when do super league teams enter the challenge cup
2018 Challenge Cup The format of the competition is eight knock-out rounds followed by a final. The first two rounds are composed entirely of 48 amateur teams. The 12 winners of the second round ties are joined in round three by the 14 League 1 teams. For the fourth round, the 13 winners from round 3 are joined by 11 of the 12 Championship teams, (Toulouse Olympique who play in the Championship, have declined to enter the 2018 cup competition.)[3] Round five will see four Super League teams entering the competition. These are the four teams that finished in the top four positions of the 2017 Qualifiers and are Warrington Wolves, Widnes Vikings, Hull Kingston Rovers and Catalan Dragons. The remaining eight Super League teams join in round six.
UEFA Europa League In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was abolished and merged with the UEFA Cup.[5] For the 2004–05 competition a group stage was added prior to the knockout phase. The 2009 re-branding included a merge with the UEFA Intertoto Cup, producing an enlarged competition format, with an expanded group stage and changed qualifying criteria. The winner of the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup, and since the 2014–15 season the winner of the UEFA Europa League also qualifies for the next edition of the UEFA Champions League. The winner enters at the group stage.