Energy supplier TXU Energi will sponsor the Challenge Cup for the next three years in a �3.7m deal.

From 2003, the competition will be officially known as the TXU Energi Challenge Cup.

"Our agreement with TXU Energi will ensure that the tournament will maintain its vitality and compulsion for both our spectators and players," said Richard Lewis, the RFL's executive chairman.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain initially stepped in with a 12-month sponsorship of the competition following the end of the RFL's long-running agreement with Silk Cut.

Next year's Challenge Cup final will be played in Wales for the first time, with Cardiff's Millennium Stadium playing host on 26 April.