The road to Wembley continues this weekend, when 22 semi-professional clubs line up alongside 10 from the community game in 16 exciting ties in Round Three of the Men’s Betfred Challenge Cup – Rugby League’s prestigious knock-out competition.
Only three teams are still standing from those whose journey began in Round One – and at least one of them will be in Round 4 for the first time ever. That’s because the Southern Conference League (SCL) sides – London rivals Hammersmith Hills Hoists and Wests Warriors – will face each other in a mouth-watering repeat of last year’s SCL Grand Final.
Hammersmith have already made club history in reaching Round Two and the reigning SCL Champions will again enjoy home advantage following convincing wins against Medway Dragons and West Bowling. Wests will be aiming to avenge last year’s SCL Grand Final loss at the hands of Hammersmith, after wins over Newsome Panthers and Rochdale Mayfield.
Fans can expect a fierce encounter – and a London community club in the fourth round for the first time.
The third club to have progressed from Round One is Stanningley, the Leeds side having won twice on the road at South Wales Jets and then in dramatic fashion at Leigh Miners Rangers – a 19-18 thriller streamed to more than 30,000 viewers on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online. Coached by Huddersfield Giants’ Ashton Golding, Stanningley will be hoping to go one round further than they did in 2023 as they face Wath Brow Hornets – the Cumbrians hoping to avoid becoming another National Conference League (NCL) Premier Division casualty and equal a club record in reaching Round 4.
And a third all-community game tie means that another NCL club is also guaranteed a place in Round 4, as Lock Lane and Hunslet ARLFC lock horns in one of the round’s four Yorkshire derbies. Both teams were ruthless in Round Two, nilling Edinburgh Eagles and Fryston Warriors 72-0 and 66-0 respectively. With a Fourth Round place and local bragging rights at stake, this meeting between the two rivals could be one of the ties of the round.
Another Yorkshire derby encapsulates the magic of the competition: Halifax community club Siddal of the National Conference League versus Wakefield Trinity, only recently relegated from the Betfred Super League and hot favourites to regain their place among the elite in 2025.
2023 BARLA National Cup winners Siddal will relish having home advantage and a bumper, partisan crowd down at Chevinedge, where five-times Challenge Cup winners Trinity begin their quest to get to reach the final for the first time since 1979. Trinity haven’t had much Challenge Cup luck in recent years, falling at the first hurdle last year when they joined the competition at Round 6 - but now have the opportunity to make progress in two competitions ahead of league season next month.
The other two Yorkshire derbies are Keighley versus Hunslet RLFC and Dewsbury Rams against York Knights, the latter being streamed live on The Sportsman at 2pm on Sunday (11 February).
Also being streamed this weekend is Saturday’s intriguing Championship versus League One clash between Barrow Raiders and a rejuvenated Oldham, live from the Northern Competitions Stadium on Saturday (10 February).
The Raiders will be looking to continue an impressive run of form as they bid to reach the Fourth Round for the first time in seven years, while Oldham haven’t made it past Round 3 since 2008. Only one team can make it to Round 4 – find out who on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online from 12.20pm.
Widnes Vikings, who hosted the draw for Round 3 on the evening they celebrated their 1984 Challenge Cup Final victory over Wigan at Wembley Stadium, were rewarded with a home tie against newly-promoted Doncaster. The Vikings, under new coach Allan Colemen, will start as favourites, but the Dons have recruited strongly ahead of the upcoming campaign and have players who can bring big game experience.
Bradford Bulls are the most recent Challenge Cup winners in Round 3, having lifted the trophy back in 2003 in their treble winning year. They host North Wales Crusaders at Odsal. The Bulls memorably defeated arch-rivals Leeds Rhinos en route to the quarter-finals in 2019 and will be hoping to turn Odsal into a fortress once again as they embark on their 2024 cup journey.
Batley Bulldogs, winners of the very first Challenge Cup in 1897, entertain Workington Town – a side not to be underestimated, with maverick Jarrod Sammut leading them around the park once more.
Meanwhile, the club which has won a Wembley final most recently - Halifax Panthers, who defeated the Bulldogs in the last year’s AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final - entertain Whitehaven. The Panthers defied all expectations in 2019 in reaching the semi-finals, before losing out to that year’s Super League Champions St Helens. ‘Fax will be hoping to build something similar this time out under new coach Liam Finn, who featured in the Wembley final himself for Castleford Tigers back in 2014.
York Acorn, who proved just about too strong for Orrell St James in Round Two, hit the road again – all the way to League One's Cornwall. The NCL side will fancy their chances, with Cornwall having been beaten at home last year by the NCL’s Rochdale Mayfield in their only Challenge Cup appearance to date.
Newcastle Thunder travel down the A1 to play Sheffield Eagles – famously and memorably Challenge Cup winners in 1998. Sheffield stalwart and current man at the helm, Mark Aston, won the Lance Todd Trophy for his man-of-the-match performance that day as he masterminded the Eagles’ 17-8 victory over Wigan.
Elsewhere, Championship sides Swinton Lions and Featherstone Rovers head east and west of the Pennines respectively to face NCL opposition – the Lions to West Hull and Rovers to Thatto Heath, who are expecting more than a thousand spectators to pack in at Close Street. It will be only Featherstone’s second visit to St Helens for a Challenge Cup tie since 1983, when they beat Saints at Knowsley Road en route to cup final glory at Wembley Stadium.
Rochdale Hornets also take on the Midlands Hurricanes on home soil – a repeat of their 2022 cup tie which the Hornets won 36-16.
The Betfred Challenge Cup Round 3 fixture list in full (ties to be played over the weekend of 10/11 February):
- Barrow Raiders v Oldham (Saturday 10 February, 12:30pm) – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport
- Batley Bulldogs v Workington Town (Sunday 11 February, 2pm)
- Bradford Bulls v North Wales Crusaders (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
- Cornwall v York Acorn (Saturday 10 February, 1pm)
- Dewsbury Rams v York Knights (Sunday 11 February, 2pm) – The Sportsman
- Halifax Panthers v Whitehaven (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
- Hammersmith Hills Hoists v Wests Warriors (Saturday 10 February, 2:30pm)
- Hunslet v Keighley Cougars (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
- Lock Lane v Hunslet ARLFC (Saturday 10 February, 2pm)
- Rochdale Hornets v Midlands Hurricanes (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
- Sheffield Eagles v Newcastle Thunder (Saturday 10 February, 2pm)
- Stanningley v Wath Brow Hornets (Saturday 10 February, 2pm)
- Swinton Lions v West Hull (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
- Siddal v Wakefield Trinity (Saturday 10 February, 2pm)
- Thatto Heath Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers (Sunday 11 February, 2pm)
- Widnes Vikings v Doncaster (Sunday 11 February, 3pm)
Round 4’s draw details can be found here.
The Men's 2024 Betfred Challenge Cup Final is part of a Finals Day triple-header at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8 June, alongside the finals of the Betfred Women's Challenge Cup and AB Sundecks 1895 Cup. Tickets are available online now!
