Three grassroots rugby league clubs are buzzing with excitement for the opportunity to showcase their talent against Super League heavyweights next week, although they'll miss out on bringing the sport's elite to their own pitches due to safety regulations. West Hull assistant coach Glyn Jones has expressed a hint of regret that they couldn't host 13-time cup champions St Helens at their Johnny Whiteley Park home ground, citing practicality as the reason for moving the game to Hull KR's stadium.

Meanwhile, the Wests Warriors from the Southern Conference League are set to play Leeds at Headingley instead of their regular base in Acton, and York Acorn is in the process of arranging a neutral venue for their bout with Hull FC.

"The dream scenario was that we could get these Super League stars over to play at our own little ground in front of thousands of people but we got a crowd safety officer over and it quickly became clear that wasn’t going to happen," said Jones.

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"Rovers have stepped in to help and it is still going to be a massive occasion for our lads to play against Super League opposition and pit themselves against some of the best players in the world.

"We know we aren’t going to win the game but we just hope to make a challenge of it. They are going to be much more physically dominant but that’s because it’s their full-time jobs. I bet our lads can do plastering and scaffolding much better than them."

Community clubs have been given a golden opportunity thanks to an overhauled Challenge Cup format, which introduced all 12 Super League teams at the third-round stage this year. They were kept separate in the draw and assigned away fixtures.

However, the reality is that most matches involving amateur sides against those from the Championship or higher would likely require alternative venues, as community club grounds must meet at least League One standards to host top-tier teams. Wests Warriors coach Kim Parkinson, who established the club as a nines team in 2013, is more accustomed to preparing his squad for matches against teams like Brentwood Eels and Hammersmith Hills Hoists rather than facing the intimidating challenge of visiting the home of the 14-time winners.

Yet Wests – the sole London team remaining in the competition following the Broncos' surprising loss to League One newcomers Goole in the second round – are no strangers to significant events, having previously funded their own trip to Widnes for a third-round match two years ago. "We looked at all options, including hiring in a temporary stand, but it just wasn’t cost effective and it became clear the best option was to go to Headingley," Parkinson explained.

"We’re very excited to be going up there, and it’s pretty cool for London rugby league. We’re realistic, we know we won’t be going up there to turn Leeds over, but we hope it will bring more positive exposure for the club and the game in the capital."