ROUGHYEDS have a tough test to kick off their 2024 campaign after drawing Halifax Panthers in the 1895 Cup, writes Kasey Smith.

The tie will be played at Boundary Park on Sunday, January 28 with kick-off and ticket details to be confirmed.

Halifax lifted the trophy last year, beating finalists Batley Bulldogs 12-10 at Wembley.

Panthers have reached the championship play-offs twice in the past three seasons and will be a stern test for Roughyeds.

“It’s a massive challenge – I coached in the championship last year and I know how good a team they are,” said Roughyeds boss, Sean Long.

“Finny (Liam Finn) is there now as coach, and he’ll be adding his experience to the side. They’re a well-drilled team and they do like to throw the ball around.

“They’ve got some really good outside backs, so we’ll have our hands full.”

Looking forward to the challenge is Halifax-born loose-forward Joe Wardle.

“To play a top team like Halifax will be a benchmark of where we are at,” he said.

“We’re training really well at the minute and all the boys are having a good dig in training.”

“It will be a good game, these are the teams that we want to play against to test ourselves and see where we are at, ahead of the League One season.”

A new format has been devised for the upcoming year – to give League One clubs more games – with 13 Championship clubs as well as eight League One clubs divided into seven groups of three.

The competition, which replaced the Northern Rail Cup, has had several iterations since it began in 2019.

Originally a mid-week knock-out competition, the 1895 Cup – in recent seasons – has been played only by the lower league sides which reached the latter stages of the Challenge Cup.

Joining Halifax and Oldham in group 4, will be local rivals Rochdale Hornets.

Roughyeds’ fixture against Rochdale will also be at Boundary Park and will take place on Sunday February 18 with ticket and kick-off details to be confirmed.

Toulouse Olympique and Cornwall will both not participate in the 1895 Cup for the 2024 season.

The winner of each group, after two games played, will qualify for the quarter-finals as well as the best-performing second-placed team.

The final of the 1895 Cup will be played on June 8 at Wembley Stadium.

Should Oldham go all the way and get to Wembley, it would be the club’s first appearance at the stadium in its 147-year history.