| Duration | 7 rounds |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 68 |
The 2026 Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Betfred Challenge Cup, is the 125th staging of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout cup tournament in British rugby league, run by the Rugby Football League (RFL).
The competition retains the seven-round format introduced in 2025. The first round will again be contested solely by community clubs. The Championship clubs join the competition in the second round and the Super League clubs in the third round. However, for 2026, the first and second rounds will be played with clubs allocated to one of three regions, with games being played on a regional basis. This change has been introduced in an effort to reduce costs and an attempting to increase interest in the early rounds of the competition. [1]
As in 2025, the Super League clubs will be drawn away in the third round. [1]
The competition starts in January 2026, and will conclude with the final on 30 May at Wembley Stadium.
Toulouse Olympique declined to take part, as in previous years.
| Round | Date | Clubs involved this round | Winners from previous round | New entries this round | Leagues entering at this round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 10–12 January | 34 | None | 34 | 34 UK based community teams |
| Round 2 | 24–25 January | 38 | 17 | 21 | All teams from the Championship (21) |
| Round 3 | 6–8 February | 32 | 19 | 13 | 13 of the 14 teams from the Super League (all except Toulouse Olympique) |
| Round 4 | 14–15 March | 16 | 16 | None | |
| Quarter-finals | 11–12 April | 8 | 8 | ||
| Semi-finals | 9–10 May | 4 | 4 | ||
| Final | 30 May | 2 | 2 | ||
The 34 clubs in the first round will be allocated to one of three regions, North West, Yorkshire and National. Most of the clubs are from the National Conference League (NCL) but also included are the three armed services clubs, GB Police, one each from the Welsh and Irish leagues, four from the Southern Conference League, one from the London league and one from the Midlands. [3]
There will be 12 clubs in the North West region who will play six ties in the first round; Blackbrook, GB Police, Haresfinch, Ince Rose Bridge, Leigh Miners Rangers, Orrell St James, Rochdale Mayfield, Seaton Rangers, Siddal, Thatto Heath Crusaders, Waterhead, and Wigan St Judes. [1]
In the second round, they will be joined by eight Championship clubs; Barrow Raiders, Oldham, Rochdale Hornets, Salford Red Devils, Swinton Lions, Whitehaven, Widnes Vikings and Workington Town to play seven ties in the second round. [1]
The Yorkshire region will also comprise 12 clubs playing six ties in the first round; Brighouse Rangers, Dewsbury Moor, Heworth, Hunslet ARLFC, King Cross Park, Lock Lane, Mirfield Spartans, Royal Air Force, Stanningley Rangers, West Hull, Woodhouse and York Acorn. [1]
Ten Championship clubs; Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury Rams, Doncaster, Featherstone Rovers, Goole Vikings, Halifax Panthers, Hunslet, Keighley Cougars, Newcastle Thunder and Sheffield Eagles join the six community clubs to play eight ties in the second road. [1]
The National region will contain 10 clubs playing five first-round ties; Aberavon Fighting Irish, Bedford Tigers, British Army, Broncos, Hammersmith Hills Hoists, London Chargers, Medway Dragons, Royal Navy, Telford Raiders and Wests Warriors. [1]
The five first-round winners will be joined in the second round by London Broncos, Midlands Hurricanes and North Wales Crusaders to play four ties in the second round. [1]
The draws for the first and second rounds were made on 24 November 2025. [4]
| Super League [a] | Championship [b] | Non-League | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
13 / 13 | 21 / 21 | 34 / 34 | 68 / 68 |
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance [c] | |||
| Brighouse Rangers | Lock Lane | 10 January 2026, 13:30 | Brighouse Sports Club | not recorded | ||
| Hunslet ARLFC | York Acorn | 10 January 2026, 13:30 | Hunslet Oval | |||
| Royal Navy | Hammersmith Hills Hoists | 10 January 2026, 13:30 | United Services Recreation Ground | |||
| Blackbrook | GB Police | 10 January 2026, 14:00 | Blackbrook Rugby Club | |||
| British Army | Wests Warriors | 10 January 2026, 14:00 | Aldershot Military Stadium | |||
| Thatto Heath Crusaders | Seaton Rangers | 10 January 2026, 14:00 | Hattons Solicitors Crusaders Park | |||
| Heworth | RAF | 10 January 2026, 14:30 | Elmpark Way | |||
| Telford Raiders | London Chargers | 10 January 2026, TBC | Hinkshay Road | |||
| Bedford Tigers | Medway Dragons | 11 January 2026, 14:30 | Putnoe Woods | |||
| Orrell St James | Haresfinch | 10–12 January 2026 | Bankes Avenue Playing Fields | |||
| Wigan St Judes | Leigh Miners Rangers | 10–12 January 2026 | Parsons Meadow | |||
| Rochdale Mayfield | Ince Rose Bridge | 10–12 January 2026 | Mayfield Sports Centre | |||
| Siddal | Waterhead Warriors | 10–12 January 2026 | Siddal Sports & Community Centre | |||
| Stanningley | Dewsbury Moor | 10–12 January 2026 | The Arthur Miller Stadium | |||
| King Cross Park | West Hull | 10–12 January 2026 | Hopwood Lane | |||
| Woodhouse Warriors | Mirfield Spartans | 10–12 January 2026 | Meanwood Road | |||
| Banbridge Broncos | Aberavon Fighting Irish | 10–12 January 2026 | Mountview Road | |||
| Source: | ||||||
| Super League [a] | Championship | Non-League | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
13 / 13 | 21 / 21 | 34 / 34 | 68 / 68 |
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | |||
| Oldham | Orrell St James / Haresfinch | 24/25 January 2026 | Boundary Park | |||
| Wigan St Judes / Leigh Miners Rangers | Barrow Raiders | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Rochdale Mayfield / Ince Rose Bridge | Swinton Lions | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Blackbrook / GB Police | Workington Town | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Thatto Heath Crusaders / Seaton Rangers | Widnes Vikings | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Siddal / Waterhead Warriors | Rochdale Hornets | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Stanningley / Dewsbury Moor | Hunslet | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Dewsbury Rams | King Cross Park / West Hull | 24/25 January 2026 | Crown Flatt | |||
| Batley Bulldogs | Hunslet ARLFC / York Acorn | 24/25 January 2026 | Mount Pleasant | |||
| Heworth / RAF | Keighley Cougars | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Brighouse Rangers / Lock Lane | Featherstone Rovers | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Woodhouse Warriors / Mirfield Spartans | Goole Vikings | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| North Wales Crusaders | Bedford Tigers / Medway Dragons | 24/25 January 2026 | Eirias Stadium | |||
| London Broncos | British Army / Wests Warriors | 24/25 January 2026 | Plough Lane | |||
| Midlands Hurricanes | Banbridge Broncos / Aberavon Fighting Irish | 24/25 January 2026 | Alexander Stadium | |||
| Halifax Panthers | Telford Raiders / London Chargers | 24/25 January 2026 | The Shay | |||
| Royal Navy / Hammersmith Hills Hoists | Salford Red Devils | 24/25 January 2026 | ||||
| Sheffield Eagles | Whitehaven | 24/25 January 2026 | Steel City Stadium | |||
| Doncaster | Newcastle Thunder | 24/25 January 2026 | Eco-Power Stadium | |||
| Source: [5] | ||||||