The 1895 Cup Final between Halifax Panthers and Batley Bulldogs will NOT take place on the BBC.
Despite people thinking that the final would be broadcast live on the BBC iPlayer, the fixture on Saturday evening can only be watched on the Our League app.
In what will be the fourth AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final – named after Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont’s own business – Halifax and Batley are set to kick off at 5.30pm, with Leigh and Hull KR taking place at 3pm on BBC One and the Women’s final between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos kicking off at 11.50am on BBC Two.
Halifax confirmed as such with the following statement: “The 2023 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final between Batley Bulldogs and Halifax Panthers will be shown live, exclusive and completely free on the Our League web and app. (As has been rumoured, the game WILL NOT be shown on BBC iPlayer).
It will be Batley’s first appearance at Wembley Stadium, as although they were the first winners of the Challenge Cup in 1897 and won it twice more in the next four years, that was well before the final was taken to Wembley in 1929.
Meanwhile, Halifax have won the Challenge Cup five times, the last three of them at Wembley – most recently against St Helens in 1987.
As has been the case since the Final was first played at Wembley in 2019, the winner of the Ray French Award as Player of the Match will be determined by the votes of Our League members
Our League is Rugby League’s membership platform, completely free to join, and now boasts more than 250,000 members.
Click here to purchase a digital edition of League Express.
Click here to purchase an online edition of League Express through pocketmags.com.
League Express is widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
