CHALLENGE CUP Final Day will have yet another new date from next year, with the showpiece event to be moved to June.
A new two-year deal has been agreed to stage the Challenge Cup, Women’s Challenge Cup and 1895 Cup Finals at Wembley on Saturday, June 8 next year, and an unannounced date in June 2025.
It means next year’s event will be at a sixth different time of year in six seasons since a run of August Bank Holiday finals ended in 2019.
In 2020, Covid pushed the final back to October; in 2021 it was moved to June; the 2022 edition at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was played in May; and this year’s took place at the weekend, back in August, but not on the Bank Holiday.
For much of the previous century, the Challenge Cup Final was played on the first Saturday in May, at the end of the season.
The announcement also confirms that the women’s final, held at Wembley for the very first time on Saturday, and 1895 Cup showpiece will remain at Wembley for two more years.
Rhodri Jones, the managing director of Rugby League Commercial, said the new date was part of IMG’s plans for a restructured calendar from 2024.
“This fits with the Reimagining of Rugby League through the sport’s long-term partnership with IMG, as we work towards a restructured calendar, and also maintain the double-header of Men’s and Women’s Challenge Cup Finals given the growth potential of the women’s and girls’ game,” said Jones.
