LEIGH will be among the 20 clubs who will contest the inaugural 1895 Cup can now be confirmed.
The new competition provides Centurions with a second opportunity to earn a trip to Wembley Stadium in 2019.
Coventry Bears, London Skolars and North Wales Crusaders have opted not to enter for logistical reasons, meaning eight clubs from Betfred League 1 will play a straight knockout in the First Round on May 5-6 – before the 12 English clubs from the Betfred Championship, including Leigh, join the four First Round winners in the last 16.
The winners of those eight fixtures, to be played in the first week of June, will earn places in the 1895 Cup quarter finals later in the month – with the semi finals to be played the day after the Challenge Cup semi finals, on Sunday July 28.
That will leave the finalists with almost a month to prepare for the 1895 Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 24.
First round (May 4-5; draw in April on date tbc) - teams enter: Doncaster, Hunslet, Keighley Cougars, Newcastle Thunder, Oldham, West Wales Raiders, Whitehaven, Workington Town.
Second round (June 2-5; draw in early May date tbc) - teams enter: Barrow Raiders, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Rams, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax, Leigh Centurions, Rochdale Hornets, Sheffield Eagles, Swinton Lions, Widnes Vikings, York City Knights, plus four First Round winners.
Quarter Finals – week starting June 24
Semi Finals – Sunday July 28
Final – Wembley Stadium, Saturday August 24.
Leigh have not been to Wembley since winning the cup in 1971.
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