2025 RFL 1895 Cup

Last updated
2025 RFL 1895 Cup
DurationFebruary – June 2025
Number of teams23
Winners York Knights
Runners-up Featherstone Rovers

The 2025 RFL 1895 Cup (also known as the 2025 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup) was the sixth staging of the RFL 1895 Cup, a rugby league competition for English and Welsh clubs competing in the Championship and League One.

Contents

Format

Once again, the tournament for 2025 had a revised format from previous years. For the first time, all British clubs from the two divisions entered the tournament (with French club Toulouse not participating). After the group format used in 2024, the competition reverted to a knockout tournament. The 11 League One clubs competed across two preliminary rounds to produce four qualifiers who joined the 12 Championship clubs in the first round. [1] [2]

The final was played at Wembley Stadium on 7 June 2025 alongside the finals of the Challenge Cup and the Women's Challenge Cup. [3]

Preliminary rounds

The draw for the preliminary rounds was made in December 2024. Three first preliminary round ties were drawn with the five undrawn teams gaining a bye to the second preliminary round. [4]

First preliminary round
HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance
Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets 64–12 Cornwallrlfccolours.png Cornwall 1 February, 14:00 Mayfield Sports Centre L. Bland
Midlandshurricanescolours.png Midlands Hurricanes 52–24 Haven colours.svg Whitehaven 2 February, 14:00 Alexander Stadium A. Williams
Gthundercolours.svg Newcastle Thunder 0–60 NWCrucolours.png North Wales Crusaders 2 February, 15:00Crow Trees GroundA. Sweet
Source: [5]
Second preliminary round
HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance
Goolevikingscolours.png Goole Vikings 26–18 NWCrucolours.png North Wales Crusaders 16 February, 15:00Victoria Pleasure GroundsL. Bland256
Cougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars 7–6 Midlandshurricanescolours.png Midlands Hurricanes 16 February, 15:00 Cougar Park A. Williams
Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets 18–16 Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Lions 16 February, 15:00 Spotland A. Belafonte483
Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Town 10–18 Ramscolours.svg Dewsbury Rams 16 February, 15:00 Derwent Park T. Jones
Source: [5]

First Round

First round
HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 26–16 Ramscolours.svg Dewsbury Rams 1 March, 15:00 New River Stadium A. Belafonte
Batley colours.svg Batley Bulldogs 12–16 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 2 March, 14:00 Mount Pleasant S. Mikalauskas
Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 52–12 Cougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars 2 March, 14:00 Post Office Road K. Moore
Goolevikingscolours.png Goole Vikings 16–34 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow Raiders 2 March, 15:00Victoria Pleasure GroundsC. Worsley
Hunsletcolours.svg Hunslet 26–28 Widnes colours.svg Widnes Vikings 2 March, 15:00 South Leeds Stadium D. Arnold562
Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham 58–6 Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets 2 March, 15:00 Boundary Park J. Vella1,057
Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 50–18 Doncaster colours.svg Doncaster 2 March, 15:00 Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium M. Lynn648
YorkRLFCcolours.png York Knights 32–20 Faxcolours.svg Halifax Panthers 2 March, 15:00 York Community Stadium R. Cox
Source: [6]

Quarter finals

The draw for the quarter finals was made on 2 March. The ties were played over the weekend of 5/6 April. [7]

Quarter finals
HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 36–20 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 6 April 2025, 15:00 Odsal Stadium M. Lynn1,606
Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 34–6 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 6 April 2025, 15:00 Post Office Road K. Moore
Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham 38–24 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow Raiders 6 April 2025, 15:00 Boundary Park S. Mikalauskas1,400
YorkRLFCcolours.png York Knights 39–6 Widnes colours.svg Widnes Vikings 6 April 2025, 15:00 York Community Stadium R. Cox
Source: [8]

Semi finals

The draw for the semi finals was made on 13 April. The ties will be played over the weekend of 17/18 May. [9]

Semi finals
HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance
Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham 10–40 Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 18 May 2025, 14:00 Boundary Park S. Mikalauskas2,843
YorkRLFCcolours.png York Knights 28–20 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 18 May 2025, 15:00 York Community Stadium C. Worsley
Source: [10]

Final

The final was played on 7 June.

7 June 2025
17:45 BST
Featherstone Rovers 4–5 (g.p.) York Knights
Goals: Reynolds
12' (pen), 61' (pen)
[11] [12]
Goals: Harris 29' (pen), 40' (pen)
Drop goals: Harris 85'
Wembley Stadium, London
Referee: L. Rush
Touch judges: C. Worsley, M. Lynn

References

  1. "1895 Cup Format Confirmed". Widnes Vikings. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  2. "AB Sundecks to back 1895 Cup again in 2025". RFL. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  3. "Date confirmed for 2025 Challenge Cup finals". Total RL. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  4. "2025 RFL 1895 Cup: Preliminary Round draw, round dates, schedule". Love Rugby League. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 "1895 Cup". Total Rugby League. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  6. "Scoreboard: 1895 Cup Round One". Rugby Leaguer & League Express . No. 3470. 3 March 2025. p. 31.
  7. Jones, Chris (2 March 2025). "1895 Cup quarter-final draw as Wembley moves step closer for Championship sides – Total Rugby League". Total RL. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  8. "AB Sundecks 1895 Cup: Quarter Finals". Rugby Leaguer & League Express . No. 3475. 7 April 2025. p. 31.
  9. "AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Semi Final Draw confirmed". RFL. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  10. "1895 Cup – Semi Finals". Rugby Leaguer & League Express . No. 3481. 19 May 2025. p. 30.
  11. "York pip Featherstone in extra time to win 1895 Cup". BBC Sport. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  12. "1895 Cup – Final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express . No. 3484. 9 June 2025. p. 20–21, 30.