
The 1895 Cup is back for another season with the draw set to take place. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Wakefield Trinity are the holders but they will not be able to defend their crown given their promotion to Super League.
The 1895 Cup is exclusively for Championship and League One teams, however the competition is having yet another restructure this season.
Last year, teams were drawn into seven groups of three with the only Championship and League One sides not taking part being Toulouse Olympique and Cornwall. The winner of each group and the second-place team with the most points and points difference progressed to the quarter-finals, from which point a normal knockout tournament took place.
That culminated in Wakefield Trinity defeating Sheffield Eagles at Wembley 50-6, however, the format is vastly different this year.
The draw is set to take place on Thursday morning so here is everything you need to know.
Everything you need to know about the 1895 Cup
🔢 The ball numbers for the @ABSundecksLtd 1895 Cup draw… pic.twitter.com/IRCSC2ppnv
— Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) January 22, 2025
Structure
The new structure in the 2025 season for the 1895 Cup is exclusively for League One clubs and effectively will thin the 11 League One clubs down to just four.
It will be done via two preliminary rounds, both of which have already been drawn, with the fixtures to be played on the weekends of February 1st and 2nd (First Round) and February 15th and 16th (Second Round).
Preliminary Round One
Midlands Hurricanes v Whitehaven RLFC
Rochdale Hornets v Cornwall
Newcastle Thunder v North Wales Crusaders
Preliminary Round Two
Goole Vikings v Newcastle Thunder or North Wales Crusaders
Workington Town v Dewsbury Rams
Rochdale Hornets or Cornwall v Swinton Lions
Keighley Cougars v Midlands Hurricanes or Whitehaven
The four winners from the second preliminary round will join the 12 Championship teams – Toulouse will not enter again – to form a round of 16. From that point, a standard knockout tournament takes place.
First Round Proper Draw details
Given that there are two preliminary rounds, Thursday’s draw is referred to as the First Round proper and the draw is set to take place in Oldham at the Betfred Championship and League One season launch.
Once again, AB Sundecks will sponsor the competition, and Derek Beaumont and his wife Laura will conduct the draw. Fixtures from this draw will be played on the same weekend as the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, April 5th and 6th.
Semi-finals will be played on May 17th and 18th with the final obviously at Wembley on Finals Day when both the Men’s and Women’s Challenge Cup Finals take place.
Ball Numbers for the draw
1. Barrow Raiders
2. Batley Bulldogs
3. Bradford Bulls
4. Doncaster
5. Featherstone Rovers
6. Halifax Panthers
7. Hunslet
8. London Broncos
9. Oldham
10. Sheffield Eagles
11. Widnes Vikings
12. York Knights
13. Qualifier 1 (Goole Vikings, Newcastle Thunder or North Wales Crusaders
14. Qualifier 2 (Workington Town or Dewsbury Rams)
15. Qualifier 3 (Rochdale Hornets, Cornwall or Swinton Lions)
16. Qualifier 4 (Keighley Cougars, Midlands Hurricanes or Whitehaven)
