THREE St Helens sides will be in the hat for in the opening round draw of the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.
North West Men's League champions Haydock join National Conference Premier Division outfits Pilkington Recs and Thatto Heath for the draw on Thursday, January 5 (from 7pm) .
The draw will be conducted at The Deep in Hull to celebrate the city being named 2017 UK City of Culture and Hull FC’s efforts in 2016.
Thirty-two sides will go into the draw to participate in one of the country’s oldest sporting tournaments and will form the first two rounds of the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, which will be played on January 28 – 29 and February 11 – 12.
The Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Great Britain Police all represent the Services, while Kingstone Press National Conference League champions Siddal will be looking to pull off another shock in 2016 on the back of their eye-catching 30-4 win over Kingstone Press League 1 side Newcastle Thunder last year.
Joining them from the NCL are beaten Grand Finalists Leigh Miners Rangers and 2016 Challenge Trophy winners, Rochdale Mayfield.
The city of Hull boasts no fewer than five clubs in the first round draw, with Hull Dockers, West Hull, Myton Warriors and Skirlaugh from the NCL joined by Hull University, who are the student game's representatives this year.
Lock Lane from Castleford, who were the only community club to make it to the fifth round in 2016, feature in the competition again, alongside fellow NCL clubs Wath Brow Hornets, Wigan St Patricks, Egremont Rangers, York Acorn, Featherstone Lions, Milford Marlins and Normanton Knights.
BARLA National Cup winners Thornhill Trojans, who ply their trade in NCL Division Two, are also in the draw, alongside Fryston Warriors, reigning champions of the winter Pennine League.
Elsewhere, Conference League South champions London Chargers are joined by first-time entrants, Wests Warriors, who were winners of the Harry Jepson Trophy this year.
Aberdeen Warriors, champions of Scotland, are joined in the first round by Welsh League winners, Bridgend Blue Bulls.
Cumbria Men's League champions Distington enter the world's oldest Rugby League competition for a second-successive year, as well as Yorkshire Men's League champions, West Bowling.
Full list of first round draw numbers:
1. Aberdeen Warriors.
2. Bridgend Blue Bulls.
3. Distington.
4. Egremont Rangers.
5. Featherstone Lions.
6. Fryston Warriors.
7. Great Britain Police Rugby League.
8. Haydock.
9. Hull Dockers.
10. Hull University.
11. Kells.
12. Leigh Miners Rangers.
13. Lock Lane.
14. London Chargers.
15. Milford Marlins.
16. Myton Warriors.
17. Normanton Knights.
18. Pilkington Recs.
19. Rochdale Mayfield.
20. Royal Air Force.
21. Royal Navy.
22. Siddal.
23. Skirlaugh.
24. Thatto Heath Crusaders.
25. The Army.
26. Thornhill Trojans.
27. Wath Brow Hornets.
28. West Bowling.
29. West Hull.
30. Wests Warriors.
31. Wigan St Patricks.
32. York Acorn.
The first round draw for the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup will to take place on Thursday, January 5 from 7.00pm with fixtures scheduled for January 28-29. Fans can see the draw streamed exclusively live on rugby-league.com/challengecup
Tickets for the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, August 26 can be purchased by calling the Rugby League Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113 or by visiting www.rugby-league.com/tickets
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