The annual Ike Southward Memorial Trophy fixture between Workington Town and Whitehaven is back in the rugby league calendar.
Due to COVID-19, the 2021 fixture had to be cancelled so it’s return in January is highly anticipated by the West Cumbrian rugby league fraternity.
The fixture last took place at the LEL Arena in 2020 and in a dramatic contest Haven secured the victory thanks to a last-minute Callum Phillips try to regain the trophy.
It’s Workington Town’s turn to stage the fixture at Derwent Park and it will be staged on Sunday January 16 with a 2pm kick off.
This will be the first time Haven have played at Derwent Park since their 33-18 Good Friday victory in the League One championship season in 2019 after Town had won the Ike Trophy earlier in the year.
There is all-round interest in the Championship this season as far as Cumbria is concerned as all three professional sides are in the same Division.
Indeed Town will have had a sighter at Barrow a week before the Ike Southward game as they have agreed to visit the Furness club on January 9.
They were together in League One last season and draw their match at Barrow but sadly the return at Derwent Park had to be cancelled because of Covid and an alternative date was never agreed.
Barrow subsequently went up as champions while Town won the play-off final to join them in the Championship.
On January 16 Barrow will play their second warm-up game at home against Newcastle Thunder and they have even organised a third friendly against North Wales Crusaders on January 23, also at home.
