...with Semi-Final draw details now confirmed!
The first Hull derby in the Challenge Cup for 39 years is set to attract the biggest Quarter Final crowd for 36, as the Betfred Challenge Cup continues its 2025 revival this weekend.
Hull FC confirmed last night that Saturday’s last eight showdown against Hull KR at the MKM Stadium will be watched by their biggest home Challenge Cup crowd since 1961.
Advance ticket sales passed 17,000 early in the week to guarantee the highest attendance for a Challenge Cup quarter final since Leeds hosted Widnes at Headingley in 1989 – and that will also represent the best gate for a stand-alone Challenge Cup tie other than the Final since the 2008 Semi Final between Leeds and St Helens in Huddersfield.
The new structure of the Betfred Challenge Cup in 2025 has already led to a number of notable attendance figures which mean the competition will beat last season’s aggregate for all matches other than the Final even before the Semi Finals are drawn.
With the 12 Betfred Super League clubs joining the Road to Wembley earlier than in previous years – in the last 32 in Round Three in February to allow more non-Super League teams the benefit of hosting top tier opposition – there were a number of notable attendance milestones.
York Knights attracted their best ever gate to the LNER Community Stadium for the visit of Hull KR, the West Cumbrian neighbours Whitehaven and Workington Town recorded a combined attendance of more than 7,000 for the respective visits of Warrington Wolves and Leigh Leopards in the space of 24 hours, and the National Conference League team West Hull admitted even they were surprised when an estimated 5,500 attended Sewell Group Craven Park for their tie against St Helens.
That encouraging trend continued in Round Four last month, when Widnes Vikings had their first 7,000-plus attendance for seven years for the visit of their Cheshire rivals Warrington, and the aggregate and average gate was almost 35% up on the equivalent round of the competition in 2024.
This weekend’s Quarter Finals are already guaranteed to take the aggregate crowd for the 2025 Betfred Challenge Cup well beyond 100,000, a milestone that wasn’t reached in 2024 even including the Semi Finals.
Wakefield Trinity are approaching another 8,000 sell-out at the DIY Kitchens Stadium for Friday night’s tie against the 2023 Wembley winners Leigh Leopards, which will also be shown live on Rugby League Commercial’s streaming platform SuperLeague+.
BBC Sport will cover Saturday’s Hull derby and then Sunday’s tie between Warrington Wolves and St Helens at the Halliwell Jones Stadium – with the draw for the Semi Finals to be held at half-time in that game, and broadcast live on BBC2.
The draw will be conducted by the England football legend Stuart Pearce MBE and Kevin Brown, the BBC pundit who was a Challenge Cup finalist with four different clubs.
The draw for the Semi Finals of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup will be held on Sunday April 13 – further details to follow next week.
Betfred Challenge Cup Quarter Finals:
Friday April 4 – Catalans Dragons v Salford Red Devils (7pm BST), Wakefield Trinity v Leigh Leopards (8pm, live on SuperLeague+)
Saturday April 5 – Hull FC v Hull KR (230pm, live on BBC One – coverage starts 2pm)
Sunday April 6 – Warrington Wolves v St Helens (230pm, live on BBC Two – coverage starts 205pm)
Saturday 7 June is Betfred Challenge Cup Finals Day 2025 – also including the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final, AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final, and RFL Champion Schools Year 7 Boys Final. Tickets are on sale now!
