Four-time Challenge Cup winner, Leigh Leopards star to conduct draws for first two rounds of 2024 instalment
Josh Charnley and his Leigh Leopards team-mates lift the Challenge Cup at Wembley in August 2023
Four-time Challenge Cup winner Josh Charnley will conduct the draw for the first two rounds of next year’s instalment of the competition on Tuesday, December 5, live on BBC Radio Manchester.
The 32-year-old made it a quartet of trophy lifts under the Wembley Arch back in August with Leigh Leopards, beating Hull KR courtesy of Lachlan Lam’s drop goal in golden point extra time.
Charnley scored a brace of tries in the second half at York in the quarter-finals as the Leopards came from behind to see off their Championship opponents, also on the scoresheet the round prior at Wakefield Trinity.
He’d previously lifted the Challenge Cup in both 2011 and 2013 with Wigan Warriors as well as 2019 as a Warrington Wolves player, scoring a try in the first of those against Leeds Rhinos.
Super League clubs will once again join the competition in Round Six next year, over the weekend of March 22–24.
The flier will however now get involved early doors, conducting the draws for the first two rounds at circa 6.40pm (GMT) on Tuesday night. BBC Radio Manchester is available in all areas via the BBC Sounds app, and in the North West on DAB (11C) and 95.1FM.
Four-time Challenge Cup final winner, Leigh Leopards star Josh Charnley to conduct draws for first two rounds of 2024 instalment
Details of the two draws along with the announcement of Charnley being the person chosen to carry them out came via the RFL’s website yesterday.
20 clubs from the community and Armed Forces will be in the hat for Round 1, which takes place over the weekend of January 13 and 14.
The winners of the 10 Round 1 ties will then be joined in Round 2 by 10 clubs from the National Conference League, with those ties to be held over the weekend of January 27 and 28.
Round 1 ball numbers
1. Ashton Bears (North West)
2. British Army (Armed Forces)
3. Clock Face Miners (NCL Division One)
4. Doncaster Toll Bar (Yorkshire)
5. Edinburgh Eagles (Scotland)
6. Fryston Warriors (Yorkshire)
7. Hammersmith Hills Hoists (Southern Conference League)
8. Haresfinch (BARLA)
9. Heworth (NCL Premier Division)
10. Lowca (CARLA)
11. Medway Dragons (Harry Jepson Trophy)
12. Newsome Panthers (Yorkshire)
13. Orrell St James (North West)
14. Oulton Raiders (NCL Division One)
15. Royal Air Force (Armed Forces)
16. Royal Navy (Armed Forces)
17. South Wales Jets (Wales)
18. Stanningley (NCL Division One)
19. West Bowling (NCL Premier Division)
20. Wests Warriors (Southern Conference League)
Round 2 ball numbers
1. Winner of R1 tie 1
2. Winner of R1 tie 2
3. Winner of R1 tie 3
4. Winner of R1 tie 4
5. Winner of R1 tie 5
6. Winner of R1 tie 6
7. Winner of R1 tie 7
8. Winner of R1 tie 8
9. Winner of R1 tie 9
10. Winner of R1 tie 10
11. Hull Dockers (NCL Division One)
12. Hunslet ARLFC (NCL Premier Division)
13. Leigh Miners Rangers (NCL Division One)
14. Lock Lane (NCL Premier Division)
15. Rochdale Mayfield (NCL Premier Division)
16. Siddal (NCL Premier Division)
17. Thatto Heath Crusaders (NCL Premier Division)
18. Wath Brow Hornets (NCL Premier Division)
19. West Hull (NCL Premier Division)
20. York Acorn (NCL Premier Division)
The 10 clubs who win the ties in Round 2 will be joined in the following round by 22 semi-professional clubs from the Championship and League 1.
Draw details for Round 3 are still to be confirmed, but we already know that those fixtures will take place over the weekend of February 10 and 11.
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