The Royal Navy have reached the fourth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup for the first time in their history and will now travel to Batley Bulldogs, first winners of the game’s oldest knockout competition in 1897.
The Navy, who beat the British Army in the second round, overcame York Acorn of the National Conference League 22-8 at their Portsmouth base in a hard-fought encounter.
The three Armed Forces have been competing separately in the Challenge Cup since 2000, six years after the ban on Rugby League was lifted, and only the Army have previously reached the fourth round, two years ago.
The Navy will be joined in round four by Hunslet Club Parkside of the NCL. They had a comfortable 28-6 win against London Skolars of Betfred League One, and will now host the 1998 Challenge Cup winners Sheffield Eagles.
Two other NCL survivors in the competition, Lock Lane of Castleford and Rochdale Mayfield, competed strongly against semi-professional opposition in wintry conditions.
Lock Lane, who shocked Oldham in the second round, went down 12-28 at home to Rochdale Hornets, who were inspired by their 40-year-old hooker Sean Penkywicz and will now host Barrow Raiders in round four.
Mayfield were beaten 20-0 by Doncaster, who earned a home tie against Whitehaven next time.
Siddal, another NCL team with a history of springing Challenge Cup upsets, will aim to join the Navy and Parkside in the fourth round when they travel to Hunslet in the first of Sunday’s remaining third round ties, which will be streamed live by BBC Sport from 1pm.
The winners of that tie will travel to the winners of the last third round fixture, an all-League One meeting of Swinton Lions and North Wales Crusaders which kicks off at Heywood Road at 3pm.
Third Round:
- Lock Lane 12 Rochdale Hornets 28
- London Skolars 6 Hunslet Club Parkside 28
- Rochdale Mayfield 0 Doncaster 20
- Royal Navy 22 York Acorn 8
Third Round fixtures, February 13
- Hunslet v Siddal (1pm, live on BBC Sport)
- Swinton Lions v North Wales Crusaders (3pm)
Revised Fourth Round draw (ties to be played February 26-28)
- York City Knights v Newcastle Thunder
- Halifax Panthers v Featherstone Rovers
- Leigh Centurions v Widnes Vikings
- Rochdale Hornets v Barrow Raiders
- Batley Bulldogs v Royal Navy
- London Broncos v Bradford Bulls
- Hunslet Club Parkside v Sheffield Eagles
- Swinton Lions or North Wales Crusaders v Hunslet or Siddal
- Workington Town v Dewsbury Rams
- Doncaster v Whitehaven
Fifth Round (5 ties) – March 12-13 Sixth Round (8 ties) – March 26-27 – Betfred Super League clubs enter Quarter Finals – April 9-10 Semi Finals – Saturday May 7 at Elland Road, Leeds Betfred Challenge Cup Final 2022 – Saturday May 28 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
