Challenge Cup Comes To St Albans

St Albans Centurions make their first appearance of 2005 when they take on leading amateur side Thatto Heath in the Powergen Rugby League Challenge Cup first round on Saturday 5 February at Woollams. It will be the first time a match in the historic Challenge Cup will have ever been held in St Albans and a bumper crowd is expected to see the new-look Centurions under new coach Colin Baker taken on the National Conference Premier Division side from St Helens. The Centurions made their Challenge Cup bow back in November 2003, when the tie was in the middle of their off-season, as an understrength St Albans went down to a narrow defeat to Pennine League side Birkenshaw in West Yorkshire. Thatto will be a tougher opponent as they are into the second half of their season although they are fighting relegation from the top flight of the national winter competition. The Cents, who start their third season in National League Three in early April, also play pre-season home games against Oxford University on Friday 18 February and Cambridge University on Wednesday 23 February, both at Woollams at 7.30pm. Kick off is 2pm with admission ?3 adultsd and ?1 juniors and OAPs, to be confirmed.