2025 Challenge Cup

British rugby league knockout tournament

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The 2025 Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2025 Betfred Challenge Cup, is the 124th edition of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout cup tournament in British rugby league, run by the Rugby Football League (RFL).

Background

Following discussions in 2024, it was announced that the format will be revised and there will now only be seven rounds of competition, down from the nine rounds used in recent seasons. The changes will see the Championship and League One clubs entering in round 2 (round 3 in 2024), and the Super League clubs entering in round 3 (round 6 in 2024), with all 12 super league teams being drawn "away from home" in round 3.^[1] In addition the Super League clubs will all play away in round 3.^[1]

The change follows criticism that the previous format favoured Super League clubs, and reducing the opportunities for smaller clubs to stage a tie against a big club.^[2]

The competition will start in January 2025, and will conclude with the final on 7 June at Wembley Stadium.^[3]

Toulouse Olympique have declined to take part, as in previous years.

Format and dates

Challenge Cup competition format
Round	Date	Clubs involved this round	Winners from previous round	New entries this round	Leagues entering at this round
Round 1	January	32	None	32	32 UK based community teams including 10 from the NCL Premier Division
Round 2	January	40	16	24	All teams (except Toulouse) from the Championship (13) and League One (11)
Round 3	8–9 February	32	20	12	All 12 teams from the Super League
Round 4	15–16 March	16	16	None
Quarter-finals	5–6 April	8	8
Semi-finals	10–11 May	4	4
Final	8 June	2	2

References

^ ^a ^b "Challenge Cup to undergo major revamp as Super League role changes". Love Rugby League. 25 June 2024.
^ Cook, Sam (25 June 2024). "RFL reveal new Challenge Cup format from 2025 with Super League clubs impacted". Serious About Rugby League. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
^ "Challenge Cup: Super League clubs to join competition earlier in 2025". BBC Sport. 25 June 2024.