The Hurricanes enter the 2024 Challenge Cup!

With the first group stage game of the 1895 Cup behind us, we turn our attention to the Challenge Cup Third and Fourth Round draws taking place at 6.30pm today (29 January 2024) at the DCBL Stadium – home of the Widnes Vikings. The Challenge Cup Third and Fourth Round draws will be streamed on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport websites (and apps).

The Canes had a good cup run in 2023, making short work of then NCL Premier side Hull Dockers in Round Two (50-4) and emerging victorious out of a scrappy and torrid affair against North West Men's Premier League side Orrell St James in Round Three (19-12) before earning themselves a Fourth Round tie against Championship outfit (and former Grand Final and World Club Challenge winners) Bradford Bulls, then coached by a certain Mark Dunning. The Bulls proved too strong on the day and won 66-18, however the Canes could hold their heads high. This run matched the Hurricanes' previous best cup run in 2018, where the club defeated Distington ARLFC (42-10) and Pilkington Recs (31-20) before being knocked out by Widnes Vikings in the Fifth Round, who were competing in Super League at the time.

The Hurricanes will be one of 22 semi-professional clubs from the Betfred Championship and League One entering the Challenge Cup at Round Three, joining the 10 teams from the community leagues that have survived the First and Second Rounds and will no doubt be wanting an opportunity to claim a scalp against higher league opposition. A special mention goes out to Southern Conference League sides Wests Warriors and Hammersmith Hill Hoists, who have both produced upsets against respectable NCL opposition to ensure two London-based community teams are represented in the Third Round.

As both the Third and Fourth Round draws will take place this evening, the Hurricanes will know who which two teams they could face if they win their initial draw. The Fourth Round will be drawn on an "either/or" basis – for example, if the Hurricanes drew Cornwall and Newcastle Thunder drew Wests Warriors in the Third Round, the Fourth Round draw would read "Hurricanes or Cornwall vs Newcastle Thunder or Wests Warriors".

The 32 teams entering the Challenge Cup Third Round are:

Betfred Championship (13)

Barrow Raiders

Batley Bulldogs

Bradford Bulls

Dewsbury Rams

Doncaster

Featherstone Rovers

Halifax Panthers

Sheffield Eagles

Swinton Lions

Wakefield Trinity

Whitehaven

Widnes Vikings

York Knights

Betfred League One (9)

Cornwall

Hunslet

Keighley Cougars

Midlands Hurricanes

Newcastle Thunder

North Wales Crusaders

Oldham

Rochdale Hornets

Workington Town

Community Sides (10)

Hammersmith Hill Hoists

Hunslet ARLFC

Lock Lane

Siddal

Stanningley

Thatto Heath Crusaders

Wath Brow Hornets

West Hull

Wests Warriors

York Acorn