SHAUN WANE TO CONDUCT AB SUNDECKS 1895 CUP DRAW AT ULLSWATER HEIGHTS

09 March 2020

The first two rounds of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup will be made by England Rugby League Head Coach, Shaun Wane and Leisure Resorts Chief Executive, Gary Molloy.

The draw for Rounds One and Two of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup will be streamed on Our League on Tuesday 17 March, 6.30pm – live from the heart of Cumbria.

Ullswater Heights Holiday Home & Lodge Park, one of Leisure Resorts’ luxurious holiday parks, is the venue and company chief executive Gary Molloy will be alongside England coach Shaun Wane to draw the teams.

Now in its second year, the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup has this year attracted more clubs into the competition, paving the way for a very exciting competition which will culminate in a final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 18 July. The competition was introduced to create wider opportunities within the game for clubs, players and spectators to experience the thrill of a Wembley final.

The following teams (including ball numbers) will be in the hat for Round One.

1. Barrow Raiders
2. Doncaster
3. Keighley Cougars
4. Newcastle Thunder
5. Rochdale Hornets
6. Underbank
7. West Hull
8. York Acorn

Joining the winners in the hat for Round Two will be 12 Betfred Championship sides: Batley Bulldogs; Bradford Bulls; Dewsbury Rams; Featherstone Rovers; Halifax; Leigh Centurions; Oldham; Sheffield Eagles; Swinton Lions; Whitehaven; Widnes Vikings and York City Knights.

Round One ties will be played on Sunday 19 April and Round Two on Wednesday 29. Our League will stream two ties from each round.

Mark Foster, the RFL’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “With the final of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup taking place at Wembley Stadium ahead of the Coral Challenge Cup Final, the competition to be there on Saturday 18 July will be tremendous.

“The relatively short turnaround between the two rounds means that we are holding the draws for both rounds together to give clubs and coaches the greatest possible time to prepare for their midweek fixtures. We wish them all the very best of luck.

“Once again I’d like to thank the competition sponsor, AB Sundecks, for their continued support and Leisure Resorts for offering to host the draw at such a wonderful venue.”

Ullswater Heights is the newest holiday home park within the Leisure Resorts group and was the first prize holiday location for last year’s AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Racing Driver Challenge. The exclusive park opened in July last year following the £20million transformation of a former quarry. 1895 Cup sponsor AB Sundecks were involved in decking the collection of luxury holiday homes and lodges, which includes safari tents and spa retreats. England coach Shaun Wane is a past guest of Leisure Resorts and was only too happy to return to make the draw for the opening rounds of this year’s competition.

AB Sundecks marketing director, Laura Beaumont added:
“It is great to have Shaun onboard at the earliest stage of the competition. He is such an advocate of the sport and is highly respected throughout the Rugby League world – we couldn’t think of anybody more appropriate to make the draw and we are truly appreciative of his commitment to the game.

“It is also an absolute honour to have Gary alongside him too. Gary is a well-respected and successful businessman in the leisure industry – a person with family values at his core, which makes his association with Rugby League a perfect match. We hope that both Shaun and Gary will enjoy following the competition this year and we look forward to sharing more experiences with them.”

Gary Molloy of Leisure Resorts says:
“We’re privileged to be hosting the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup draw against the backdrop of our new holiday park overlooking the North Lakes. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to draw the teams alongside Shaun Wane, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing how the competition plays out.”

The quarter-finals of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup will be held on Wednesday 13 May and the semi-finals on Sunday 7 June. The final will be played on Saturday 18 July at Wembley Stadium.