1895 Cup fixtures & results as tournament adopts new format including group stage in 2024
21 Championship and League 1 clubs are involved in the 1895 Cup in 2024 as the competition adopts a new format which includes group stages.
There are seven groups of three clubs, pooled geographically, with games played on a round-robin basis.
Where a Championship club plays a League 1 club in the group stages, it’s the team from the third tier who have home advantage.
After each club have played their two group games, the seven group winners will automatically progress onto the quarter-finals of the cup, with the best-performing second-placed team also gaining a place in the last eight.
As you’d expect, from the quarter-finals onwards, the 1895 Cup takes on a knockout format. Oncemore, the final will be played at Wembley on the same day as the Challenge Cup final – June 8.
Four different clubs, all of the Championship, have lifted the trophy since the competition’s inaugural year in 2019 – Sheffield Eagles, Featherstone Rovers, Leigh – then Centurions – and most recently Halifax Panthers.
Fax – in Simon Grix‘s last year in charge – beat Batley Bulldogs in the tournament’s final last August under the arch in the capital.
Group games this year begin over the weekend of January 27 & 28, and here, we’ll keep this article updated with all the fixtures & results.
1895 Cup fixtures & results as tournament adopts new format including group stage in 2024
Group 1
Barrow Raiders, Whitehaven, Workington Town
January 28: Workington Town 8-30 Barrow Raiders
February 4: Whitehaven 12-18 Barrow Raiders
February 18: Workington Town 22-28 Whitehaven
Group Winners: Barrow Raiders
Group 2
Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Rams, Keighley Cougars
January 28: Keighley Cougars 35-6 Dewsbury Rams
February 4: Dewsbury Rams 4-40 Bradford Bulls
February 18: Keighley Cougars 18-26 Bradford Bulls
Group Winners: Bradford Bulls
Group 3
Newcastle Thunder, Wakefield Trinity, York Knights
January 27: Newcastle Thunder 10-114 York Knights
February 4: York 4-40 Wakefield Trinity
February 18: Newcastle Thunder 0-110 Wakefield Trinity
Group Winners: Wakefield Trinity
Group 4
Halifax Panthers, Oldham, Rochdale Hornets
January 28: Oldham 24-20 Halifax Panthers
February 4: Rochdale Hornets 12-52 Halifax Panthers
February 18: Oldham 38-12 Rochdale Hornets
Group Winners: Oldham
Group 5
Batley Bulldogs, Featherstone Rovers, Hunslet
January 28: Hunslet 12-62 Featherstone Rovers
February 4: Batley Bulldogs 15-14 Featherstone Rovers
February 18: Hunslet 0-36 Batley Bulldogs
Group Winners: Batley Bulldogs
Group 6
North Wales Crusaders, Swinton Lions, Widnes Vikings
January 28: North Wales Crusaders 12-40 Swinton Lions
February 4: Swinton Lions 18-6 Widnes Vikings
February 18: North Wales Crusaders 14-30 Widnes Vikings
Group Winners: Swinton Lions
Group 7
Doncaster, Midlands Hurricanes, Sheffield Eagles
January 28: Midlands Hurricanes 4-40 Doncaster
February 4: Doncaster 18-22 Sheffield Eagles
February 18: Midlands Hurricanes 16-30 Sheffield Eagles
Group Winners: Sheffield Eagles
Quarter-Finals
Six Championship clubs – Sheffield Eagles, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Swinton Lions, Wakefield Trinity and Barrow Raiders progressed into the quarter-finals of the competition as group winners alongside League 1 outfit Oldham.
York were the club to take the eighth spot in the quarter-finals as the best-performing 2nd-placed team.
The four quarter-final ties played out as follows.
Sheffield Eagles 26-10 Batley Bulldogs
Bradford Bulls 21-12 Swinton Lions
York 46-12 Oldham
Wakefield Trinity 30-12 Barrow Raiders
Semi-Finals
To aid teams with scheduling and planning, the draw for the semi-finals of the competition was made immediately after the quarter-final edition.
With the quarter-finals now played out, the semi-final ties have been locked in. The following two last-four clashes will take place over the weekend of May 11/12.
Bradford Bulls v Wakefield Trinity
York v Sheffield Eagles
Final
The 1895 Cup final (5:45pm) is part of a Finals Day triple-header at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 8, alongside the finals of the Women’s Challenge Cup (11:45am) and Men’s Challenge Cup (3pm).
Bradford Bulls OR Wakefield Trinity v York OR Sheffield Eagles
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