2026 Betfred Challenge Cup Draw Details confirmed!
24/11/2025
The Rugby Football League has confirmed the full draw format and ball numbers for Monday’s First and Second Round draws of the 2026 Betfred Challenge Cup.
Thirty-four community clubs enter the First Round and are numbered 1–34, while twenty-one Betfred Championship sides join in the Second Round as 35–55. Both draws will be regionalised.
First Round (Balls 1–34)
The First Round is divided into three geographical sections.
Section One (Balls 1–12) features Lancashire, Cumbria and the westernmost Yorkshire side, Siddal. These clubs—1 Blackbrook, 2 GB Police, 3 Haresfinch, 4 Ince Rose Bridge, 5 Leigh Miners Rangers, 6 Orrell St James, 7 Rochdale Mayfield, 8 Seaton Rangers, 9 Siddal, 10 Thatto Heath Crusaders, 11 Waterhead, 12 Wigan St Judes—will be drawn to produce six ties.
Section Two (Balls 13–24) contains Yorkshire and North East clubs: 13 Brighouse Rangers, 14 Dewsbury Moor, 15 Heworth, 16 Hunslet ARLFC, 17 King Cross Park, 18 Lock Lane, 19 Mirfield Spartans, 20 RAF, 21 Stanningley, 22 West Hull, 23 Woodhouse Warriors, 24 York Acorn, generating another six ties.
Section Three (Balls 25–34) includes teams from wider UK regions: 25 Aberavon Fighting Irish, 26 Bedford Tigers, 27 British Army, 28 Broncos (Northern Ireland), 29 Hammersmith Hills Hoists, 30 London Chargers, 31 Medway Dragons, 32 Royal Navy, 33 Telford Raiders, 34 Wests Warriors, producing five ties. This gives 17 First Round fixtures in total.
Second Round (Balls 1–17 = First Round winners; Balls 35–55 = Championship clubs)
The Second Round features four regionalised, seeded sections to ensure community clubs face professional opposition wherever possible.
Section One uses the six western First Round winners and eight western Championship teams: 35 Barrow Raiders, 36 Oldham, 37 Rochdale Hornets, 38 Salford Red Devils, 39 Swinton Lions, 40 Whitehaven, 41 Widnes Vikings, 42 Workington Town. Each First Round winner will be drawn against a Championship side, with a second ball determining home advantage. Two Championship clubs not drawn here will move to Section Four.
Section Two pairs the six eastern First Round winners with ten eastern Championship clubs: 43 Batley Bulldogs, 44 Dewsbury Rams, 45 Doncaster, 46 Featherstone Rovers, 47 Goole Vikings, 48 Halifax Panthers, 49 Hunslet, 50 Keighley Cougars, 51 Newcastle Thunder, 52 Sheffield Eagles. Again, seeding ensures each community club meets a Championship team. Four clubs will remain undrawn and go to Section Four.
Section Three includes the five national-section First Round winners plus three Championship sides: 53 London Broncos, 54 Midlands Hurricanes, 55 North Wales Crusaders. Seeding guarantees each Championship team faces a First Round winner. Two community sides will remain and also move to Section Four.
Section Four begins with those two remaining First Round winners, who will face two of the six Championship clubs left over from earlier sections, with home advantage again drawn separately. The final four Championship teams will then be drawn against each other in two unseeded ties.
The draw will be conducted at the RFL’s Etihad Campus by broadcaster Ross Fiddes, with 2025 Cup winners Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors) and James Batchelor (Hull KR) drawing the balls. Results will appear on RFL channels at 4pm. First Round ties take place on the weekend of the 10th/11th January, the Second Round takes place on the weekend of 24th/25th January, before Betfred Super League clubs enter the Third Round stage.
