Rugby League’s most historic and prestigious competition reaches its climax as Hull FC take on Wigan Warriors at Wembley in the 2013 Tetley’s Challenge Cup Final, live this Saturday on BBC One.
The Warriors will enter the match as favourites for victory and while Hull FC have won this trophy three times in their history, most recently in 2005, they have never triumphed when the match has been staged at this venue.
If they are to break that record they must defeat a club that has appeared in more finals and secured more final victories than any other in the history of the game.
In the one Super League fixture to take place between these sides during the current campaign, Wigan claimed a 28-20 victory at the KC Stadium, and of the two sides have shown much more consistent form in the league competition since it began in February.
It will be the third time they have met in rugby league’s showpiece event following two previous finals in 1959 and 1985, which were both won by Wigan.
Both clubs endured vastly contrasting semi-final clashes.
Eighteen-time winners Wigan booked their place at Wembley with an astonishing 70-0 win over London Broncos, a record scoreline for a Challenge Cup semi-final.
A run of five defeats in their last seven Super League matches has ended any hope of retaining the League Leaders’ Shield they won in 2012, but the prospect of lifting the Challenge Cup for the second time in three years awaits if Shaun Wane’s side beat Hull at Wembley.
Hull FC, who enjoyed the last of their three cup successes back in 2005, had a much harder match, squeezing past the defending champions Warrington 16-12.
Both Hull FC and Wigan have reached the end of a gruelling eight month long competition that started out featuring many grassroots clubs, climaxing with a spectacular final at Wembley Stadium which not only attracts fans from both competing finalists but the whole rugby league community.
In 1929 the final was played at Wembley Stadium for the first time in an effort to grow the appeal of the sport outside of the traditional northern heartland.
Since then, Wembley has hosted the majority of cup finals and rugby league’s annual pilgrimage to the national stadium is now seen as one of the biggest dates on the British sporting calendar.
2013 finalists Wigan are the cup’s most successful side lifting the famous silver trophy on the most occasions.
This is partly due to their record eight consecutive cup final victories between 1988 and 1995, a feat that remains one of UK sport’s greatest ever cup runs.
Despite this success, Wigan were also victims of one of the competition’s greatest ever giant killings when, in 1998, they were beaten by an unfancied Sheffield Eagles side.
A fresh new chapter in the competition’s long and illustrious history will be written on Saturday afternoon.
BBC Sport will broadcast the 2013 Tetley’s Challenge Cup Final exclusively live on BBC One and in high-definition via BBC One HD.
Mark Chapman presents all the action from Wembley Stadium as he takes charge of his first Challenge Cup final for BBC television.
Build-up to domestic rugby league’s showpiece final begins on BBC One at 2.15pm, 45 minutes before the 3.00pm kick-off time, allowing plenty of time to look ahead to the match, as well as the usual mix of special features and interviews with some of the star names.
Joining Chapman in the studio for expert analysis and comment will be Jon Wilkin and Ian Millward.
Match commentary comes from Dave Woods, Jonathan Davies and Brian Noble, while Tanya Arnold, Damien Johnson and Robbie Hunter-Paul will report from the touchline and conduct interviews with the key players and coaches.
Following the trophy presentation to the 2013 winners, further reaction and post-match analysis will be shown in a special Rugby League Forum on BBC Red Button at 5.15pm.
BBC Radio 5 live will have full live commentary of the final with George Riley and Stuart Pyke, plus the BBC Sport website will be the place to find live streaming of BBC One’s coverage and all the latest news, features, video and live text commentary.
Local radio stations BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Humberside will also broadcast their own coverage of the match.
Sky Sports will screen extended highlights of the final later in the evening at 10.30pm on Sky Sports 4, with Bill Arthur leading the commentary team.
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Saturday 24th August
Challenge Cup Final 2013: Hull FC v Wigan Warriors
Kick-off: 15:00 | Wembley Stadium
LIVE: 2.15pm-5.15pm BBC One Forum: 5.15pm-6.00pm BBC Red Button
Highlights: 10.30pm-11.30pm Sky Sports 4
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