Challenge Cup Third & Fourth Round draws made as Championship & League 1 clubs discover opponents

The draws for the Third & Fourth Rounds of the Challenge Cup have been made tonight, with 22 clubs from across the Championship & League 1 entering the competition in Round 3.

Over the weekend, 10 community clubs booked their spot in the hat with victories in Round 2.

Two of those 10 were Hammersmith Hills Hoists and Wests Warriors, both of the Southern Conference League, and that pair have been drawn against one another in the Third Round!

Elsewhere, Round 3 sees last year’s National Conference League Premier Division champions Hunslet ARLFC host Lock Lane, also from the dame division.

Meanwhile, newly-relegated Championship favourites Wakefield Trinity will travel to Siddal, who beat Clock Face Miners away from home in Round 2.

Of the 32 clubs involved in tonight’s draw, 13 are previous Challenge Cup winners with a further two clubs – Keighley Cougars & York – having featured in one of the competition’s finals, but never won one.

The most recent of those winners are Bradford Bulls, five-time winners of the Challenge Cup. They last triumphed in the competition in 2003, when the Bulls beat Leeds Rhinos 22-20 at the Millennium Stadium.

In Round 3, they host League 1 outfit North Wales Crusaders, with the potential to meet another of those previous winners in Widnes Vikings come Round 4.

40 years on from their last Challenge Cup lift, Widnes’ DCBL Stadium was the venue for tonight’s draws, shown live on BBC iPlayer.

The full draw for Rounds 3 & 4 of this year’s Challenge Cup can be seen below.

Challenge Cup Third Round Draw

These ties will be played over the weekend of February 10 & 11…

Sheffield Eagles v Newcastle Thunder

Batley Bulldogs v Workington Town

Bradford Bulls v North Wales Crusaders

Cornwall v York Acorn

Hunslet v Keighley Cougars

Halifax Panthers v Whitehaven

Stanningley v Wath Brow Hornets

Swinton Lions v West Hull

Siddal v Wakefield Trinity

Dewsbury v York

Lock Lane v Hunslet ARLFC

Widnes Vikings v Doncaster

Hammersmith Hills Hoists v Wests Warriors

Rochdale Hornets v Midlands Hurricanes

Barrow Raiders v Oldham

Thatto Heath Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers

Challenge Cup Fourth Round Draw

The draw for the Fourth Round was made immediately after the one for Round 3, taking on an ‘either/or format’ as follows.

Round 4 ties will be played over the weekend of February 24 & 25 as follows…

Batley Bulldogs OR Workington Town v Rochdale Hornets OR Midlands Hurricanes

Hunslet OR Keighley Cougars v Thatto Heath Crusaders OR Featherstone Rovers

Cornwall OR York Acorn v Stanningley OR Wath Brow Hornets

Bradford Bulls OR North Wales Crusaders v Widnes Vikings OR Doncaster

Swinton Lions OR West Hull v Barrow Raiders OR Oldham

Siddal OR Wakefield Trinity v Lock Lane OR Hunslet ARLFC

Halifax Panthers OR Whitehaven v Hammersmith Hills Hoists OR Wests Warriors

Dewsbury Rams OR York v Sheffield Eagles OR Newcastle Thunder

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