The Race to Wembley

15 June 2019

AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Racing Driver Challenge gets underway!

Rugby League fans are being offered the chance to win a seven-night stay at the Lake District’s luxurious Ullswater Heights, with £500 spending money, courtesy of 1895 Cup title sponsor AB Sundecks.

This weekend (Sunday 16 June) sees the launch of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup ‘Racing Driver Challenge’ at Leigh Sports Village, prior to the Leigh Centurions versus Bradford Bulls Betfred Championship clash.

The challenge involves racing the AB Sundecks Formula One simulator around three laps of the famous Silverstone circuit. ‘Drivers’ will have their fastest lap time recorded and the fastest 10 to emerge from the semi-final stage will compete for the top prize at Wembley Stadium itself on Saturday 24 August. All finalists will receive two tickets to the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final, also taking place at Wembley Stadium on the same day, plus an official Steeden AB Sundecks 1895 Cup replica match ball which if requested in advance can be signed by the winning team.

Laura Beaumont, Marketing Director at AB Sundecks, says: “If you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton, or you simply want to experience the thrill of Formula One without risking life and limb, Leigh Sports Village is the place to be this weekend. All competitors will have a coaching lap beforehand so absolutely anybody can have a go.

“The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup ‘Racing Driver Challenge’ is an exciting addition to our overall support for the 1895 Cup and all Rugby League fans are invited to give it a go. As well as the top prize we are offering runners-up prizes including a weekend break at Leisure Resorts’ Aysgarth Lodge Holidays with £200 spending money and Betfred Super League Grand Final tickets.”

Round one of the ‘Racing Driver Challenge’ gets underway from 1pm on Sunday (16 June), with further rounds to be scheduled over the coming weeks to coincide with the quarter and semi-final stages of the at the AB Sundecks 1895 itself. Additional venues may be added leading up to the semi-finals to give as many fans as possible the chance to enter the competition.

The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup is a new competition which offers non-Super League clubs an additional and more realistic opportunity of reaching Wembley. Details have now been confirmed for the quarter-finals, in which seven clubs from the Betfred Championship are joined by Doncaster of Betfred League One – meaning they are all only two wins from Wembley.

All four quarter finals will be played on Wednesday 26 June. They are:
Doncaster v Sheffield Eagles (LD Nutrition Stadium, Featherstone, KO 7.30pm)
Leigh Centurions v Barrow Raiders (Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens, KO 7.30pm)
York City Knights v Batley Bulldogs (Bootham Crescent, 7.30pm)

Widnes Vikings v Dewsbury Rams (Halton Stadium, 8pm)
Doncaster and Leigh Centurions have both been forced to switch their home ties to neutral grounds, because of the non-availability of their home grounds.

Golden point extra-time will be played in any of the quarter finals that are drawn after 80 minutes, meaning the four winners will enter the semi-final draw – which will be held the following evening, Thursday 27 June, live on BBC Radio Merseyside during their Try Time programme. The semi-finals will be played on Sunday 28 July, the day after the Coral Challenge Cup semi-finals in Bolton.