The 2024 RFL 1895 Cup (also known as the 2024 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup) was the fifth staging of the RFL 1895 Cup, a rugby league competition for English and Welsh clubs outside the Super League.

The competition was open to all clubs in the Championship and League 1 although French team, Toulouse Olympique have always declined to enter. League 1 club, Cornwall, also decided not to enter at the request of the other clubs to reduce the burden on the other clubs in having to travel to Cornwall.

For 2024 the format of the competition was significantly amended. In 2021 and 2022 the cup ran concurrently with the early rounds of the Challenge Cup with the teams reaching the knock-out stages being determined by progression in the Challenge Cup. To provide more games, especially for the League 1 teams, the competition for 2024 included a group stage; seven groups of three teams each, with the seven group winners and the second-placed team with the best record progressed to the quarter-finals. The groups were regionalised to reduce the financial costs further and League 1 clubs played at home in fixtures against Championship teams. Newcastle Thunder were included in the competition even though at that date the club's participation in the league for 2024 had yet to be confirmed.

The final was played at Wembley Stadium on 8 June 2024 alongside the finals of the Challenge Cup and the Women's Challenge Cup.

Group stage + 1895 Cup groups Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Barrow Raiders Bradford Bulls Newcastle Thunder Halifax Panthers Batley Bulldogs North Wales Crusaders Doncaster Whitehaven Dewsbury Rams Wakefield Trinity Oldham Featherstone Rovers Swinton Lions Midlands Hurricanes Workington Town Keighley Cougars York Knights Rochdale Hornets Hunslet Widnes Vikings Sheffield Eagles

Results + 1895 Cup, group stage week oneGpHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance 3 Newcastle Thunder 10–114 York Knights 27 January, 15:00 Kingston Park B. Milligan 7 Midlands Hurricanes 4–40 Doncaster 28 January, 14:00 Alexander Stadium L. Bland 180 6 North Wales Crusaders 12–40 Swinton Lions 28 January, 14:30 Eirias Stadium S. Mikalauskas 520 1 Workington Town 8–30 Barrow Raiders 28 January, 15:00 Derwent Park A. Sweet 901 2 Keighley Cougars 35–6 Dewsbury Rams 28 January, 15:00 Cougar Park K. Moore 839 4 Oldham 24–20 Halifax Panthers 28 January, 15:00 Boundary Park M. Smaill 1,521 5 Hunslet 12–62 Featherstone Rovers 28 January, 15:00 South Leeds Stadium R. Cox 875 Source:

+ 1895 Cup, group stage week twoGpHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance 5 Batley Bulldogs 15–14 Featherstone Rovers 4 February, 14:00 Mount Pleasant C. Worsley 784 1 Whitehaven 12–18 Barrow Raiders 4 February, 15:00 Recreation Ground B. Milligan 2 Dewsbury Rams 4–40 Bradford Bulls 4 February, 15:00 Crown Flatt A. Sweet 1,009 3 York Knights 4–40 Wakefield Trinity 4 February, 15:00 York Community Stadium S. Mikalauskas 2,817 4 Rochdale Hornets 12–52 Halifax Panthers 4 February, 15:00 Spotland Stadium R. Cox 1,200 6 Swinton Lions 18–6 Widnes Vikings 4 February, 15:00 Heywood Road M. Smaill 1,006 7 Doncaster 18–22 Sheffield Eagles 4 February, 15:00 Keepmoat Stadium K. Moore 784 Source:

+ 1895 Cup, group stage week threeGpHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance 6 North Wales Crusaders 14–30 Widnes Vikings 18 February, 14:30 Eirias Stadium M. Lynn 1,088 1 Workington Town 22–28 Whitehaven 18 February, 15:00 Derwent Park R. Cox 1,476 2 Keighley Cougars 18–26 Bradford Bulls 18 February, 15:00 Cougar Park C. Worsley 3,729 3 Newcastle Thunder 0–110 Wakefield Trinity 18 February, 15:00 Post Office Road, Featherstone L. O'Brien 1,378 4 Oldham 38–12 Rochdale Hornets 18 February, 15:00 Boundary Park K. Moore 1,684 5 Hunslet 0–36 Batley Bulldogs 18 February, 15:00 South Leeds Stadium S. Mikalauskas 700 7 Midlands Hurricanes 16–30 Sheffield Eagles 18 February, 15:00 Alexander Stadium M. Smaill 345 Source:

Standings

Quarter-finals The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were made on 18 February. The seven group winners were joined in the draw by York Knights as the best second-placed team. The quarter-finals were played on 3 March. + 1895 Cup, Quarter-finalsHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance Wakefield Trinity 30–12 Barrow Raiders 2 March, 15:00 Belle Vue L. Rush 1,809 Bradford Bulls 21–12 Swinton Lions 3 March, 15:00 Odsal Stadium S. Mikalauskas 1,018 Sheffield Eagles 26–10 Batley Bulldogs 3 March, 15:00 Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium M. Griffiths 732 York Knights 46–12 Oldham 3 March, 15:00 York Community Stadium B. Thaler 1,048 Source:

Semi-finals The semi-finals were played on 12 May. + 1895 Cup, Semi-finalsHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereeAttendance Bradford Bulls 14–40 Wakefield Trinity 12 May Odsal Stadium L. Rush 5,340 York Knights 18–28 Sheffield Eagles 12 May York Community Stadium S. Mikalauskas 1,309 Source:

Final The final was played on 8 June.

Notes

References