Mikey Lewis to conduct Challenge Cup draw as West Hull listed in new format

Hull KR star Mikey Lewis will be one of two rugby league players to conduct the draws for the first rounds of the 2025 Challenge Cup. The draw for the first and second rounds will be conducted on Monday evening, with Wakefield Trinity full-back Max Jowitt joining Lewis.

The draws will be made at the Raise Business Centre in Goole, with the duo joined by former Hull FC player and Goole Vikings head coach Scott Taylor, who won the competition three times while at Wigan and Hull.

Taylor's Vikings, who will enter League 1 for the first time this season, will be in the second round draw, with the rest of the League 1 and English-based Championship clubs joining in the second round. The first round draw will feature 34 teams from the community game, including local amateur outfit West Hull A.L.R.F.C., who were also Lewis' junior club.

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Jowitt is a product of Yorkshire Men's club Stanley Rangers, who are also in the first round draw. The Trinity flyer set a new rugby league record this season with 500 points scored in Wakefield's Championship and 1895 Cup success.

Meanwhile, the Challenge Cup first round will feature 17 ties, with the 17 winners going through to the second round, which will contain 12 English teams from the Championship and 11 clubs from League 1. They will create 20 ties, with 12 of the second round winners guaranteed a home tie against Super League opposition, who enter the competition in round three at the last 32 stage.

The draws will be shown live on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the app, with coverage starting at 6:30 pm.

The ball numbers are as follows:

Challenge Cup Round One
1 - British Army, 2 - RAF, 3 - Royal Navy; 4 – Maryport (Cumberland Rugby League); 5 - GB Police; 6 – Longhorns (Ireland Rugby League); 7 - Telford Raiders (Harry Jepson Trophy winners); 8 - Crosfields, 9 - Dewsbury Moor, 10 - Hunslet ARLFC, 11 - Ince Rose Bridge, 12 - Leigh Miners Rangers, 13 - Lock Lane, 14 - Oulton Raiders, 15 - Rochdale Mayfield, 16 - Siddal, 17 - Thatto Heath (BARLA National Cup winners), 18 - Waterhead Warriors, 19 - Wath Brow Hornets, 20 - West Bowling, 21 - West Hull, 22 - York Acorn; 23 - Blackbrook, 24 - Haresfinch, 25 - Orrell St James; 26 – Mirfield; 27 – Edinburgh Eagles (Scotland Rugby League); 28 - Eastern Rhinos; 29 - Hammersmith Hills Hoists; 30 - London Chargers; 31 - Wests Warriors; 32 – Aberavon Fighting Irish (Wales Rugby League); 33 – Doncaster Toll Bar, 34 - Stanley Rangers.

Challenge Cup Round Two
1 – Barrow Raiders, 2 – Batley Bulldogs, 3 – Bradford Bulls, 4 - Cornwall, 5 - Dewsbury Rams, 6 - Doncaster, 7 - Featherstone Rovers, 8 - Goole Vikings, 9 - Halifax Panthers, 10 - Hunslet, 11 - Keighley Cougars, 12 – London Broncos, 13 - Midlands Hurricanes, 14 - Newcastle Thunder, 15 - North Wales Crusaders, 16 - Oldham, 17 - Rochdale Hornets, 18 - Sheffield Eagles, 19 - Swinton Lions, 20 - Whitehaven, 21 - Widnes Vikings, 22 - Workington Town, 23 - York Knights, 24-40 First Round Winners.

2025 Challenge Cup dates

Round 1 | 11/12 January
Round 2 | 25/26 January
Round 3 | 8/9 February
Round 4 | 15/16 March
Quarter-Finals | 5/6 April
Semi-Finals | 10/11 May
Final | Saturday 7 June

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