Toronto Wolfpack get tough Challenge Cup draw in league-leading Huddersfield

HULL, England — The Toronto Wolfpack, already finding life challenging in the top-tier Super League, got a tough draw Monday when they were paired with Huddersfield Giants in the fifth round of the Coral Challenge Cup.

Huddersfield currently tops the 12-team Super League with a 3-0-0 record. Toronto is last at 0-4-0.

The match will take place March 14 or 15 at Huddersfield's John Smith's Stadium.

The transatlantic rugby league team is one of four Super League clubs joining the competition at this stage, along with Huddersfield, Hull Kingston Rovers and Wakefield Trinity. They join the winners of the 11 fourth-round ties played on the weekend, plus Whitehaven and Dewsbury Rams, whose tie was postponed.

Cup-holders Warrington and the remaining top eight Super League sides from 2019 will enter in the sixth-round stage.

Toronto skipped the historic knockout competition in 2019.

The Wolfpack, then in the third-tier League One, made it to the fifth round of the 2017 Challenge Cup, beating Siddal ARLFC and London Broncos before losing 29-22 to the Super League's Salford Red Devils.

Toronto, having won promotion to the second-tier Championship, beat Barrow Raiders 16-12 in 2018 before suffering its worst-ever defeat, a 66-10 shellacking in the sixth round at the hands of Warrington Wolves.

Monday's draw, held at Hull Kingston Rovers' Hull College Craven Park, was conducted by BBC Sport's Dave Woods, former Hull KR and Great Britain hooker David Watkinson and Toronto Wolfpack global ambassador Sandy Shipley.

 

Coral Challenge Cup

Fifth Round

Wakefield Trinity vs. Bradford Bulls

Widnes Vikings vs. Swinton Lions

Sheffield Eagles vs. Workington Town

Newcastle Thunder vs. Whitehaven/Dewsbury

Featherstone Rovers vs. Hunslet

Toronto Wolfpack vs. Huddersfield Giants

Hull KR vs. Leigh Centurions

York City Knights vs. Rochdale Hornets

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2020.

 

The Canadian Press

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