The First Round draw for the 2020 Coral Challenge Cup has handed some exciting ties between the 44 community clubs involved and they took to social media to react…
The 2020 competition is the first time that two Welsh sides have featured in the tournament in 11 years and both Rhondda Outlaws and Torfaen Tigers are looking forward to their ties.
Torfaen have an interesting tie on the road against Great Britain Police while the Outlaws will make their Coral Challenge Cup bow against Barrow Island.
So there it is! First round draw of this years Challenge cup is complete and the Tigers will be on the road to face @GBpoliceRLðŸ†ðŸ†#ChallengeCup #TigersYeaYeaðŸ¯
— Torfaen Tigers RLFCðŸ¯(@TorfaenTigersRL) December 5, 2019
We've been drawn away to @BarrowIslandARL in the @TheChallengecup.
— Rhondda Outlaws RL (@Rhonddaoutlaws) December 5, 2019
This is a fantastic draw for us. They are a big club with a big reputation.
Ashton Bears are set to make their debut in the Coral Challenge Cup in 2020 and they have an exciting visit to Scotland now scheduled for January as they’ll battle Edinburgh Eagles…
Really excited as a club and will be honoured to be welcomed to such a fine city as yours. We can’t wait ðŸ»ðŸ‘ðŸ»ðŸ‰
— Ashton Bears ARLFC (@AshtonBears) December 5, 2019
This year’s First Round will see a repeat of the 2019 Harry Jepson Trophy Final as Mansfield-based Sherwood Wolf Hunt host London club Wests Warriors. The Warriors came out on top in last year’s final, but the Midlands Rugby League champions will be looking for revenge in a different competition in 2020.
Well it's a replay of the 2019 Harry Jepson Final against our friends @wolfhuntrl. We got the chocolates that day but @TheChallengeCup is a whole new story. Can't wait for the game and the next chapter in the story between two great southern Rugby League teams. #dubzupforthecup pic.twitter.com/i4pU6hVRss
— Wests Warriors (@Wests_Warriors) December 5, 2019
Bentley ARLFC – based in Doncaster – held the First Round draw and they are set for military opposition as they face a trip to the RAF. Fellow Armed Forces sides, the British Army and the Royal Navy, drew Oulton Raiders and West Bank Bears.
2020 @TheChallengeCup 1st Round Draws draws for the Armed Forces@ArmyRugbyLeague vs Leeds' @OultonRaiders@RAFRugbyLeague vs Doncaster's @BentleyARLFC
— Army Rugby League (@ArmyRugbyLeague) December 5, 2019
Widnes' @WestBankARLFC vs @RoyalNavyRL@ukafrugbyleague @ForcesNews @BFBS_Sport @
And, some of the teams set to enter at the later stages of the competition showed their support for their local community clubs including the Hornets wishing Rochdale Mayfield well in their upcoming tie against London Chargers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🉠Best of luck to <a href="https://twitter.com/Mayfieldrl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mayfieldrl</a> in round one of the <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChallengeCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheChallengeCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisIsRochdale?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisIsRochdale</a> <a href="https://t.co/v7lx3ymIIg">https://t.co/v7lx3ymIIg</a></p>— Rochdale Hornets (@RochdaleHornets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RochdaleHornets/status/1202890366019612675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The full draw can be seen below:
ðŸ†Your Coral #ChallengeCup First Round fixtures in full... pic.twitter.com/4f1DOQBvHO
— The Coral Challenge Cup (@TheChallengeCup) December 5, 2019
