BOTH York Knights and York Acorn have been handed away ties in their respective opening rounds of the 2025 Betfred Challenge Cup.

Acorn will enter the newly restructured competition in the first round with a trip to GB Police, with the winner at home London Chargers/Oulton Raiders in round two.

The Knights get their campaign underway at Betfred League One side Keighley Cougars in the second round.

The draw was hosted by Tanya Arnold at Goole Vikings, with Wakefield Trinity full-back Max Jowitt, Goole head coach Scott Taylor and Man of Steel and former Knights half-back Mikey Lewis drawing the teams.

The competition has undergone a restructure for 2025, which will see Championship and League One teams enter the draw in round two, and the 12 Betfred Super League clubs in round three – where they will all be drawn away from home.

First round ties will be played on the weekend of January 11-12, whilst second round ties are scheduled for the weekend of January 25-26.

However, with the Knights playing Hull KR in the inaugural Amsterdam Challenge that weekend, it is expected that their second-round fixture will instead be played in early February.

Acorn were the last community club left standing in this year’s competition, seeing off League One side Cornwall on their way to a fifth-round tie at the Championship’s Halifax Panthers.

Josh Mortimer’s side produced a battling performance, and made it onto the scoresheet late on, but bowed out in a 62-6 defeat at The Shay.

The Knights had made it to the quarter-finals in 2023, but saw this year’s Challenge Cup campaign come to a halt in round four in a feisty match against Sheffield Eagles.

Jordan Thompson was sin-binned on two separate occasions, Jesse Dee and Kris Welham also spent time on the sidelines and Will Dagger was sent off as the Eagles eventually ran out 32-16 victors at the LNER Community Stadium.

First Round:

  • West Hull vs Edinburgh Eagles
  • London Chargers vs Oulton Raiders
  • Longhorns vs Ince Rose Bridge
  • Lock Lane vs Doncaster Toll Bar
  • Hammersmith Hills Hoists vs Siddal
  • Waterhead Warriors vs Leigh Miners Rangers
  • GB Police vs York Acorn
  • Aberavon Fighting Irish vs Blackbrook
  • Mirfield vs Royal Navy
  • Crosfields vs Maryport
  • British Army vs RAF
  • Stanley Rangers vs Hunslet ARLFC
  • West Bowling vs Wath Brow Hornets
  • Dewsbury Moor vs Haresfinch
  • Eastern Rhinos vs Wests Warriors
  • Rochdale Mayfield vs Telford Raiders
  • Thatto Heath vs Orrell St James

Second Round:

  • GB Police/York Acorn vs London Chargers/Oulton Raiders
  • Halifax Panthers vs Thatto Heath/Orrell St James
  • Dewsbury Moor/Haresfinch vs Dewsbury Rams
  • Barrow Raiders vs Crosfields/Maryport
  • Mirfield/Royal Navy vs Workington Town
  • London Broncos vs Goole Vikings
  • Lock Lane/Doncaster Toll Bar vs Hunslet
  • Waterhead Warriors/Leigh Miners Rangers vs Featherstone Rovers
  • Eastern Rhinos/Wests Warriors vs British Army/RAF
  • Whitehaven vs Swinton Lions
  • Stanley Rangers/Hunslet ARLFC vs West Hull/Edinburgh Eagles
  • Rochdale Hornets vs Widnes Vikings
  • Oldham vs Rochdale Mayfield/Telford Raiders
  • Keighley Cougars vs York Knights
  • Sheffield Eagles vs West Bowling/Wath Brow Hornets
  • Bradford Bulls vs Doncaster
  • Aberavon Fighting Irish/Blackbrook vs Longhorns/Ince Rose Bridge
  • Midlands Hurricanes vs Hammersmith Hills Hoists/Siddal
  • Cornwall vs North Wales Crusaders
  • Newcastle Thunder vs Batley Bulldogs