Date fixed for 2027 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley

MAKE a note in your diary for the date of the 2027 Challenge Cup Final, in case Warrington Wolves are involved.

The Wire were knocked out by eventual runners-up Hull KR in the semi-finals of this year’s competition, but made it all the way to Wembley in the previous two seasons.

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Wembley will be the venue again for the showpiece decider in both the men’s and women’s competitions next year.

The date is fixed as Saturday, June 5, 2027, and it will be the contest that marks 20 years since the first men’s final at the new Wembley.

Next year marks the end of the current contract the Rugby Football League has with Wembley Stadium for hosting the Challenge Cup Final.

While it is the traditional home for the cup final, the attendance for Saturday’s showdown between Wigan Warriors and Hull Kingston Rovers was announced as 56,383 – the lowest Wembley attendance for this competition’s final since Warrington’s clash with Catalans Dragons in 2018 which drew in 50,672.

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The attendance is likely to have been impacted by the date being in the middle of the Whit school holidays, Wigan fans having paid out to watch their side play Catalans Dragons in Paris next weekend, and the general cost of living in the UK.

The debate is likely to rage on about whether it is time to stage the final in the north of England in order to reduce the expense for supporters who wish to attend.

Incidentally, next year’s Challenge Cup Final will take place on the same day as the UEFA Champions League Final in Madrid, Spain, which will kick off at 5pm.

QUESTION: Where would you like to see the Challenge Cup Final played in 2028?

Leave your answer in the comments.

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