York City Knights will face plum ties against former Super League club Castleford Tigers in next season's revamped Northern Rail Cup (formerly Arriva Trains Cup).

They will also renew acquaintances with old rivals Featherstone Rovers, whom they memorably beat four times out of four last season.

Also in the Knights' four-team group are National League Two rivals Hunslet Hawks, though Cas and Fev, being NL1 clubs, will be favourites to progress.

The 2005 competition has been adjusted to comprise six qualifying groups of four, most of which are regionally focused. All NL1 and NL2 clubs are involved as usual and included for the first time is a group comprising leading amateur NL3 clubs.

Nigel Wood, the Rugby Football League's chief operating officer, said: "After listening to what the clubs had to say about the 2004 system, we have improved and refreshed the fixture format.

"All the groups now have equal representation from both NL1 and NL2 clubs and we have retained, as far as possible, a strong regional emphasis.

"And, for the first time, we are giving NL3 clubs the opportunity to compete in this prestigious competition."

The group stage of the tournament, now sponsored by York-based Northern Rail, will kick off the season on Sunday, February 13.

The five clubs that finish top of the NL1/2 groups go through to the quarter-finals, while the five runners-up, along with the winner of group six, the NL3 division, will face play-offs to reach the last eight.

The qualifying groups are:

Group 1: Barrow, Gateshead, Whitehaven, Workington.

Group 2: Chorley, Oldham, Rochdale, Swinton.

Group 3: Halifax, Hull KR, London Skolars, Keighley.

Group 4: Castleford, Featherstone, Hunslet, York City Knights.

Group 5: Batley, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Sheffield.

Group 6: Bradford Dudley Hill, Bramley, Hemel Hempstead, Warrington Wizards.

Updated: 11:30 Saturday, December 04, 2004