Challenge Cup Fourth Round draw details confirmed as road to Wembley heats up

Aaron Bower 06 Feb 2026 12:10 PM

The Challenge Cup

The draw for the Fourth Round of this year’s Challenge Cup will take place next Monday live on BBC Radio Manchester, as the line-up for the last 16 is locked in.

The 16 winners from this weekend’s Third Round ties will progress to the next round, and their opponents for the last 16 will be drawn by two Super League legends.

2006 Challenge Cup winner and Sky Sports expert Jon Wilkin will be alongside former England half-back Kevin Brown to do the draw, with the pair tasked with putting together the eight ties that will take place. It will take place on BBC Radio Manchester at 6:40pm.

There will definitely be three Championship sides in the last 16, raising the prospect of an all-second tier tie that would guarantee at least one non-Super League team reaching the quarter-finals.

That is because three ties are being held this weekend featuring Championship teams. They are all on Sunday afternoon; Halifax Panthers host Goole Vikings in West Yorkshire, while Oldham take on Dewsbury Rams at Stalybridge’s Bower Fold.

The other all-Championship affair is a clash between Keighley Cougars and Midlands Hurricanes. Meanwhile, London Broncos will also be quietly confident of an upset as they host Super League newcomers Bradford Bulls in the capital.

The last remaining amateur side in the competition, Lock Lane, have a glamour tie against defending holders and Super League champions Hull KR, which has been moved to Craven Park to ensure a bumper pay-day for the West Yorkshire side.

Other standout ties from Round Three include Saturday afternoon’s clash between Widnes Vikings and 2020 winners Leeds Rhinos, while Wigan Warriors are travelling to Rochdale to take on the Hornets on Sunday afternoon.

And all 16 winners will not have to wait long to discover their next opponents, with the draw being held on Monday evening.