Challenge Cup is back
Post categories: Rugby
|10:40 UK time, Friday, 30 March 2007
Live rugby league is back on the BBC this weekend with two games from the fourth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup. And for the first time we will have interactive coverage on Saturday with a 30 minute forum following coverage of Warrington v Hull KR (kick-off 2.30pm, BBC One).
Saturday's tie is the only all-Super League clash of the round and on Sunday BBC cameras are at the Halton Stadium for Widnes v Wigan (kick-off 2.45pm, BBC Two).
As editor of both codes of rugby I'm often asked which is my favourite. My answer is simple: I was born and brought up in Widnes. End of, as I believe the vogue phrase goes among young people.
Seriously, it means that while I've grown to love rugby union through playing, watching and now working with the sport, rugby league is in my blood and the Challenge Cup, in particular, will always have a magical quality.
I made my first trip to the old Wembley as an 11-year old to see Widnes beat arch-rivals Warrington in 1975. And as my grandad lifted me on his shoulders for the presentation he said: “Make the most of this, son. We don't come here very often.”
The next year my grandad died, hours after Widnes had beaten Featherstone in the semi-final to earn a return to Wembley. He missed out on a golden era that saw my hometown practically twinned with the North London suburb as we played in SEVEN finals in ten seasons - winning the cup four times.
Buses, trains and cars would join a mass exodus each of those years as almost half the town's population would head for London for some of the greatest days of our lives. The twin towers had an almost mythic power as we headed down Wembley Way.
Coincidentally, the last of those in finals (in 1984) brought victory over Sunday's opponents Wigan. Widnes' only final appearance since then (in 1993) ended in defeat at the hands of the great Wigan side that won a record eight successive finals at Wembley from 1988-95.
This year, of course, the final returns to Wembley for the first time since its much-troubled redevelopment and I'm sure Wigan will be keen to be there for that moment of history, just as they were at the original stadium in 1929.
That will be a question on Saturday for their coach Brian Noble, who joins Clare Balding in the studio, along with Robbie Paul (who plays for last year's finalists Huddersfield). Robbie was the first ever man to score a hat-trick in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley in Bradford's defeat by St Helens in 1996.
And Brian and Robbie, along with match commentators Ray French and Jonathan Davies, will join Clare at 4.30pm for our first interactive forum after we leave BBC One. It will be on BBCi until 5pm.
This will be a regular feature of our coverage this year. If you have questions for discussion please text them to 81111 or e-mail [email protected].
Topics certain to be under discussion are Tony Smith's appointment as the new GB coach, Chris Ashton's move to Northampton RU from Wigan and a look ahead to Sunday's game. Watch out too for a nostalgic look back at that 1993 final, where Jonathan played stand-off for Widnes.
On Sunday, Clare's guests will be Paul Sculthorpe, captain of cup holders St Helens, and Hull KR's young coach Justin Morgan. Also there, as our pitchside guest, will be Joe Lydon, legend of both Widnes and Wigan (and for once I think that overused term is justified).
Joe will be dashing up the motorway after commentating on BBC's coverage of the Hong Kong Sevens rugby union tournament - highlights of which are on BBC Two on Sunday at 11.30am.
