The countdown to the 2025 Rugby League season will begin on the evening of Monday December 2 with the draws for the First and Second Rounds of the Betfred Challenge Cup.
Goole Vikings, who will enter the sport’s oldest knockout competition for the first time at the Second Round stage having made a successful application to join Betfred League One next season, will host the draws, which will be broadcast live by BBC Sport.
The Betfred Challenge Cup has a new structure for 2025 with the 12 Betfred Super League teams joining the Road to Wembley earlier than in recent years, at the Third Round stage in February – meaning they will have to win four matches to reach Finals Day at Wembley Stadium on Saturday June 7.
The First Round draw will include 34 clubs and teams from the community game, including three more Challenge Cup debutants: Eastern Rhinos of the Southern Conference League; Mirfield of the Pennine League; and Telford Raiders from the Midlands Rugby League.
There are 15 representatives from the National Conference League including the 2024 champions, Hunslet ARLFC; their Grand Final victims Siddal, who staged a memorable Betfred Challenge Cup tie at home to Wakefield Trinity last season at the Third Round stage; and York Acorn, who had a best-ever run to the Fifth Round of the 2024 Challenge Cup including a victory over League One Cornwall.
Aberavon Fighting Irish will represent Wales in the competition for the second time, with their previous appearance having come in 2003, while the 2024 Cumberland League winners Maryport ARLFC are relishing the prospect of their first Challenge Cup appearance for almost 90 years, since they faced Barrow in the 1937-38 competition.
That was the year after Goole was last represented in the Challenge Cup, as an amateur team from the town played in the 1936-37 competition – losing 14-2 in the first round at home to the now defunct Broughton Rangers club.
Eastern Rhinos, who are based in Colchester, are one of four Southern Conference League representatives, alongside London Chargers, Wests Warriors and Hammersmith Hills Hoists, whose successful 2024 campaign began with a run to the Fourth Round of the Challenge Cup and ended with victory over the Warriors in the SCL Grand Final.
The southern clubs have the added incentive of earning a possible Second Round tie against London Broncos, who will join the competition earlier in 2025 now they are no longer a Betfred Super League club.
The Broncos will be joined by the other 11 English Championship clubs, the 11 Betfred League One clubs – including Goole Vikings – and the 17 First Round winners in the Second Round draw.
First Round ties will be played on the weekend of January 11-12, with the Second Round ties scheduled for the weekend of January 25-26 – with the exception of the tie involving York Knights, who have already committed to playing a challenge match against Hull KR in Amsterdam that weekend, and have therefore been given permission to play their Second Round tie in early February.
Betfred Challenge Cup 2025:
First Round (draw Monday December 2, ties to be played weekend of January 11-12):
Armed Forces (3) - British Army, RAF, Royal Navy;
Cumberland Amateur Rugby League (1) – Maryport.
GB Police (1);
Ireland Rugby League (1) - Longhorns.
Midlands Rugby League (1) – Telford Raiders (Harry Jepson Trophy winners).
National Conference League (15) – Crosfields, Dewsbury Moor, Hunslet ARLFC, Ince Rose Bridge, Leigh Miners Rangers, Lock Lane, Oulton Raiders, Rochdale Mayfield, Siddal, Thatto Heath (also BARLA National Cup winners), Waterhead Warriors, Wath Brow Hornets, West Bowling, West Hull, York Acorn.
North West Men’s League (3) – Blackbrook, Haresfinch, Orrell St James (as BARLA National Cup runners-up).
Pennine League (1) – Mirfield.
Scotland Rugby League (1) – Edinburgh Eagles.
Southern Conference League (4) – Eastern Rhinos, Hammersmith Hills Hoists, London Chargers, Wests Warriors.
Wales Rugby League (1) – Aberavon Fighting Irish.
Yorkshire Men’s League (2) – Doncaster Toll Bar, Stanley Rangers.
Second Round (draw Monday December 2, ties to be played January 25-26*):
17 first round winners;
Betfred Championship (12) - Barrow Raiders, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Doncaster, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax Panthers, Hunslet, London Broncos, Oldham, Sheffield Eagles, Widnes Vikings, York Knights*;
*Tie involving York Knights to be played in February because of Knights’ commitment to Amsterdam Challenge on January 26.
Betfred League One (11) - Cornwall, Dewsbury Rams, Goole Vikings, Keighley Cougars, Midlands Hurricanes, Newcastle Thunder, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Swinton Lions, Whitehaven, Workington Town.
Saturday June 7 - Betfred Challenge Cup Finals Day 2025 – also including Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final, AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final, and RFL Champion Schools Year 7 Boys Final.
