I’M looking forward enormously to the return of the Challenge Cup Final to Wembley and it’s great to see two teams there who have been largely strangers there since Hull KR’s triumph against Hull in 1980 and Leigh’s victory over Leeds in 1971.
The Robins were there of course in 2015, when they were beaten by the largest ever Challenge Cup Final margin, 50-0, by the Rhinos.
Of the seventeen Rovers players from that game, none are still with the club, which is perhaps fortunate. But whatever went wrong on that occasion, I’m sure it’s still in the collective memory of Rovers owner Neil Hudgell and I very much doubt whether it will be repeated.
On the other hand, two of the Leeds players from that day – Zak Hardaker and Tom Briscoe – are now playing for Leigh, while Ryan Hall is now playing for Hull KR.
Of course Briscoe scored five tries for Leeds on that day and won the Lance Todd Trophy.
I’m sure that he and Hardaker will have plenty of advice for their team-mates on how to handle the big day.
And so, I’m sure, will their director of rugby Chris Chester, who was the Hull KR coach on that fateful day in 2015.
But I would just like to encourage as many readers as possible to buy tickets for the big day. After all, there are six separate clubs playing at Wembley on that day, with Batley making their first ever visit to Wembley to face Halifax in the 1895 Cup Final, while St Helens and Leeds Rhinos will clash in the women’s game.
It would be good to think that Wembley will look near to full on 12 August and I’m glad to see the RFL advertising the event in League Express.
Order your tickets, regardless of which club you support, at www.rugby-league.com/tickets/challenge-cup-final.
