Challenge Cup Third & Fourth Round draw details confirmed as Championship & League 1 clubs prepare to enter competition
The Challenge Cup trophy in situ at Hull FC's MKM Stadium ahead of a game in 2023 - Alamy
The draws for Rounds 3 & 4 of the Challenge Cup will both take place at 6.30pm (GMT) on Monday, January 29, streamed live on BBC iPlayer as well as the BBC Sport website & app.
Tanya Arnold will host the draw, which takes place at Widnes Vikings‘ DCBL Stadium, 40 years on from the Chemics’ most recent triumph in the competition.
1984 saw Widnes beat Wigan Warriors 19-6 in the Challenge Cup final, and Arnold will be joined by three of their heroes from that game – David Hulme, Mike O’Neill and the Lance Todd Trophy winner Joe Lydon.
Now, as a Championship club, the Vikings are one of 22 clubs who enter the Challenge Cup in the Third Round along with the other 12 English-based second tier teams and all nine from League 1.
Those 22 clubs will join the 10 winners of this weekend’s Round 2 ties in the draw for Round 3, with the Second Round ties as below.
Challenge Cup Round 2 fixtures
Clock Face Miners v Siddal
Doncaster Toll Bar v West Hull
Fryston Warriors v Hunslet ARLFC
Hammersmith Hills Hoists v West Bowling
Hull Dockers v Wath Brow Hornets
Leigh Miners Rangers v Stanningley
Lock Lane v Edinburgh Eagles
Orrell St James v York Acorn
Royal Navy v Thatto Heath Crusaders
Wests Warriors v Rochdale Mayfield
Challenge Cup Round 3 draw
Ties in the Third Round will take place over the weekend of February 10 & 11, with the full list of clubs in that draw as below.
Clock Face Miners OR Siddal
Doncaster Toll Bar OR West Hull
Fryston Warriors OR Hunslet ARLFC
Hammersmith Hills Hoists OR West Bowling
Hull Dockers OR Wath Brow Hornets
Leigh Miners Rangers OR Stanningley
Lock Lane OR Edinburgh Eagles
Orrell St James OR York Acorn
Royal Navy OR Thatto Heath Crusaders
Wests Warriors OR Rochdale Mayfield
Barrow Raiders (Championship)
Batley Bulldogs (Championship)
Bradford Bulls (Championship)
Cornwall (League 1)
Dewsbury Rams (Championship)
Doncaster (Championship)
Featherstone Rovers (Championship)
Halifax Panthers (Championship)
Hunslet (League 1)
Keighley Cougars (League 1)
Midlands Hurricanes (League 1)
Newcastle Thunder (League 1)
North Wales Crusaders (League 1)
Oldham (League 1)
Rochdale Hornets (League 1)
Sheffield Eagles (Championship)
Swinton Lions (Championship)
Wakefield Trinity (Championship)
Whitehaven (Championship)
Widnes Vikings (Championship)
Workington Town (League 1)
York (Championship)
Challenge Cup Round 4 draw
The draw for the Fourth Round of the competition will take place immediately after the one for Round 3.
In the Fourth Round, which will be played out over the weekend of February 24 & 25, eight ties will take place.
The 32 teams in the hat for the Round 3 draw will all be in it for the Fourth Round draw, which will take the format of ‘either/or’.
For example, if Bradford Bulls v Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity v Oldham are both Round 3 ties, they could be drawn against one another in Round 4 as follows: Bradford Bulls OR Featherstone Rovers v Wakefield Trinity OR Oldham.
Subsequently, the winners of the Round 3 ties would then meet in Round 4, as usual.