a lot of interest in us, whether that’s as a result of the fallout from the World Cup I don’t know but it is a chance for the rest of the Rugby League community to get to know us a bit.”
Davies has set a target for his club to reach the third round of the competition – the same stage at which fellow Welsh sides South Wales Scorpions and North Wales Crusaders enter the fray – for a chance to face the likes of Leigh Centurions and Sheffield Eagles, both past winners of the competition.
“When we were invited into the Challenge Cup first round draw, I sat down with the coach and we said that we want to target Round 3, to be in with a chance of playing a team from the semi-professional tiers,” said Davies.
“Obviously, if we got that far, to play somebody like Sheffield would be fantastic and it would be nice to get a home tie as well.
“But there are no easy games and we are just trying to take one step at a time, though we definitely want to be involved in the latter stages of the tournament.”
Admission to the Tetley’s Challenge Cup first round tie, South West London Chargers v Torfaen Tigers, at Chiswick Rugby Club on Saturday February 1 (2.00pm) is free.
The 2014 Tetley’s Challenge Cup first round draw in full is as follows:
Underbank Rangers v East Leeds
Leeds Metropolitan University v Millom
Blackbrook v Egremont Rangers
Shaw Cross v Thatto Heath
Leigh Miners v Hunslet Warriors
Oulton Raiders v West Hull
Saddleworth Rangers v Milford Marlins
Kells v Wigan St Judes
Skirlaugh v Rochdale Mayfield
RAF v Dewsbury Celtic
Askam v British Army
Royal Navy v Walney Central
Myton Warriors v East Hull
Loughborough University v Great Britain Police
South West London Chargers v Torfaen Tigers
Widnes St Maries v Wigan St Pats
Pilkington Recs v Aberdeen Warriors
York Acorn v Siddal
Wath Brow Hornets v Halton Simms Cross
Woolston Rovers v Elland
Lock Lane v Normanton Knights
Hull Dockers v Bristol Sonics
Ties to be played over the weekend of February 1 and 2, 2014.
