Widnes' competitive season in 2018/19 will get underway with a trip to the Millbank Linnets Stadium to take on neighbours Runcorn Linnets in the North West Counties League Champions Cup on Saturday 28th July. Kick-off 3pm.

The game, which sees the Hallmark Security League Premier Division winners host the Macron Challenge Cup winners, was reinstated in 2016 after a number of years’ absence.

In the past, it had been a regular competition that marked the end of the league season, but fixture congestion led to the game being scrapped.

The trophy used also went missing for a number of years, before being unearthed in 2015, and this prompted the League’s Management Committee to reinstate the competition as a season opener.

The game will be the third meeting between the two clubs, with Widnes winning both league fixtures this past season as both teams secured promotion to the Evo-Stik League Division One West.

The current holders are City of Liverpool, who beat Atherton Collieries on penalties last year after the scoreline was level 3-3 after 90 minutes.

Further details for the game will be released in the run-in to the tie taking place.