Sonics head out on the road to Wembley

THE Carnegie Challenge Cup returns to the city on Saturday as the Bristol Sonics begin their road to Wembley.

The Sonics face Eccles in the first qualifying round of rugby league's most prestigious tournament where the finalists get to run out at Wembley.

The Sonics sit two divisions below Eccles, in National Conference League Three, and face a monumental task when the take on the Manchester-based club.

But Bristol Sonics captain Dom Swann believes the Sonics can cause an upset. He said: "Eccles will be the best side we've ever faced, and they're arguably miles ahead of us at the moment. That said, our record against sides from Rugby League's northern 'heartlands' is improving every year."

The Sonics are out of season so head coach Karl Fearnley will be without a number of first-team regulars. However, he can call upon the some of the best of the South West's student rugby league players, many of whom turned out for the Sonics in the summer.

The game takes place at Clifton RFC, Cribbs Causeway, on Saturday (2pm).