Focus Game - Leigh Miners Rangers 12-16 Wigan St Pats
Wigan St Pats came out on top in a dramatic Ladbrokes Challenge Cup First Round tie in front of the BBC Sport cameras.
Streamed live on the BBC Sport website for the first time, Wigan St Pats' Jack Winnard had the honour of scoring the first-ever broadcast try from the Challenge Cup first round, with James Ratcliffe converting for a 6-0 lead on 17 minutes.
St Pats suffered a setback as Mike Scrivens was sin binned by referee Scott Mikalauskas on the half hour mark, and the hosts took advantage when former Widnes Vikings academy player Jack Reynolds set up Mick O'Boyle.
Jonny Youds added a penalty goal on the stroke of half time to level the scores at the break, though Pats got back in front on 51 minutes as Danny Ryding muscled his way over to make it 10-6.
Being able to watch Leigh Miners v Wigan St Pat's live on the BBC website is superb. Kudos to all involved pic.twitter.com/QliTXvVXWe
— Gareth Walker (@garethwalker13) January 28, 2017
However, the impressive Reynolds darted over close to the posts, Youds adding the goal, to put Miners 12-10 up going into the final quarter.
But St Pats had the final say.
We love a #ChallengeCup winners' chant 🎶🎶
— The Challenge Cup (@TheChallengeCup) January 28, 2017
Well done @wigan_st_pats pic.twitter.com/2fANqqGCBV
After Miners had a try disallowed which would have sealed the game, the visitors stormed upfield, Scrivens breaking from half way to set up Phil Mitchell, who steamed over for the winning try on 74 minutes, Ratcliffe adding the extras.
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Shock of the round? - Wath Brow Hornets 4-17 Haydock ARLFC
North West Men's League champions Haydock stunned Cumbrian outfit Wath Brow to seal their progress to round two.
Sitting four divisions apart, St Helens-based Haydock finished 42 places behind their National Conference League Premier Division hosts last season, but made light of their status as big underdogs with a superb performance 133 miles away from home.
@WathBrowHornets 4 - 17 Haydock
— Haydock ARLFC (@HaydockOA) January 28, 2017
FULL TIME@NorthWestRL #challengecup
It proved to be a good day for their fellow St Helens-based sides as, joining giant-killing Haydock, Thatto Heath eased past Skirlaugh 30-10, while Pilkington Recs' 18-hour round trip to Aberdeen Warriors proved fruitful, as they picked up a 62-8 win.
@TheChallengeCup Top win today for the lads @PilksRecsARLFC . 9 hour journey home now but worth it! ðŸ»ðŸ»#redberandblack pic.twitter.com/c9XLHESSJH
— Ryan Hilliard (@raz_pilks6) January 28, 2017
Record Breaker... almost! - London Chargers 116-0 Bridgend Blue Bulls
London Chargers, Conference League South champions, took on Welsh premiers Bridgend at London Skolars' New River stadium and ran in a remarkable 20 tries without reply.
They were 40-0 up by half time, before coasting home in the second period.
Chargers halfback Phil Lyon proved to be the star of the show, finishing with a personal haul of 52 points, bagging four tries and kicking 18 goals from 20 attempts.
FULL TIME
— London Chargers RL (@LonChargersRL) January 28, 2017
Chargers - 116@BlueBullsRL - 0@TheChallengeCup @LdnRLFoundation @LondonRL @LondonFaithful
Despite the landslide result, Lyon fell just short of Chris Thorman's record 56-point haul, which took place in a 132-0 win for York City Knights against Northumbria University in 2011, but can claim the title of second-highest individual scorer ever in a Challenge Cup game.
It proved to be a double delight for the two London community clubs in the first round, as Chiswick-based Wests Warriors, who were only founded in 2014 and qualified courtesy of their 2016 Harry Jepson Trophy win, triumphed 40-22 against Great Britain Police.
On it!! @Wests_Warriors @GBpoliceRL we, Warriors, take the lead!! 28-22!! #SouthernHeartlandRL #INIT4LONDON pic.twitter.com/uJqKgdoo7k
— The_Viking (@VikingofChing) January 28, 2017
University of Hull do student game proud...
The University of Hull, the University game's representatives this year, put up a stirring fight against 2016 Challenge Trophy winners Rochdale Mayfield.
Despite three of their leading players being unavailable through University Origin duty, they were in contention until the final ten minutes, but their Ladbrokes Challenge Cup journey came to an end on home turf, losing out 22-12.
Caught a bit of @HullUniRL v @Mayfieldrl at Hull Uni today. I'd have taken my good camera if I'd have known. #challengecup pic.twitter.com/rbex4ociLx
— Darren Thompson (@TweetTommo1) January 28, 2017
Staying in Hull, the big Hull derby between West Hull and Hull Dockers went the way of Wests, winning 24-10.
Mixed afternoon for regional sides
As North West Men's League champions Haydock produced the shock of the round, it was a mixed afternoon for their fellow Tier 4 outfits.
Fryston Warriors, champions of the winter Pennine League, are in the round two draw after dismantlng local rivals Normanton Knights 33-10 at home, alongside London RL champions Wests Warriors.
Congrats to @FrystonARLFC great win today in the @TheChallengeCup
— Paul Anderson (@PaulAnderson_17) January 28, 2017
Elsewhere, Yorkshire Men's League winners West Bowling put in an admirable performance but were edged out 12-0 at home to NCL big guns Kells.
@westbowlingrlfc @OfficialNCL Well played today lads.
— Kells ARLFC (@kells_arl) January 28, 2017
All the best on your new venture in the @OfficialNCL
And Cumbria Men's League winners Distington played their part in a thriller at Featherstone Lions, losing 29-28 against the NCL Division 1 outfit.
End of the road for the services... but not without a fight
With Great Britain Police felled by Wests Warriors at the London triple-header, the British Army, Royal Air Force and The Royal Navy also dropped out of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup at the first hurdle.
The Army travelled up to Egremont and were lost 24-14 against the Cumbrians from the NCL Premier Division, while 12 tries were shared between The Navy and Hull's Myton Warriors in Portsmouth, with Myton winning 38-34.
Full time here at gillfoot park and its @EgremontR 24 - 10 @ArmyRugbyLeague onto round 2 we go #UptheMont #Rangers #OurCup
— Egremont Rangers (@EgremontR) January 28, 2017
And the RAF welcomed York Acorn to Lincolnshire but couldn't make home advantage count as Acorn rolled to a comfortble 30-12 away win.
Round Two draw hosts through - just!
Siddal, the reigning NCL champions who will host the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup second round draw on Tuesday at 7pm, were made to work for their progress to the next stage of the cup, squeezing past NCL Division 1 side Milford Marlins 16-4 on home turf.
And Finally...
Finally, BARLA National Cup winners Thornhill Trojans, from NCL Division 2, pulled off a shock of their own, convincingly beating Lock Lane, who were relegated from the NCL Premier Division last season, 32-14.
@DewsburyRams @TheChallengeCup Many thanks! Bring on the next round #trojantime
— Thornhill Trojans OA (@thornhilltrojan) January 28, 2017
The Ladbrokes Challenge Cup second round draw will be made by former Sheffield Eagles player Johnny Lawless and ex Huddersfield Giants favourite Luke Robinson on Tuesday, January 31 (from 7.00pm).
The draw will be held at CWC Park - home of 2016 Kingstone Press National Conference League Champions and the club where Lawless and Robinson began playing Rugby League, Siddal.
Lawless was part of the Sheffield Eagles side that defeated a dominant Wigan side in the 1998 final.
Former England and Giants scrum-half Robinson made over 150 appearances for Huddersfield, including their 2009 Challenge Cup final defeat to Warrington Wolves.
The draw will be streamed exclusively live on the BBC Sport website from 7.00pm – fans can watch by visiting bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league.
The 16 winning sides from the first round will go in to the draw for the second round, with fixtures scheduled for February 11-12.
Tickets for the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, August 26, can be purchased by calling the Rugby League Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113 or by visiting rugby-league.com/tickets.
