The blockbuster Sixth Round tie at Headingley between the two most successful clubs in the history of the Challenge Cup, Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, will be shown live on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 20th May, with coverage starting at 2pm ahead of a 230pm kick-off.
Wigan are the holders, having extended their record with a 20th Challenge Cup win by beating Huddersfield Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer – and are currently top of the Betfred Super League table.
In 2023, the Challenge Cup Final returns to Wembley Stadium – where Leeds clinched the last of their 14 wins in 2020 by beating Salford Red Devils, although that was without any fans present during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two more clubs with plenty of Wembley pedigree, Castleford Tigers and Hull FC, will feature in BBC Sport’s second televised tie of the round, on Sunday May 21 (coverage on BBC Two and iPlayer from 235pm – kick-off 3pm).
The Tigers have played in seven Challenge Cup Finals, most recently against St Helens in 2021, although the last of their four wins came in 1986.
Hull FC have won the Cup five times, the last two at Wembley in 2016 and 2017 – although famously, they had never won at Wembley before that, losing a total of 12 finals with their three previous wins coming at Thrum Hall (1914), Cardiff (2005) and in the last Challenge Cup Final replay at Elland Road in 1982.
Both clubs are currently struggling in the bottom three of the Betfred Super League table, but Hull FC claimed a morale-boosting win against Huddersfield Giants last weekend, while the tie will have particular significance for Andy Last, who has recently been appointed as Head Coach of Castleford after spending the majority of his playing and coaching career with Hull FC.
BBC Sport have again provided extensive coverage of the early rounds of the Betfred Challenge Cup on BBC iPlayer and Red Button before the entry of the Super League clubs at the Sixth Round stage, travelling to Edinburgh for the First Round and then Cornwall in the Second before focusing on ties in the traditional Rugby League heartlands – Thatto Heath versus North Wales Crusaders in the Third Round, York Knights v Sheffield Eagles in the Fourth, and Halifax Panthers’ big win over their local rivals Bradford Bulls in the Fifth Round last Saturday night.
Details of the other six ties, including two matches to be covered by Viaplay, will be announced soon.
