REIGNING iPro Sport Cup champions Cougars will find out next Tuesday who their first-round opponents are in next year's competition.

The first round draw – which will feature all League One clubs, apart from new boys Toronto Wolfpack, plus Conference Challenge Trophy winners Rochdale Mayfield – will be broadcast on BBC Radio Leeds from 6.15pm.

Cougars will begin their defence against one of nine other sides in Pool A (north), with Pool B featuring midlands and southern regions.

Pool A: Barrow Raiders, Doncaster, Hunslet Hawks, Keighley Cougars, Newcastle Thunder, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Mayfield, Whitehaven, Workington Town, York City Knights.

Pool B: Coventry Bears, Hemel Stags, London Skolars, Oxford, South Wales Ironmen, University of Gloucestershire All Golds. First round ties will be played over the weekend of February 18-19.

Meanwhile, Cougars have confirmed a rearranged date for their friendly against a Keighley amateur select side.

The game has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 12 (2pm) as many of the select squad are unavailable for the original date of Sunday, January 8.

This fixture will serve as Cougars' final pre-season match before the iPro Sport Cup.

* Cougars Reserves coach Richard Tate has been appointed England’s assistant coach for the Rugby League Students World Cup in Australia next year.

The tournament next summer will see Tate join Nathan Graham Down Under as the Cougars assistant coaches Scotland Students.