Challenge Cup 2015

[langpark]

No French teams this year it seems...

The draw sees a large geographical spread of 40 teams set out on the road that will lead back to the world's most iconic venue for the Final

The draw for the first round of the 2015 Challenge Cup will take place at Wembley Stadium on Thursday January 8 from 12.45pm.

The draw sees a large geographical spread of 40 teams set out on the road that will lead back to the world's most iconic venue on Saturday August 29 for the final of Rugby League’s oldest and most prestigious knockout competition.

All 40 clubs will participate in the country’s most prestigious club competition and will form the first two rounds, which will be played on the weekend of January 31 - February 1 and February 14/15 respectively.

The 10 winning teams from the second round will then face Kingstone Press League 1 opposition in the third round (March 7/8). Kingstone Press Championship clubs enter the fray in the fourth (April 21/22). The bottom four teams in the 2014 First Utility Super League season enter in Round 5 (April 18-19) with the top eight Super League teams in 2014 joining in Round 6 ( May 16-17).

The third tier of the Rugby League pyramid has the most participants in the first round draw, with 23 clubs representing the Kingstone Press National Conference League. Leicester Storm and Nottingham Outlaws will represent Conference League South.

Scotland and Wales both have participating teams, as Aberdeen Warriors prepare for their second appearance in the tournament alongside Valley Cougars, the Conference League South Grand Final winners, whilst University and College Rugby League teams Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University represent the education sector.

All three Armed Forces teams are represented – the Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy – whilst Great Britain Police look to build on their extra-time second round exit last year.

From the game’s fourth tier, Cumbria Men’s League champions Walney Central are entered whilst, at the other end of the country, Harry Jepson Trophy winners, South West London Chargers are looking forward to their participation for a second successive season.

The North West Men’s League champions Widnes West Bank are entered along with Hunslet Parkside, Queens, Scarborough Pirates and Sharlston Rovers who complete the list.



Full list of participating clubs:

Aberdeen Warriors

Blackbrook

East Leeds

Egremont Rangers

Elland

Featherstone Lions

Great Britain Police Rugby League

Hull Dockers

Hunslet Parkside (previously Old Boys)

Hunslet Warriors

Kells

Leeds Beckett University

Leicester Storm

Leigh Miners Rangers

Lock Lane

Loughborough University

Myton Warriors

Normanton Knights

Oulton Raiders

Queens

Rochdale Mayfield

Royal Air Force

Royal Navy

Saddleworth Rangers

Scarborough Pirates

Sharlston Rovers

Shaw Cross Sharks

Siddal

Skirlaugh

South West London Chargers

Thatto Heath Crusaders

The Army

Valley Cougars

Walney Central

Wath Brow Hornets

West Hull

Widnes West Bank

Wigan St Judes

York Acorn


The first round ties will be played over the weekend of January 31 and February 1.

Tickets for the 2015 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 29 cost from as little as £20 and can be purchased by calling the RFL Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113 or by visiting

http://therfl.co.uk/news/article/31463/challenge-cup-first-round-draw

 

[deluded pom?]

There weren't any French teams last year either.

 

[Evil Homer]

Looks like a big restructure for the competition. Previously they just had all Championship teams entering at round 3 and all SL teams at round 4. It looks like an extra round has been added so in practice the top 8 SL teams now need to win three games to make the final as opposed to four in the past (I'm guessing the 'top 8' it's based on the previous season's results, what will be the Super 8 in the future).

I'm a fan of this TBH as it should minimize blowout scores and pointless games, I just hope they don't seed the draw after round 3.

 

[roughyedspud]

id like to see national teams enter the challange cup...maybe the teams in the euro b & c comps?....in addition to the welsh and scottish champions id also add wales,scotland & ireland 'A' teams...

 

[CC_Roosters]

So whats the story with french clubs? Also how far off might a serbian club be from participation?

 

[paulmac]

I would love every national champion of every Euro nation to be included in the challenge cup. A reward for those teams doing the hard yards expanding our game.

 

[Evil Homer]

There are far better uses of development money than sending a bunch of guys to get smashed by an English amateur team.

 

[bowes]

I support the idea of a knockout competition for the champions of developing nations but the Challenge Cup is the wrong place for such teams. They've had to massively cull the number of amateur clubs and the competition really should be including them rather than teams from all over. Scotland and Wales have been linked to the English competitions so makes more sense they're in. Don't really see the appeal of Hunslet Club Parkside Vs Dorcol Spiders when the latter could be playing Kharkiv Legion

Personally I think they've made a mistake in that only 24 out of 40 first round entrants are from the 50 team NCL which is the elite amateur competition so clubs have been excluded but much weaker clubs have been entered. For about 20 years until last season all NCL clubs had been included so it's a shame.

Nottingham Outlaws are the 40th club missed out of the names at the top.

 

[CC_Roosters]

I support the idea of a knockout competition for the champions of developing nations but the Challenge Cup is the wrong place for such teams. They've had to massively cull the number of amateur clubs and the competition really should be including them rather than teams from all over. Scotland and Wales have been linked to the English competitions so makes more sense they're in. Don't really see the appeal of Hunslet Club Parkside Vs Dorcol Spiders when the latter could be playing Kharkiv Legion

Personally I think they've made a mistake in that only 24 out of 40 first round entrants are from the 50 team NCL which is the elite amateur competition so clubs have been excluded but much weaker clubs have been entered. For about 20 years until last season all NCL clubs had been included so it's a shame.

Nottingham Outlaws are the 40th club missed out of the names at the top.

Why are not all ncl teams included this year?

 

[bowes]

They couldn't fit all the rounds in at the start of the season plus they have a new format with teams entering different rounds. It's because the NCL used to play winter they had the rounds then

 

[langpark]

3rd round was drawn yesterday. It was interesting to see 14 League One sides and 10 amateur sides, yet there was no seeding system to keep the amateur clubs apart. So there will be a minimum now of 3 amateur sides progressing through to the fourth round.

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on this, should there be seeding or not? I'm a bit torn on it myself.


PS: could a mod please edit my spelling mistake in the title???

 

[bowes]

I don't know if the fourth round is seeded or not but will just be the 12 winners and 12 Championship clubs so not too big a stretch for the amateurs. The round after only adds the bottom 4 SL clubs so would have to be a real good run for amateurs to face top SL clubs

 

[langpark]

Leigh Miners Rangers are the 'last man standing' (of the amateur teams) after an impressive 32-6 win over Oxford, in front of 787 fans at the Leigh Sports Village.

The other 11 remaining teams are: York, Leigh, Batley, Featherstone, Swinton, Sheffield, Hunslet, Dewsbury, Bradford, Halifax and North Wales Crusaders.

Joining them in the next round will be: Hull FC, Hull KR, Wakefield and Salford.

The draw is Tuesday night and as always, there will be a live stream of it.

 

[langpark]

5th round draw:

Hunslet Hawks vs Dewsbury
Leigh Miners vs York City Knights
Bradford vs Hull KR
Sheffield vs Hull FC
Batley vs Swinton
NW Crusaders vs Feathersone
Wakefield vs Halifax
Leigh vs Salford

Both Leigh teams are at home. I hope they make it a double-header.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Salford v Leigh game would be very interesting... I think Leigh would have a real good chance of winning

 

[CC_Roosters]

Salford v Leigh game would be very interesting... I think Leigh would have a real good chance of winning

Yes will be a close game i hope and a real indicator of where leigh are at compared to the potential bottom 4 in super league.

I have been thinking about french involvement in the challenge cup. How did they nominate teams in the past? Imo it could and should be the lord derby cup and elite one winners, if both are the same team then the elite one runners up as well. Has their been any news on future involvement at all?

 

[langpark]

Yes will be a close game i hope and a real indicator of where leigh are at compared to the potential bottom 4 in super league.

I have been thinking about french involvement in the challenge cup. How did they nominate teams in the past? Imo it could and should be the lord derby cup and elite one winners, if both are the same team then the elite one runners up as well. Has their been any news on future involvement at all?

I don't think there's been any talk of it happening again, but I suppose there's nothing stopping any team from applying.

Here are the matches this weekend:

Hunslet vs Dewsbury
Bradford vs Hull KR
Sheffield vs Hull FC
Batley vs Swinton
Leigh vs Salford
Wakefield vs Halifax
North Wales Crusaders vs Featherstone
Leigh Miners Rangers vs York City Knights

 

[CC_Roosters]

Salford and leigh is live on sky which is good as i thought we would see no coverage until the next round.

 

[roughyedspud]

sky have actually moved a football game to show leigh v salford...which is a first in my memory..

 

[langpark]

Fantastic! Hope they put on an entertaining match then!