YORK City Knights will play in the new Yorkshire Cup next month after it was confirmed the historic rugby league competition was being resurrected.

The cup will feature eight teams - six from the Championship - and be played over three weekends in January, starting on January 5/6, in place of usual pre-season friendlies.

Halifax will start as favourites after their excellent 2018 season in the Championship, while Featherstone, Batley and Dewsbury will also be eyeing the silverware, along with York and Bradford Bulls, the two teams promoted from League One.

The other competing teams are Hunslet, who have recruited strongly for their 2019 League One challenge, and leading amateurs Hunslet Parkside.

The Knights will face Parkside in their first game on Saturday, January 5, at 1pm, in a double-header at Dewsbury's ground prior to the Rams' tie against Featherstone.

The competition, with a new trophy donated by Berry’s Jewellers, will be a straight knockout with winners progressing from quarter-finals through to the final. Teams knocked out will still play "friendly" ties in the schedule.

Kev Nicholas, Batley chairman and a past president of the Rugby Football League, said: "As part of a show of solidarity and to encourage supporters of all clubs to attend as many games as possible, the clubs have agreed to share equally all gate receipts from every game over the three-week period.

"In addition, we are expecting that the games in week three will all be played on a different day to the Yorkshire Cup final to encourage everybody to attend the final whether their team is in it or not, in the full knowledge their support will benefit their club financially as well as hopefully witnessing everything that a Yorkshire Cup final will bring as a rugby league spectacle.

"We are all proud Yorkshire people and this enables us to show our love of our sport and our county for all to see and become part of history as the Yorkshire Cup comes alive again."

Bradford Bulls owner Andrew Chalmers, who had previously mooted the tournament, said: “We are delighted to reignite the Yorkshire Cup, a competition which resonates loudly within the rugby league community in the county.

"We ourselves last played in the cup in the 1989/90 season against Featherstone."

Hunslet Parkside secretary Frankie Brown said: “We are overwhelmed in being able to participate in a competition with professional clubs and we will not let either the competition or our club down. We will throw our heart and soul into winning."

Round 1: York City Knights v Hunslet Parkside (1pm January 5, at Tetley Stadium), Dewsbury Rams v Featherstone (3.30pm January 5, at Tetley Stadium); Batley Bulldogs v Hunslet (1pm January 6, at Odsal), Bradford Bulls v Halifax (3pm January 6, at Odsal).

The semi-finals will be drawn immediately after the Bradford v Halifax game and will be played on January 12 and 13.

The final will be on Sunday, January 20.