CLOSE to three dozen boys who are not yet in their teens are looking forward to the day of their sporting lifetimes, no matter what the future might hold for them in Rugby League.
Children from St Peter’s, in Orrell, and Cardiff’s Ysgol Glantaf will be playing at Wembley on Saturday, in the Steven Mullaney Memorial Trophy Boys Year 7 final.
The game is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Betfred Challenge Cup final and I’m acutely aware, from speaking to players who went on to have glittering professional careers – including at international level – how important that occasion was (and, importantly, remains) to them.
I’m not sure when the idea of a schoolboys’ curtain-raiser at Wembley first became reality, it was back in the 1970s I think, but it was certainly a brilliant innovation and some of my best memories of Challenge Cup finals are of how the players of both sides would line up, after their game, prior to running in line to one side of the ground before turning round and sprinting back to the other.
The ovations they received were simply wonderful, and clearly heartfelt – never more so than in 1986 when one lad (Steven Mullaney of Wakefield Schools) had thrilled everyone in the ground with a memorable solo try against St Helens.
The match has been played in Steven’s memory for many years, following his tragic death the year after his appearance at Wembley.
His mum Denise, dad Terry and sister Lauren will again be present this Saturday to present the trophy and medals to both teams in what is one of Rugby League’s special moments.
It’s a shame that the match is played, these days, well before the Challenge Cup final.
It’s a packed agenda at Wembley in the current era, with the men’s final now preceded by the women’s decider, with the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup final following.
The consequence is that the Steven Mullaney game is kicking off at 10.00am, which is before the gates actually open, which to my mind is a real pity, and needs rectifying.
I was contacted after last year’s final by parents who were unable to get into the ground to watch the early stages of a match in which their children were playing, and I struggled to understand why that should have been the case.
My hope is that mums, dads and close family members will, this Saturday, be in their seats by the time the game kicks off.
I appreciate that logistics, when organising any event, can be – indeed, are – more complicated than those who don’t have to co-ordinate everything might appreciate. Even so, this is an omission which, if not already rectified, needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, the very best of luck to the lads of Ysgol Glantaf and St Peter’s, to their teachers, and to the match officials. A fantastic day awaits.
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ST PETER’S Roman Catholic School, of Orrell, Wigan, and Ysgol Glantaf, of Cardiff, will contest Saturday’s Steven Mullaney Memorial Boys Year 7 InspireSport Champion Schools Final at Wembley.
The game will kick off at 10.00am in a hugely attractive opening to a festival of Rugby League highlighted by the Betfred Challenge Cup final between Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors, with Leeds Rhinos and St Helens going head-to-head in the Women’s decider and Bradford Bulls and Wakefield Trinity closing the action in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup final.
Ysgol Glantaf will step out onto the famous turf having won 38-4 at London’s Langley Park and 18-10 at home to Archbishop Sentamu of Hull, before disposing of Outwood Academy Freeston 50-4 in the semi-finals at Rochdale Mayfield.
St Peter’s accounted for Winifred Holtby (Hull) 28-0 at home, St Benedict’s (Cumbria) 24-0 away and, at the penultimate stage, Hull’s Malet Lambert 26-6.
Ysgol Glantaf (coached by Rhydian Garner): Dai Wicks, Wil Harrison, Sam Fordham, Harry Davies, Jack Witchell, Harri Rees, Rhys Howard, Rhys Meyers, Griff Roberts, Archie Shackle, Jacob Knox, William Evans, Trystan Nichols, Seth Robbins, Ralph Jones, Jacob Gill, Deiniol James, Khaleel Hassan.
St Peter’s (coached by Neil Ashton): Jack Lancaster, Oliver Anderson, Max Amor, James Johnson, Max Dowthwaite, Leo McMullen, Harry Brown, Jake Porter, Theo Molyneux, Jacob Blakemore, Sam Hurst, Joseph Dewsnip, George Hindle, Tyler Cooper, George Ainsworth, Evan Marsh, Jake Roberts, Issac Shaw.
Tyler Topping has been appointed as referee, while Liam Breheny and George Cox are touchjudges. The in-goal judges are Lochlan Miles and Esmai Wright, and Sophie Lumb will undertake interchange duties.
The trophy and players’ medals will be presented by Denise and Terry Mullaney, the parents of Steven Mullaney, together with their daughter Lauren.
Steven thrilled the crowd and millions of television viewers with his try-scoring performance for Wakefield Schools against St Helens Schools in the 1986 curtain-raiser. Tragically, he died the following year in a motor accident outside his school.
First published in League Express newspaper, Issue 3,433 (May 27, 2024)
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