Challenge Cup final 2023: Talking points for rugby league’s historic women’s and men’s Wembley showpiece | Rugby League News

History will be made at Wembley Stadium on Saturday as the women’s and men’s Betfred Challenge Cup finals take place on the same day at the same venue for the first time.

Wembley has been, with the odd exception, the home of the men’s final since 1929, but this year the women will grace the hallowed turf as well as holders St Helens and two-time winners Leeds Rhinos contest the Women’s Challenge Cup final at the national stadium.

That is followed by the men’s final, where Hull Kingston Rovers are aiming to add to their sole Challenge Cup success in 1980 and Leigh Leopards have their sights on a first Wembley triumph in over half a century. Here, we take a look at some of the big talking points for both matches…

Challenge Cup final essential reading

Women’s Challenge Cup final: St Helens vs Leeds Rhinos (12pm)

St Helens come into the Women’s Challenge Cup final as the holders after beating the Leeds Rhinos 18-8 in last year’s final at Elland Road, with the experience of Emily Rudge and Jodie Cunningham continuing to guide them.

With new head coach Matty Smith at the helm, the Saints have worked through a period of transition after losing seven starting players in the off-season, learning to rely on some of the young and fresher faces in the squad.

Rudge and Cunningham are two of the pioneers of the women’s game having played in the Champion Schools Finals together in high school to now walking out at Wembley Stadium and they will be hoping it is another moment a dream becomes reality.

“It would just give us massive confidence [to retain the Cup],” Rudge said. “When we first started the year, we lost seven starting players and when we played that first game of the season and got beaten by York I was thinking ‘oh god, this is going to be a tough year’.

“So, to now be at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final and on the back of some of the performances we’ve had against top teams, we are so much more confident now and I’m really positive going into this final and the back end of the league.

“We’re building quite nicely towards the back end of the season going into the play-offs and, hopefully, the Grand Final.”

Despite growing in confidence this season, the Saints will know the Leeds side have many a star they will need to shut down to win the game and one of them they know very well in Amy Hardcastle.

Hardcastle moved from St Helens to Leeds this season and shutting down her strong, hard, and dangerous running will be key if the Saints want to be crowned Challenge Cup winners for the third year running at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

Leeds’ Amy Hardcastle is up against her former St Helens team-mates at Wembley

Likewise, Leeds have been one of the standard-bearers in the women’s game, taking the major step along with York Valkyrie of paying their players this season.

They know how to win big occasions but will be doing it without some big names, with Kaiya Glynn and England hooker Keara Bennett banned for the occasion, and Georgia Roche, Georgia Hale and Fran Goldthorp moving to play in Australia’s NRLW earlier this year.

Despite some big names ruled out, they have a star-studded roster full of internationals who will have only grown from their World Cup experience and will be firmly focused on making right their loss to the Saints in last year’s Final.

They also have a pioneer in Lois Forsell at the helm who will also aim to be not only the first female coach, but the first coach full stop to win the Women’s Challenge Cup at Wembley.

Both teams have landmark and historic storylines, on Saturday we will find out who gets to write them.

Men’s Challenge Cup final: Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards (3pm)

At the start of the 2023 season, few would have predicted a Challenge Cup final between a Hull KR side which finished eighth in the Betfred Super League last year and a rebranded Leigh Leopards team which had only just been promoted back from the Betfred Championship.

The Leopards in particular have taken Super League by storm this year, currently sitting third and building on last year’s double success which saw them claim the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup – which this year will be fought out by Batley Bulldogs and Halifax Panthers at Wembley (5.30pm) – along with promotion.

Owner Derek Beaumont has invested heavily in the playing side, but Leigh captain John Asiata, who was part of last year’s successes, puts their impressive year so far down to the work done by head coach Adrian Lam and the players as well.

“One of the things we wanted to be known as was a team who works hard for each and that’s what we’ve been doing all year,” Asiata said. “Obviously we’ve got all the fancy stuff we want to do, but we can’t do any of that if the hard work isn’t done first and that has been the basis of the season.

“Then also just believing in what we can do as a club. No one gave us a chance, but only us in our little circle can change that and change everyone else’s perspective in what they think of us.

“It took a long time, but I think people are starting to see what we’re doing, people’s perspective of us as a team is changing, and that all comes down to us and the goals we want to achieve at the end.”

This is Leigh’s first Challenge Cup final appearance since the team captained by all-time great Alex Murphy lifted the trophy in 1971, while Hull KR are aiming to end a 43-year wait for glory in this competition after final defeats in 1986 and 2015.

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Hull KR’s Brad Schneider reflects on a successful start to life in England and outlines what he and his side must do on Saturday against Leigh Leopards in the Challenge Cup final

That 1980 triumph is particularly remembered in East Hull due to Roger Millward’s side beating their bitter cross-city rivals Hull FC at Wembley, and Robins forward Elliot Minchella knows what it would mean to create their own history too.

“You’ve got to recognise history – what those blokes did that day, everyone still talks about it in Hull today,” Minchella said. “We want to write our own story, our own history and be the team people talk about.

“You have to respect that, but also learn from what happened in 2015 when the club made it to the final and what went wrong that day. We’re going to learn from it and not make the same mistake twice.

“I’ve been on a bit of a journey and the opportunity to play in the Challenge Cup final and win the Challenge Cup are what dreams are made of. It’s a big task ahead, but it’s an exciting one.”

How to follow the Challenge Cup final

Sky Sports will have a live blog with updates from both the women’s and the men’s finals on the website and app from 11.30am on Saturday. We will also bring you full reports and reaction from both games.