Challenge Cup Third Round update – all-Crusaders tie selected for BBC Sport coverage

BBC Sport will return to the scene of a recent Challenge Cup upset next month, with the Third Round tie between two sets of Crusaders – Thatto Heath and North Wales – selected for live coverage on Sunday 12 March.

Thatto Heath, one of the strongest and most successful clubs in the community game, stunned the Welsh club 16-14 when they last met in the Cup at the Fourth Round stage in 2019.

That was the longest Cup run enjoyed by any community club in recent years, as they had already beaten Stanningley, Leigh Miners Rangers and Rochdale Mayfield to reach the Fourth Round, and then competed strongly against Dewsbury Rams before going out at the Fifth Round stage.

North Wales Crusaders have since moved to a regular home ground in Colwyn Bay, and have qualified for the Betfred League One Play-Offs in each of the last two seasons – and have a new player-coach for 2023 in Carl Forster, the much-travelled ball-playing prop who will be in familiar territory at Thatto having started his professional career with St Helens.

The tie will kick off at 1230pm, with coverage starting from 1220pm on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button.

The RFL can now confirm full details for all 16 Third Round ties.

Seven will be played on Saturday March 11, including the meeting of Wests Warriors and Widnes Vikings which has been switched to the DCBL Stadium in Widnes at the request of the Southern Conference League champions.

The remaining nine will be played on Sunday March 12, with the BBC's Thatto versus North Wales tie being followed at 3PM by Featherstone Rovers versus Halifax Panthers live on TheSportsman.com's dedicated Rugby League Youtube channel.

The draws for the Fourth and Fifth Rounds will be held the following Wednesday, March 15, at Millom RLFC, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary and thought to be the world's oldest amateur Rugby League club.

Saturday March 11

• Westgate Common v Hunslet ARLFC (130pm) 
• Leigh Miners Rangers v Rochdale Mayfield (2pm)
• Orrell St James v Midlands Hurricanes (2pm)
• Siddal v Sheffield Eagles (230pm) 
• Stanningley v Newcastle Thunder (230pm) 
• London Broncos v Whitehaven (3pm)
• Wests Warriors v Widnes Vikings (at DCBL Stadium, Widnes – 3pm)

Sunday March 12

• Thatto Heath Crusaders v North Wales Crusaders (1230pm - live on BBC Sport)
• Batley Bulldogs v Wath Brow Hornets (2pm)
• Dewsbury Rams v Rochdale Hornets (2pm)
• Barrow Raiders v Swinton Lions (3pm)  
• Bradford Bulls v York Acorn (3pm) 
• Doncaster v Workington Town (3pm)
• Featherstone Rovers v Halifax Panthers (3pm – live on TheSportsman.com)
• Hunslet v Keighley Cougars (3pm) 
• York Knights v West Bowling (3pm)