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, we're taking a look at all the Community and Representative teams involved in the draw.
Here is a look at the another five teams involved in the First Round:
Rochdale Mayfield
Founded in 1958, Rochdale Mayfield have been an integral part of Community Rugby League for over 60 years. They’ve had multiple spells of success at amateur level, and have been a mainstay in the NCL Premier Division since 2014. Their Challenge Cup appearances have produced a number of memorable fixtures, including games against professional outfits Hunslet & Salford – perhaps the most notable though, was their Third Round tie against the town’s professional side Rochdale Hornets back in 2016. Their most recent journey to the Third Round last time out in 2020 saw them come up against League 1’s North Wales Crusaders – the club have built a wealth of experience of competing against professional sides, something to take confidence from heading into First Round.
Siddal
Proud members of the NCL Premier Division, the Halifax side will be looking to build on the impressive Challenge Cup run they managed to put together in 2020, that saw them reach the Fourth Round. In addition to their honours & achievements in the amateur game, Siddal’s Challenge Cup experience was taken up a level in in 2017, when their Third Round tie against Toronto Wolfpack was streamed globally on the BBC Sports website – the Canadian side had just too much for them in what was their first ever game, as they fell to a 14-6 defeat.
Stanningley
Leeds-based Stanningley boast a long and rich history in the community game, while notable Rugby League names such as Jamie Peacock and Jamie Jones-Buchanan began their careers at the club. Set to compete in the National Conference League in 2022, they are coached by two former players who are enjoying careers in the professional game in Bradford Bulls' Jordan Lilley and Ashton Golding of Huddersfield Giants. Challenge Cup regulars, they last took part in the competition in 2020, losing 28-26 to Leigh Miners Rangers in the First Round.
Thatto Heath Crusaders
Thatto Heath were formed in 1981, and have been a hotbed of talent since – they’ve produced an array of players that have gone on to reach professional and international level. Recently crowned NCL Champions for the third time, the St Helens outfit will once again compete in the Challenge Cup in the upcoming season. A quite outstanding campaign in 2019 saw them reach the Fifth Round, where a memorable win over League 1’s North Wales Crusaders set up an encounter with Championship side Dewsbury Rams. They gave a more than impressive account of themselves that day too – drawing 10-10 at half-time, Dewsbury proved to have a little too much for them in the end. Can they cause another upset?
Thornhill Trojans
Hailing from Dewsbury, Thornhill Trojans compete in the National Conference League, and their Challenge Cup knowhow will be tested once again in January. With multiple First Round victories over the years, their most recent campaign ended in the Third Round after a hard-fought encounter with professional side Doncaster – a game in which they were leading at half-time, but narrowly losing 24-20.
You can purchase tickets for the 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup Final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 28 May here.
