Road to Wembley: Women’s Challenge Cup group stage draw details confirmed
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The competition will kick-off in April, with all eight Betfred Women’s Super League teams to compete for a place in the capital on June 7 alongside four clubs from the Northern Championship - Featherstone Rovers, Sheffield Eagles, London Broncos and Cardiff Demons, the latter two having been given permission to play in the “Northern” competition to secure higher quality opposition on a regular basis.
The 12 teams will be drawn into four groups of three, with last season’s top four teams to be seeded, as in previous years.
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Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, York Valkyrie and last year’s Challenge Cup winners St Helens will be in each group, alongside two teams selected from the remaining eight. Denis Betts’ side were knocked out of the semi-final stages in last year’s competition, falling to a 34-20 defeat to Leeds Rhinos at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
Newly promoted Leigh Leopards will be in the group of eight teams in pool one alongside Barrow Raiders, Huddersfield Giants, Warrington Wolves and the four Championship teams.
Live coverage will take place next Tuesday evening, January 14, from 6:30pm on BBC red button, iPlayer and website.
The three rounds of group fixtures are scheduled to take place on the weekends of April 5/6, 12/13 and 19/20. The winners and runners-up of each group will then progress to the quarter-finals on April 26/27 ahead of a semi-final double-header with the Men’s competition on May 10/11.
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Hide AdThe 2025 Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup is part of a triple-header finals day at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 7, alongside the Betfred Men’s Challenge Cup and the 1895 Cup.
Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup group stage draw details:
Pool one – Barrow Raiders, Cardiff Demons, Featherstone Rovers, Leigh Leopards, London Broncos, Huddersfield Giants, Sheffield Eagles, Warrington Wolves
Pool two - Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Wigan Warriors, York Valkyrie
Four groups of three to be drawn, each consisting of one team from Pool Two, and two from Pool One
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