AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Semi-Finals!

27 June 2023

The details of the Semi Finals of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup have been confirmed! London Broncos will play Halifax Panthers at Rosslyn Park FC on Saturday July 22 with a 5pm kick-off. Then the York Knights will play Batley Bulldogs at the LNER Community Stadium on Sunday July 23 with a midday kick-off. Broadcast details for both games will be confirmed next week.

That means there will be a bumper weekend of six Semi Finals, including the Betfred Challenge Cups – three on Sunday and three on Saturday, kicking off with York Valkyrie taking on St Helens in the first Semi Final of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup at 11:45am.

The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup is guaranteed to have a fourth winner in its fourth year, since it was launched in 2019 to give non-Super League clubs a second and more realistic chance of making it to Challenge Cup Finals Day.

Leigh are the holders, having beaten Featherstone Rovers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer.

Featherstone were the 2021 winners, beating York at Wembley, and Sheffield Eagles won the first Final against Widnes Vikings in 2019, also at Wembley – with the competition cancelled in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Final was York’s first Wembley appearance since they lost to Halifax in the Challenge Cup Final in 1931 – but they are now 80 minutes away from a second appearance in three seasons.

Halifax have the strongest Wembley pedigree of this year’s 1895 Cup Semi Finalists, with the last three of their five Challenge Cup wins coming at the national stadium, in 1931, 1939 and most recently 1987 against St Helens – in addition to four losing Final appearances, the latest in 1988 against Wigan.

London Broncos made their single Wembley appearance in the Challenge Cup Final in 1999, losing to Leeds Rhinos, leaving Batley as the only one of this year’s AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Semi Finalists who are aiming for their first Wembley appearance.

The Gallant Youths, as they were then known, were the first winners of the Challenge Cup in 1897, retained the trophy the following year, and won it for a third time in 1901 – but those matches were all played at Headingley, well before the bold decision to take the Final to Wembley in 1929.



The 2023 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final will be played as part of Challenge Cup Finals Day at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 12 – kicking off at 515pm, following the Women’s and Men’s Challenge Cup Finals.

Tickets are still available, from £20 for adults and £10 for juniors - https://www.rugby-league.com/tickets/challenge-cup-final