RUGBY LEAGUE
ALES Rugby League’s Coral Challenge Cup home draw jinx struck again on Thursday evening when both Torfaen Tigers and Rhondda Outlaws were drawn away in the first round of the 2020 competition.
Torfaen were the first of the Welsh sides to come out of the hat. They have an interesting match-up with the Great Britain Police, whilst Rhondda Outlaws will continue the recent South Wales tradition of going to Cumbria, having been drawn away to Barrow Island, around 280 miles away from the Rhondda.
It’s the first time in 11 years that Wales have had two clubs in the first stage of the competition, and the last time a Welsh club were drawn at home in this round was in 2015 when Valley Cougars hosted and beat Leicester Storm.
Torfaen, who travelled to Cumbria last year and lost 48-0 to Distington, won’t have as far to go this year, with the Great Britain Police normally playing matches around the Yorkshire area. The last time they had a home draw in the Challenge Cup was in 2015 and they played that match at Stanningley near Leeds, a mere 240 miles from the county of Torfaen.
Tigers coach Ian Newbury said: “We don’t know a great deal about the Police side apart from the fact that they won their first round match in the Cup last year, plus our team manger Byron Edwards who may know about them through his time playing sport with the prison service.
“I’m sure they’re all going to be experienced rugby league players and will no doubt be a tough side, but we did well in the Southern Conference last year and only just lost to the competition’s eventual winners in the quarter finals, so we’ll go up there with a positive attitude and should be a good game.”
Rhondda Outlaws head coach James Allen said: “It’ll be a long journey for us, but it’s a challenge we’ll look forward to. We’re already in our third week of training to prepare for this match so hopefully we’ll have our structures right. Barrow Island will be
THE Wales Women’s Rugby League side have donated 29 boxes of gifts to the Age Cymru Christmas Gift Box Appeal 2019, created to help tackle loneliness among older people.
Each box was brimming with seasonal treats such as gloves, scarves, hats and socks to help keep people warm, as well as traditional stocking fillers such as chocolates and luxury biscuits.
Age Cymru, a charity that works a very tough side to take on, especially at home, so we’ll need to be at our best.”
The 22 First Round ties will take place over the weekend of 11-12 January, with one to be selected for live streaming by the BBC – the start of their coverage of at least one match from each round of the 2020 competition – and another by the RFL’s Our League cameras.
The first semi-professional clubs, from Betfred League 1, including to improve the lives of older people, has invited community groups throughout Wales to donate shoe boxes full of festive treats for older people living in care homes who no longer have any friends or relatives.
This is in line with their ethos, “No one should have no one to turn to”, and with many care home residents having no close family to visit over the festive period, the charity hopes
North Wales Crusaders and West Wales Raiders, will enter at the Third Round stage on the weekend of 8-9 February, and Championship clubs two weeks later in the Fourth Round. Four Super League clubs – Huddersfield Giants, Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity and Toronto Wolfpack – will enter at Round Five on the weekend of 1415 March, followed by the remaining Super League clubs for Round Six on the weekend of 4-5 April.
The Coral Challenge Cup Final itthat having a gift to open may make a huge difference to someone.
Wales team manager Louise Morgan saw this appeal and ask her side if they would be willing to donate. Naturally they were delighted to do so and Morgan, along with four players and the Wales Rugby League CEO Gareth Kear, visited the Age Cymru offices in Cardiff to give their boxes in.
Morgan said: “As a team we were self will be played more than a month earlier than in 2019 – on Saturday 18 July. delighted to help Age Cymru. Thank you to Michael and Sarah at age Cymru for letting us get involved and thank you to all the players who spent the time to do prepare the Christmas boxes.
“Age Cymru are doing a fantastic job.
“We’re Extremely happy to know these boxes will be delivered to care homes and will put smiles on faces this Christmas.”