London's calling! How Wigan Warriors, Hull KR and St Helens are looking to become Wembley immortals in Challenge Cup final
St Helens Women take on Wigan Warriors Women in the Challenge Cup final from 11.45am on Saturday May 30 at Wembley; the men's final between Hull KR and Wigan Warriors takes place at 3pm
Tuesday 26 May 2026 17:34, UK
Wembley Way has once again been flooded with football fans from every corner of the leagues, all dreaming of seeing their team immortalised on that iconic turf. For rugby league's elite, that same shot at immortality comes around every single year.
Bolton Wanderers, Hull City and Notts County grasped hold of their opportunity to give their fans a day to remember in north-west London.
They have fought hard all year, and in the end they claimed the promotions their supporters had dared to dream about.
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The story for rugby league is a little bit different.
Dating back to 1896, rugby league's most historic competition sees all levels of the sport battle it out to make it to London. Of course, it is always two of Super League's top sides who make it here, each chasing the first of the three major trophies on offer across the season.
As it was in 2024, this year will see Wigan Warriors and Hull KR battle it out in the men's final.
Outside the stadium, five legends of rugby league are immortalised in a bronze statue. Eric Ashton, Billy Boston, Martin Offiah, Alex Murphy and Gus Risman stand tall as a symbol of what the 34 players who could take to the pitch are aspiring to be.
They are looking to become Wembley immortals; rugby league style.
Between them, these two sides have swept up every major trophy the sport has offered since 2023. Wigan completed the treble in 2024, and Hull KR matched the feat in 2025.
They have spent three years sparring, outmanoeuvring and outdoing one another, and once again they have earned themselves a shot at silverware - fuelled by a rivalry that has steadily grown into one of the sport's most compelling.
Wigan head coach Matt Peet's only loss in a major final came at the hands of the Robins in the Grand Final back in October. Peet walked back down the tunnel into a situation he had never been presented with before. He had to address his players after a loss. It is a speech he will not want to have to give at Wembley too.
Meanwhile, the Robins endured their share of final heartbreaks before finally breaking through, with Mikey Lewis' conversion in the 2025 Challenge Cup final delivering their first major trophy since 1895. Yes, you read that correctly.
Willie Peters' side went from nearly men to the real deal and from it grew into a formidable force. They have experienced it all, climbed to the top of Everest, and now want to feel that high again.
For the first time, both sides have felt major final defeat at the hands of each other and will be doing everything to ensure that does not happen again.
They are clawing to be on top and first stop is Wembley. 80 minutes in London will decide who lands the first blow between the Robins and the Warriors.
A major rivalry steeped in emotion
The women's final between St Helens and Wigan Warriors will be steeped in just as much emotion, as the two dominant forces of the competition meet once again on one of the sport's biggest stages.
St Helens were the Challenge Cup experts winning four in a row from 2021-2024. Then, along came Wigan to spoil their party and they did that in some style with a 42-6 victory over their old foes in 2025.
The new kids on the block made their mark, winning the Challenge Cup, Grand Final and League Leaders' Shield.
The task for the Saints now? To show that they can get the best of their neighbours once again.
With a recent announcement, the stakes have also stepped up for St Helens.
St Helens captain Jodie Cunningham and vice-captain Emily Rudge will both retire from rugby league at the end of the 2026 season.
Lifelong best friends and England's two most-capped women's players, Cunningham and Rudge, who are both 34, will feature in the Challenge Cup final against Wigan at Wembley on Saturday.
The Saints duo went to school together and have been playing alongside each other since 2005. They will bow out following glittering careers.
What a way it would be to bow out with another win at Wembley, beating the team that got the better of them throughout 2025, with a reminder that they are, of course, still a team full of star talent.
Wigan, though, will be looking to maintain their run and keep hold of the trophy they worked so hard for years to clinch.
Both these sides know victory on the Wembley stage. Wigan do not know defeat.
Two of these four sides will forever have made their mark on the iconic turf. Two of them will be scraping the mud from their studs and pushing the sting of defeat to the back of their minds as they turn their focus to the rest of the season.
Either way, London calls - it is up to them who answers.
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