1895 Cup round-up as 2025 edition gets underway with three teams’ Wembley dreams over
The 1895 Cup
Cornwall, Whitehaven and Newcastle Thunder’s hopes of a trip to Wembley in the 1895 Cup are over having been beaten in the competition’s First Preliminary Round this weekend.
First held back in 2019, the 1895 Cup has a new format for 2025 – with the 11 clubs from League 1 involved in two Preliminary Rounds before the Championship clubs enter as the ‘proper’ stages of the competition begin.
Those Preliminary Rounds began this weekend, with six of the 11 clubs from League 1 involved, decided – as you might imagine – by a draw.
Rochdale Hornets claimed the first win of the weekend on Saturday as they beat Cornwall 64-12. Max Flanagan and Lameck Juma both grabbed hat-tricks for the Hornets, with Tom Ashton grabbing four tries against his former side.
Sunday then saw both Midlands Hurricanes and North Wales Crusaders record victories against Whitehaven and Newcastle respectively.
The Hurricanes were 52-24 winners on home soil, with Travis Corion, Matty Hanley and Ross Oakes all grabbing braces.
Crusaders then ran riot in the North East with a resounding 60-0 scoreline come the final hooter.
For absolute clarity, we should note that Whitehaven remain in the Challenge Cup, so could theoretically still get to Wembley this year. The Cumbrian outfit host Super League outfit Warrington Wolves in the Third Round at the Ortus Rec next weekend.
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1895 Cup – How it now shapes up
The draw for the Second Preliminary Round has already taken place, with the following ties set to take place over the weekend of February 15/16…
- Goole Vikings v North Wales Crusaders
- Workington Town v Dewsbury Rams
- Rochdale Hornets v Swinton Lions
- Keighley Cougars v Midlands Hurricanes
The four winners of those Second Preliminary Round ties will join 12 Championship cubs in the last 16, which is the First Round proper.
Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont and wife Laura, the people behind the competition’s sponsors AB Sundecks, carried out the draw for the First Round proper.
These ties will take place over the weekend of March 1/2…
- Batley Bulldogs v Bradford Bulls
- Sheffield Eagles v Doncaster
- Hunslet v Widnes Vikings
- London Broncos v Workington Town OR Dewsbury Rams
- York v Halifax Panthers
- Goole Vikings OR North Wales Crusaders v Barrow Raiders
- Featherstone Rovers v Keighley Cougars OR Midlands Hurricanes
- Oldham v Rochdale Hornets OR Swinton Lions
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