The nine teams aiming to join illustrious Challenge Cup club

Nine non-league clubs go into this weekend’s second round hoping to add their name to an illustrious list of Challenge Cup shocks.

Since the competition was revamped in 1994, when an all-amateur first round was introduced – league teams have been beaten 34 times by community opposition.

Five of the nine professional teams facing non-league opponents this year round have fallen victim to a Cup upset in the past, including 1998 Wembley winners Sheffield Eagles who meet Bradford-based West Bowling on Sunday.

Eagles were stunned by Thornhill Trojans on their own turf in 2000, just two years after their Cup final triumph over Wigan Warriors in one of the competition’s greatest shocks.

League One Workington Town face this weekend’s longest journey, a 367-mile slog to the United Services Sports Ground in Portsmouth on Sunday, for a tricky tie against Royal Navy, being streamed live by the British Forces Broadcasting Service.

Town are aiming to avoid being sunk by community opposition for the fourth time, having lost to Egremont Rangers in 1998, Wath Brow Hornets in 2003 and Thornhill three years later.

Dewsbury Moor will fancy their chances of upsetting League One neighbours Dewsbury Rams on Saturday, in a tie being played on neutral ground at Batley Bulldogs’ Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Mount Pleasant.

Moor are newly-promoted to the Conference Premier Division, while Rams won just two of their 26 Championship matches last year and have suffered past trauma at the hands of amateur opponents, losing to Sharlston Rovers in 2004 and Wath Brow in 2005, both by a two-point margin.

Another intriguing Saturday tie takes place at Lock Lane, in Castleford. The Conference Premier Division side have home advantage for the clash with Hunslet RLFC, who finished fourth in League One last year, but won promotion to the Championship through the play-offs.

Lock Lane gave a good account of themselves before bowing out 28-12 to Rochdale Hornets on their own patch three years ago.  That came after Lock Lane pulled off a notable 22-12 win at Oldham.

The tight pitch could make it tricky, but Hunslet will be anxious to avoid a repeat of 1998 when they were beaten at Ellenborough Rangers, particularly with a home tie against Super League Huddersfield Giants awaiting in round three.

Waterhead have switched their clash with Featherstone Rovers to their opponents’ ground and will have their hands full against a team fancied to do well in the Championship this season.

There will be plenty of local feeling on show in Saturday’s other tie, but Sean Long-coached Oldham – who romped to the League One title last year – should be confident of seeing off Conference visitors Rochdale Mayfield.

The best chance of an upset on Sunday may come in Birmingham, when Midlands Hurricanes take on Siddal.

Midlands finished a creditable fifth in League One last year, but Siddal have extensive Challenge Cup experience and trailed only 12-6 at home to Wakefield Trinity in the third round 11 months ago, before bowing out 70-6.

The professional teams will be hot favourites in the other ties on Sunday, when Championship sides Barrow Raiders, Halifax Panthers and Sheffield all have home advantage, against Conference outfits Crosfields, Thatto Heath Crusaders and West Bowling respectively.

Thatto Heath, from St Helens, do have a Challenge Cup shock on their resume, having knocked out North Wales Crusaders in 2019.

The full list of Challenge Cup wins by non-league sides against professional opponents since 1994 is: 

1995 – Highfield, Beverley 27 (round 3).

1996 – Chorley 12, Thatto Heath Crusaders 27; Highfield 20, West Hull 35 (both round 3); West Hull 10, York 6 (round 4).

1997 – York 14, Dudley Hill 21 (round 3).

1998 – Bramley 10, Ellenborough Rangers 16; Doncaster 18, Featherstone Lions 23 (both round 3); Egremont Rangers 18, Workington Town 0; Ellenborough Rangers 14, Hunslet Hawks 12 (both round 4).

1999 – Bramley 12, Leigh Miners Rangers 18 (round 3).

2000 – Batley Bulldogs 0, Oldham St Annes 10; Sheffield Eagles 14, Thornhill Trojans 16 (both round 3).

2001 – Chorley Lynx 8, Woolston Rovers 22 (round 3).

2003 – Wath Brow Hornets 13, Workington Town 12; Halton Simms Cross 15, London Skolars 8 (both round 3).

2004 – Sharlston Rovers 30, Dewsbury Rams 28;  Bradford-Dudley Hill 16, Keighley Cougars 14; Swinton Lions 14, East Hull 26 (both round 3).

2005 – Wath Brow Hornets 32, Dewsbury Rams 30 (round 3).

2006 – Thornhill Trojans 16, Workington Town 12 (round 3).

2009 – Wath Brow Hornets 14, London Skolars 12 (round 3).

2010 – Doncaster 0, Siddal 26 (round 3).

2015 – Leigh Miners Rangers 32, Oxford 6 (round 4).

2016 – Featherstone Lions 37, South Wales Scorpions 20; Kells 12, Hemel Stags 6; Pilkington Recs 13, London Skolars 0; Siddal 30, Newcastle Thunder 4; Oxford 22, Castleford Lock Lane 37 (all round 3).

2019 – Thatto Heath Crusaders 16, North Wales Crusaders 14 (round 4).

2020 – West Wales Raiders 8, Underbank Rangers 30 (round 3).

2022 – Oldham 12, Lock Lane 22 (round 2); London Skolars 6, Hunslet Club Parkside 28 (round 3).

2023 – Cornwall 14, Rochdale Mayfield 20 (round 2).

2024 – Cornwall 10, York Acorn 18 (round 3).