Ahead of the draw for Round 1 of the 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup, which will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday 14 December live on BBC Sport and Our League, we're taking a look at all the Community and Representative teams involved in the draw.
Here is a look at another six teams involved in Round One:
London Chargers
The club from the capital are set to make their eighth Challenge Cup entrance in 2022, having progressed to the Second Round three times previous. Now based in Clapham, the Chargers were formed as a result of a merger between South London Storm and West London Sharks back in 2013. Since then, they’ve won over ten trophies and were unlucky to not add another in 2021, after defeat in the Southern Conference League Grand Final.
Milford
Based in the Kirkstall area of Leeds, Milford are founding members of the National Conference League. They hold National League & National Cup titles to their name, and have Challenge Cup experience – their impressive 47-12 victory of Wigan St Judes in the First Round in 2020 came just before the pandemic changed the course of things, meaning they couldn’t participate further. They’ll be looking to pick up from where they left off this time around no doubt!
Navy
The second Armed Forces representative in the First Round draw – the Royal Navy play home games at the United Services Recreation Ground in Portsmouth. They first appeared in the Challenge Cup back in 2000, and in 2010 were the first Armed Forces side to reach the Third Round – a feat only matched ten years later by the British Army team.
Orrell St James
Representing the Greater Manchester town, Orrell were named the Community Club of the Year in 2018, after yet another strong season – their dominant 34-0 victory in the First Round of the Challenge Cup kickstarted a great year. An amateur club with high standards that are responsible for producing an array of talent – namely St Helens & England International Jonny Lomax – their first Challenge Cup appearance since 2019 will certainly be one to keep an eye on.
Pilkington Recs
Founded in 1949, Pilkington Recs have long been a major part of the amateur game in the St Helens area and beyond. Their impressive Challenge Cup pedigree saw them host Wigan back in 1977 at St Helens’ Knowsley Park, and in 2016 many thought their cup campaign was at its end when they were drawn against League 1 side London Skolars in the Third Round, but Pilks had other ideas – a shock 13-0 victory saw them progress to the Fourth Round, eventually losing to Championship outfit Halifax at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
RAF
The third Armed Forces representatives are the Royal Air Force – they play home matches at RAF Cranwell, a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire. The RAF won their first title in 2001, when they put an end to the British Army’s dominance in the Inter-Services Championship. With plenty of Challenge Cup appearances in the book, the RAF will be looking to start 2022 with their first cup win since 2019’s 6-22 First Round victory over North Herts Crusaders.
You can purchase tickets for the 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup Final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 28 May here.
