Leigh Sports Village to host Castleford Tigers and Hull FC in Challenge Cup semis

Castleford Tigers and Hull FC will play their Betfred Challenge Cup semi-finals at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday June 5 - but each club will only be able to see around 600 of their supporters attend.
Castleford's players celebrate their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Salford Red Devils. (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)Castleford's players celebrate their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Salford Red Devils. (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Castleford's players celebrate their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Salford Red Devils. (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

The Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup final will also be played at the same venue (11.15am) with live coverage on BBC2 – a first for Women’s Rugby League - kicking off a triple-header.

Hull versus St Helens will be shown on BBC One (2.30pm kick-off), with Castleford versus Warrington on BBC Two (5pm kick-off).

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Due to Covid restrictions, each of the four semi-finalists will be given an initial allocation of approximately 600 tickets with clubs providing further details of the ballot required to allocate these tickets in the coming days.

Details for the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Finalists will be confirmed in the week starting May 24.

The RFL are working with Government and other relevant authorities on the possibility of increasing the capacity, based around staggered entry of supporters of the six teams to the stadium.

Meanwhile, details have also been confirmed for the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup semi-finals on May 22.

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They will be played at the LNER Stadium in York, with both games to be streamed by BBC Sport on Red Button and iplayer – and highlights to be shown on Sky Sports the following Monday.

Hull FC's Chris Satae on the charge in their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Wigan Warriors. (TONY JOHNSON)Hull FC's Chris Satae on the charge in their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Wigan Warriors. (TONY JOHNSON)
Hull FC's Chris Satae on the charge in their Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Wigan Warriors. (TONY JOHNSON)

No tickets will be sold for these fixtures at the request of the stadium authorities, although a limited number of passes will be made available to the four competing teams.

York City Knights play Castleford Tigers (12.30pm) followed by St Helens against Cup holders Leeds Rhinos (3pm)

RFL chief commercial officer Mark Foster said: “After the whole Betfred Challenge Cup competition was played behind closed doors in 2020, this does represent a step in the right direction – with every reason to be hopeful of a much bigger crowd at Wembley on July 17 for the Final.

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“For Women’s Rugby League, live coverage on BBC Two of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final represents another significant milestone – and we are also delighted to be able to confirm BBC coverage of the Semi Final double header at the LNER Stadium in York.

“We know the restrictions on capacity at Leigh Sports Village are going to mean frustration and disappointment for some who would want to support their teams in person.

“We share that frustration, but this event was scheduled over six months ago and it became clear recently, that while it is great that fans would be allowed inside the stadium, it was going to be an event with unique challenges, involving six teams playing at the same stadium in the period between the partial reopening of stadiums to fans in Step 3 of the Government Roadmap out of Lockdown, and the further easing in Step 4 later in June.

“We are grateful to Leigh Sports Village and the four Semi-Finalists for the way that they have worked with us to get to this stage and to the BBC for their live coverage of all 3 games meaning that those fans who are unable to attend in person at the stadium can still watch the game live on TV.”