Details of the 2026 Challenge Cup – including the date and format of the First and Second Round draws – have been confirmed.
The First Round (ties to be played weekend 10/11 January) will see 34 community clubs from across the UK compete in 17 fixtures for a place in the Second Round (ties to be played weekend 24/25 January), where all 21 Betfred Championship teams will enter the draw. In a change from previous years, the First and Second Round entrants will be entered into one of three regionalised pots – North West, Yorkshire/North East and National – to ensure more local rivalries at earlier stages of the competition and to reduce potential travelling costs for the community teams.
The Canes have been entered into the “National” pot alongside two fellow Championship sides and ten community clubs London Broncos and North Wales Crusaders. This means that we will face one of the following clubs in the Second Round:
- London Broncos;
- North Wales Crusaders;
- British Army;
- Royal Navy;
- Hammersmith Hills Hoists (Southern Conference League Champions);
- Wests Warriors (Southern Conference League Runners-up);
- London Chargers (Southern Conference League – Invited);
- Bedford Tigers (Southern Conference League – Invited);
- Banbridge Broncos (All Ireland Champions);
- Aberavon Fighting Irish (Welsh Champions);
- Medway Dragons (Harry Jepson Trophy Winners); and
- Telford Raiders (Midlands Premier League Champions)
Should the Canes advance beyond the Second Round, they face another opportunity for a mouth-watering tie introduced as the Super League clubs will once again join in the Third Round and be drawn away to one of the teams who made it past the Second Round (as the Canes did when they hosted Salford at The Alexander Stadium last February). The remaining rounds (i.e. Fourth Round, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final) remain as per previous years.
The First and Second Round ties will be released at 16:00 next Monday (24 November). The draw for these rounds will be conducted by Ross Fiddes but will not be streamed live to the public.
