York Knights claimed the 1895 Cup in a tense final at Wembley, but Ben Jones-Bishop could only watch the drama unfold from the sidelines.
IT MAY not have been as huge as the opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics but substitute the Seine for the Ouse and a river parade on a tourist boat was equally memorable for the players, staff and many fans after York landed their first ever Wembley win in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final.
For prolific try-scoring outside back Ben Jones-Bishop it was a culmination of managing a weekend of vastly differing emotions, albeit mostly good.
The former Leeds, Salford, Wakefield and Sheffield star, now in his second stint with the Knights, joined from the Eagles just seven days after helping the South Yorkshire outfit beat Doncaster in the early rounds of what has become an avidly sought-after trophy race for Betfred Championship clubs and below.
That last appearance in a red shirt would return to bite the 36-year old Yorkshireman as it ‘cup tied’ him – thus ruling out his participation in later rounds, as York progressed to the competition’s climax.
So the man who has claimed well over 230 tries in more than 370 games since coming through the Rhinos’ academy, was resigned to becoming the latest star-studded ‘water carrier’ to appear on the famous north-west London stage.
Having previously been to Wembley four times as a player – twice in the Challenge Cup with Leeds and once with York (scoring in their 34-41 1895 Cup Final defeat by Featherstone in 2021) and 12 months ago with Sheffield – and lost every time, the sweetness of the Knights historic 5-4 success and revenge victory over Rovers came with mixed emotions.
Following a late night celebrating on the river cruise through the historic Roman town Bish, as he has become affectionately known, reflected: “I’m not drinking at the moment but some of the guys celebrated and will have had a rough head the day after.”
No amount of rain could stop them singing when Liam Harris decided the first ever try-less final with a golden point drop goal 12 seconds from the end of the opening period of extra time.
“We were all absolutely drenched and I don’t think people watching on TV realized how wet it was!
“As soon as we got to the stadium it began raining and made even warming up very slippery.
“I think it did make a difference to the game because both sides usually play really flowing rugby.
“If anything I think it made it quicker as it was very slippy and some of the boys mentioned that it made any contact difficult and as soon as you hit the floor, you slid, although I thought both teams handled the conditions really well.”
Conditions were tailor-made for a razor sharp winger, adept at sliding in along the ground from a few metres out, but on the day, among the best of those was consigned to ferrying water bottles and instructions from the bench.
“Definitely,” Jones-Bishop agreed: “Maybe even from ten yards out, although it would have been just as easy to slide into touch!
“It therefore became less expansive and more about getting to the end of your sets and putting pressure on the opposition as they tried to come out of their own end.”
The two-time Grand Final winner spoke of the contrasting feelings surrounding his latest Wembley visit, continuing: “It was a bit disappointing on that front but I knew that might be the case when I signed from Sheffield.
“Yet to be a part of it all was great and I’m really thrilled for the boys who did play.
“The build up was good and Mark Applegarth asked me to speak to the boys the night before, which I wasn’t too sure about doing but did and hopefully passed on some advice before presenting the boys their shirts.”
BJB obviously forgot to advise them to “drop a goal in plenty of time if it is close,” but the message did eventually get out and Liam Harris tried once in the closing stages, again early in extra time and it was ‘third time lucky’, with 12 seconds of the first additional period remaining, to finally bisect the posts and decide the issue.
“The whole weekend was a different experience for me, from representing the club at the RFL’s remembrance service (the day before) onwards.
“I found it tough being around the camp on Saturday, to be honest, but my younger brother Conor lives in London, so I managed to get away from it for a while and do some sightseeing, before returning to be with the team.
“You want to be playing but just to be a part of a team winning at Wembley is pretty special.”
BJB reminisced about the circumstances which took him back to York earlier this season, explaining: “With everything that happened to Mark Aston (the indiscretion and controversial subsequent ban), and then a new coach brought in – Craig Lingard is a lovely guy but I just didn’t want to go through a ‘rebuild’ at this stage of my career.”
York offered an opportunity to reunite with Mark Applegarth, with whom he had been coached during much of his five years at Wakefield and he decided to return to the historic walled city.
“The last few years my contracts have run one year at a time and then I can assess where I am at,” he added.
“But I’m feeling good and playing well and have a good agent that looks after that sort of thing.”
Having scored an incredible 14 tries in his first nine games for the Knights, it would be a major surprise if the career-long try-poacher was not offered an extension at the LNER Stadium.
“I’ve got a big World Cup qualifying game (for Jamaica) against France in October and will think more about that after that.
“The goal is coming back (to Wembley) next year and winning again!”
Looking back on an 18-year career as a professional, BJB muses: “It’s hard to pick highlights as it’s different when you are full time to when it doesn’t become the main part of your life.
“I’m part of a young squad and think I’ve been brought in to add some experience.
“When I was a young kid at Leeds and found myself among the more senior players, the older heads, were their to give a bit of advice and I think it’s my role to do a similar thing.
“The young boys are confident and do their stuff but occasionally need some guidance, so if there is anything I can do, I will do it.”
Harris and tireless hooker Paul McShane commented at the post match press conference about “the closeness of the group and atmosphere within the club”. BJB nodded and said: “I agree – it’s not just the 1-17 but the whole squad, everyone around the club.
“As a kid I’d watch from the top of the old south stand at Headingley, week and in week out, then find myself in changing rooms playing with those guys.
“And to have success with Leeds, so early in my career – winning Grand Finals was pretty special.
“Then representing Jamaica – helping them get to the World Cup and scoring their first ever try in the competition against New Zealand at Hull.
“It was my 300th game against, at the time, the number one ranked team in the World and very special.”
The unbridled joy of the celebrations with his teammates would make anyone think the Reggae Warriors had won the Cup and not been in the process of a 13-try rout against a then rampant Kiwi side.
“I made a commitment back in 2016 and the goal was to get Jamaica to the World Cup and play in it.
“A lot of people laughed at the time and it took six years to achieve and that was a pinnacle of a really long journey which wasn’t always a straight line!”
Battling for recognition and funds in a relatively small nation experiencing incredible success in track and field athletics, through the likes of Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, Kishane Thompson and many others, plus netball’s ‘Sunshine Girls’ – ranked number three on the planet – must have seemed like climbing Everest.
“I learned that no matter how you get there, you have to persevere and the experience helped me grow.
“While I was at Wakefield I had kids (wife Eva presented BJB with two children: Tahlia, now eight, and Reuben, six) and I grew up as a person during that time.
“Going part-time was a big shock and my first spell at York took some adapting to.
“I started my business (property development) around 2015, when I joined Wakefield, and up until then playing rugby was the main part of my life.
“So that was a big transition and Sheffield were great in helping there too – I really got on well with Mark Aston – and now in my second spell at York back with Mark Applegarth, I’m enjoying my rugby while still trying to be the best that I can be.
“Now we’ve won our first major trophy, we’ve ticked that box and are now trying to cement our place in the league, crack the top two and do well in the play offs.
“A couple of coaches have told me that you are a long time retired so while I’m still training well, training hard and there a couple of people who I trust and value their opinion.
“So until they tell me that my performances are dipping, I’m still very happy to play as long as I stay at the top.
“The other consideration is commitment – I have a couple of young kids who are starting to do things as well and if that starts to get in the way, it might be time to have a re-think.
“For the immediate future it’s full steam ahead.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 510 (July 2025)