The draws for the preliminary rounds of the 1895 Cup have been made with League One clubs learning their opening opponents in the competition.
The 1895 Cup will take on a new format for the 2025 season, with two preliminary rounds being played before round one proper. All 11 League One clubs will feature in the preliminary rounds of the competition with just four making it to the first round, when Championship clubs will enter the competition.
Six bottom tier sides have been drawn to take part in the first preliminary round, which will be played over the weekend of February 1/2, with the other five receiving a bye to the the second preliminary round, which will be played two weeks later (February 15/16).
Midlands Hurricanes v Whitehaven was the first tie out of the hat, while Rochdale Hornets will face Cornwall and Newcastle Thunder host North Wales Crusaders.
The three winners will progress to the next round, where Goole Vikings, Workington Town, Dewsbury Rams, Swinton Lions and Keighley Cougars enter the fray, with Goole set to play their first ever game in the competition.
Round one will be an open draw and will be played over the weekend of March 1/2, with the quarter-finals taking place over the first weekend of April and the semi-finals over the weekend of May 17/18. The final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday June 7, the same day at the Challenge Cup final.
The full 1895 Cup preliminary draw can be found below:
Preliminary Round One draw:
1 Midlands Hurricanes v Whitehaven RLFC
2 Rochdale Hornets v Cornwall
3 Newcastle Thunder v North Wales Crusaders
Preliminary Round Two draw:
1 Goole Vikings v Newcastle Thunder or North Wales Crusaders
2 Workington Town v Dewsbury Rams
3 Rochdale Hornets or Cornwall RLFC v Swinton Lions
4 Keighley Cougars v Midlands Hurricanes or Whitehaven RLFC
