Double Challenge Cup draw to take place on Sunday

James Gordon

The draw for the semi-finals of the men’s Challenge Cup and the quarter finals of the women’s Challenge Cup will be made on Sunday, live on BBC.

It will take place after the all- Championship clash between Bradford and Halifax in the men’s competition.

Making the draw will be 2021 Rugby League World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton, and Lindsay Impett, the event director of Vitality Netball World Cup 2019.

Dutton and Impett have already signed a unique partnership agreement between the two World Cups earlier this year, and that co-operation will continue in the countdown to the start of the Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool on July 12.  Both of the World Cup events will be broadcast by the BBC.

“It will be a pleasure to conduct these draws with Lindsay, and it seems especially appropriate as we will combine significant draws in both the Coral Women’s Challenge Cup and the men’s competition for the first time,” said Dutton.

“One of the reasons we were so pleased to sign our partnership agreement with the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 was because the women’s competition is such an important part of our planning for RLWC2021, when we will be staging three World Cups concurrently in England.”

The eight quarter-finalists for the Coral Women’s Challenge Cup were confirmed at the weekend, with the holders Leeds Rhinos sweeping aside York City Knights, and the current Women’s Super League leaders Castleford Tigers beating local rivals Featherstone Rovers in front of a four-figure crowd.

They will be joined by the 2018 Women’s Super League champions Wigan Warriors, their fierce local rivals St Helens, and two more teams from the Super League – Bradford Bulls and Wakefield Trinity – as well as Warrington Wolves from the Women’s Rugby League Championship, and Keighley Albion, who are the sole survivors from League One.

The Coral Challenge Cup reaches the quarter-final stage this weekend, with four televised matches on consecutive days. The BBC have chosen St Helens versus Wakefield Trinity for their Saturday game, with the all-Championship tie between Bradford and Halifax on Sunday. Sky Sports will show Hull FC’s home tie against the holders Catalans Dragons on Thursday night, followed by Hull KR’s home tie against the 2018 runners-up Warrington Wolves on Friday.

Coral Challenge Cup quarter finals: Hull FC v Catalans Dragons (Thursday 7.35pm, live on Sky Sports); Hull KR v Warrington Wolves (Friday 7.35pm, live on Sky Sports); St Helens v Wakefield Trinity (Saturday 3.15pm, live on BBC1); Bradford Bulls v Halifax (Sunday 2.45pm, live on BBC2).

Coral Women’s Challenge Cup quarter finals draw numbers:

1 – Leeds Rhinos (holders)

2 – Bradford Bulls

3 – Castleford Tigers

4 – Keighley Albion

5 – St Helens

6 – Wakefield Trinity

7 – Warrington Wolves

8 – Wigan Warriors