The 2024 RFL 1895 Cup (also known as the 2024 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup) is the fifth staging of the
RFL 1895 Cup, a
rugby league competition for English and Welsh clubs outside the
Super League.
The competition is 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.[1]
For 2024 the format of the competition has been 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 includes a group stage; seven groups of three teams each, with the seven group winners and the second-placed team with the best record will progress to the quarter-finals. The groups are regionalised to reduce the financial costs further and League 1 clubs play at home in fixtures against Championship teams.[2]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.[3]
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.[9] The quarter-finals will be played on 3 March.[2]