Challenge Cup restart in August for Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity

The Rugby Football League (RFL) announced today (Friday) the competition will resume at the sixth round stage on the weekend of August 22 and 23.

Ties then will include Leeds Rhinos against Hull KR, a West Yorkshire derby between Wakefield Trinity and Featherstone Rovers and Castleford Tigers’ clash with their dual-registration partner club York City Knights.

The day and venue of those matches have yet to be announced, but the Cup will restart with a BBC-televised double-header at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, August 22, when Warrington Wolves meet Wigan Warriors and St Helens take on Salford Red Devils.

Wembley has been provisionally booked for October 17 in the hope fans will be allowed into stadiums by then.

The final was originally scheduled for tomorrow, July 18, but has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the Betfred Super League season resuming on August 2, dates for the remaining rounds of the Cup have been included in the schedule for the rest of 2020.

The competition had reached the last 16 stage following the completion of the eight fifth round ties on the last weekend before the suspension of the season in March.

The quarter-finals have been rescheduled for the weekend of September 19-20 and the semi-finals for Saturday, October 3.

Full details of the sixth round will be confirmed by the end of July, following a deadline for the five Betfred Championship and League One clubs remaining in the competition to inform the RFL whether they feel able to continue.

Mark Foster, the RFL’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the place of the Coral Challenge Cup in the revised schedule for the 2020 rugby league season, including Saturday, October 17 as the new date for the final.

“This should have been the sport’s annual weekend at Wembley. We recognised some time ago that a July final would not be possible, but it’s fantastic we are now able to announce the return of this year’s competition - and it’s exciting to start with a double-header live on the BBC.”

He added: “We have all seen the record audiences they have achieved for their Premier League football coverage in recent weeks, so this is a real opportunity to showcase the best of our sport.

“It is also fitting that the double-header will take place in Huddersfield as we celebrate 125 Years of rugbylLeague almost to the day and that famous meeting at the George Hotel at the end of August in 1895.

“We are grateful for the support of Coral, the BBC and the clubs in ensuring that the competition will maintain its place in the British sporting calendar.

“There has been a Challenge Cup final every year since 1940, which was the only year without a final since the five years between 1915 and 1920 because of the First World War.

“We will confirm the outstanding details, including the venue for the 2020 Coral Challenge Cup final, as soon as possible and we are grateful to those supporters who bought tickets for the original date in July for appreciating the unique circumstances which mean ongoing uncertainty.

“With increased optimism about the return of crowds to professional sport in the autumn we are still working through all venue options for all remaining rounds, to be able to react to any changes to the Government guidance over the coming weeks and months,

"Should the best option be to host the final at Wembley Stadium we do have it provisionally booked for Saturday, October 17.”

Simon Clare, the PR director of Ladbrokes Coral, said: “We are delighted that the Coral Challenge Cup will resume shortly and, despite the unique and challenging circumstances we all continue to contend with, we can look forward with optimism to an amazing finals day in October.

“The RFL and the BBC deserve great credit for putting this revised schedule together and we are looking forward to some great rugby over the coming months.”

Coral Challenge Cup 2020 revised dates: Sixth round - August 22-23, quarter-finals - September 19-20, semi-finals - October 3, final - October 17.

Sixth Round draw: Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR, Newcastle Thunder v Toronto Wolfpack, Salford Red Devils v St Helens, Sheffield Eagles v Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity v Featherstone Rovers, Widnes Vikings v Catalans Dragons, Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves, York City Knights v Castleford Tigers.

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Laura Collins