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2025 RFL 1895 Cup

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2025 RFL 1895 Cup
DurationFebruary – June 2025
Number of teams23
WinnersYork Knights
Runners-upFeatherstone 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.

Format

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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

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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
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Rochdale Hornets 64–12 Cornwall 1 February, 14:00 Mayfield Sports Centre L. Bland
Midlands Hurricanes 52–24 Whitehaven 2 February, 14:00 Alexander Stadium A. Williams
Newcastle Thunder 0–60 North Wales Crusaders 2 February, 15:00 Crow Trees Ground A. Sweet
Source:[5]
Second preliminary round
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Goole Vikings 26–18 North Wales Crusaders 16 February, 15:00 Victoria Pleasure Grounds L. Bland 256
Keighley Cougars 7–6 Midlands Hurricanes 16 February, 15:00 Cougar Park A. Williams
Rochdale Hornets 18–16 Swinton Lions 16 February, 15:00 Spotland A. Belafonte 483
Workington Town 10–18 Dewsbury Rams 16 February, 15:00 Derwent Park T. Jones
Source:[5]

First Round

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First round
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
London Broncos 26–16 Dewsbury Rams 1 March, 15:00 New River Stadium A. Belafonte
Batley Bulldogs 12–16 Bradford Bulls 2 March, 14:00 Mount Pleasant S. Mikalauskas
Featherstone Rovers 52–12 Keighley Cougars 2 March, 14:00 Post Office Road K. Moore
Goole Vikings 16–34 Barrow Raiders 2 March, 15:00 Victoria Pleasure Grounds C. Worsley
Hunslet 26–28 Widnes Vikings 2 March, 15:00 South Leeds Stadium D. Arnold 562
Oldham 58–6 Rochdale Hornets 2 March, 15:00 Boundary Park J. Vella 1,057
Sheffield Eagles 50–18 Doncaster 2 March, 15:00 Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium M. Lynn 648
York Knights 32–20 Halifax Panthers 2 March, 15:00 York Community Stadium R. Cox
Source:[6]

Quarter finals

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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
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Bradford Bulls 36–20 Sheffield Eagles 6 April 2025, 15:00 Odsal Stadium M. Lynn 1,606
Featherstone Rovers 34–6 London Broncos 6 April 2025, 15:00 Post Office Road K. Moore
Oldham 38–24 Barrow Raiders 6 April 2025, 15:00 Boundary Park S. Mikalauskas 1,400
York Knights 39–6 Widnes Vikings 6 April 2025, 15:00 York Community Stadium R. Cox
Source:[8]

Semi finals

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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
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Oldham 10–40 Featherstone Rovers 18 May 2025, 14:00 Boundary Park S. Mikalauskas 2,843
York Knights 28–20 Bradford Bulls 18 May 2025, 15:00 York Community Stadium C. Worsley
Source:[10]

Final

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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

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  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. ^ a b "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.