Challenge Cup: Cornwall ready to make historic debut in competition

Cornwall's creation came after Covid-19 stopped owner Eric Perez from setting up a side in Ottawa

The Challenge Cup will break new ground on Saturday when rugby league's oldest competition visits its newest venue.

After 127 years - and having seen matches played in Ireland, Scotland and France - a game in the famous old trophy is being played in Cornwall.

The county's relatively new League One side are in their second season of existence and begin their first-ever Challenge Cup campaign at home to Rochdale Mayfield from the amateur National Conference.

"It's a massive deal for Cornwall in general, this is a huge thing," the club's head of development Rob Butland tells BBC Radio Cornwall.

• Watch: Cornwall v Rochdale Mayfield

• Cornwall prepare to make Challenge Cup history

Describing himself as a 'Yornishman' with links to both Cornwall and Yorkshire, Butland says the traditional rugby union heartland on the south western tip of England is the perfect place for rugby league, both is sporting and social terms.

"You look at the core industries, mining, fishing, agriculture, manufacturing. Cornwall is traditionally a working class place, just like the north," he said.

"I think that's part of what galvanises Cornwall. we like being the outliers, we like being the outposts.

"We know that there's a tremendous amount of incredible athletes in Cornwall who are more than capable, and more than good enough, of being professional rugby league players and reaching the highest level.

"Our job is to be the best version of ourselves and be that outlet for those people who want to do it because there are players out there."

'We are a nation, we have a national identity'

Cornwall won one match in their inaugural League One campaign last year

Cornwall's establishment came out of Covid-19 - the pandemic meant Canadian owner Eric Perez's hopes of a second team from his homeland playing in England, after the Toronto Wolfpack, had to be shelved.

Instead, what would have been the Ottowa Aces became Cornwall RLFC and a far-flung club was added to League One which also includes North Wales Crusaders, Midlands Hurricanes and London Skolars.

"They could have taken this club anywhere in the UK, we spoke to them and said 'Cornwall's a unique place', rugby league's a unique sport," added Butland, who along with Cornwall general manager John Beach set up amateur side Cornish Rebels a decade ago and played in a regional league in the South West.

"We are a nation, we have a national identity and we've got a chance to build in, what is otherwise seen a club sport, a chance to build a nation within a club sport

"It's the black and gold rugby league, it's a club for all, so it was a dream come true, but there was a lot of thought about it.

"We know we're going to get some things right and we know we're going to have to do some things differently, but me and John have been doing that for 10 years, there was no book about how to start and develop rugby league in Cornwall.

"We had great crowds last year and lots of people have come along and really enjoyed the games, that looks like it's going to happen again this year."

Cornwall's debut in the Challenge Cup will also be televised live on the BBC Sport website and iPlayer - allowing fans from around England and further afield to see professional rugby league's farthest-flung outpost.

"It's the first time any Cornish rugby club match of either code, rugby league or rugby union, has been broadcast on a free-to-air platform," says Cornwall's head of media Gareth Davies.

"It's big for rugby league in Cornwall, it's big for sport in Cornwall and it's big for the sport in general.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for our club to raise its profile and to raise the profile of the sport here in Cornwall on a global stage."

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