Every time Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves have met in major finals

Wigan Warriors face Warrington Wolves in the Challenge Cup final this weekend at Wembley Stadium.

Therefore, we look back at every time they’ve met over the years in various competitions.

They faced each other in five Lancashire Cup finals, with Wigan victorious in 1949, 1951, 1986 and 1988, while Warrington’s only win over their cherry-and-white rivals in the final of this competition came in 1981.

Below, however, is every final in the Challenge Cup, Super League and the League Cup.

Two League Cup finals

In the League Cup, which had various names over the years they met twice: in 1987, they faced off in what was then the ‘John Player Special Trophy’ at Burnden Park, Bolton – the former home of Bolton Wanderers FC.

A crowd of over 20,000 saw Wigan run out 18-4 winners after Warrington had baten Widnes in a derby-day semi-final.

They then met again in the penultimate edition of the competition, when it was called the Regal Trophy.

That year, two sides from French Catalonia took part in the competition, as well as some junior clubs, and there were two huge 138-point victories in Round One, with Barrow beating Nottingham City 138-0 and Huddersfield winning 142-4 against Blackpool Gladiators.

Eventually, in the final in Huddersfield, Wigan again were the victors, winning 40-10.

1990 Challenge Cup final – Wigan Warriors win

ON THIS DAY 1990

Ellery Hanley finishes during a 36-14 Challenge Cup Final victory over Warrington at Wembley Stadium. pic.twitter.com/AQIXryZVH1

— Wigan RL History (@WiganRLHistory) April 28, 2021

Warrington came into this hoping for a first cup victory in sixteen years, and faced Wigan for the fourth time in five years.

Brian Johnson’s side, however, quickly had all hope of this elusive victory snatched away, as Ellery Hanley, Shaun Edwards, Joe Lydon and co. ensured another Challenge Cup victory – the club’s eleventh in its existence.

It was also the third of a remarkable string of sucessive Challenge Cup wins that spanned eight years, until they suffered a shock defeat to Salford reds in the Fifth Round of the 1996 edition of the competition.

2013 Super League Grand Final – Wigan Warriors win

Warrington came into this game hoping to avenge their defeat at the same stage the year before, when Tony Smith’s side lost to Leeds Rhinos.

They came out well, leading 16-2 at half-time and looking well on their way to a first-ever Super League Grand Final victory.

Current Hull FC interim coach Simon Grix was amongst the scorers in the first-half, while their Director of Rugby, Richie Myler, also lined up for the Wolves.

However, in the end, they suffered a second-successive Grand Final defeat as the Warriors hit back with 28 unanswered second-half points, which also gave the Warriors a league and cup double after a Wembley victory… over Hull FC.

2016 Super League Grand Final – Wigan win

By now, it was 61 years since Warrington had won a league title, and they were desperate to change that.

Again, they went into the half-time break ahead, after a try and a conversion from Declan Patton had them 6-2 up.

However, Oli Gildart and Josh Charnley, now Super League veterans, hit back in the second-half, crushing Wire’s dreams once again, winning 12-6 and securing Wigan’s 21st league title.

2018 Super League Grand Final – Wigan Warriors win again

I’m sure you’ll have sensed a theme by now, as yet again, Wigan Warriors kept Warrington’s wait for a league title going for even longer as they won at Old Trafford yet again.

It was again Warrington that started best, as Josh Charnley’s try opened the scoring, but Dominic Manfredi and Tom Davies’ tries for Wigan ensured they were, this time, in the lead at the break, and a further try from Manfredi with just minutes left of the game confirmed the victory.

That day, Sam Powell, now of Warrington, was hooker for Wigan Warriors, while George Williams was also lining up for them. Stefan Ratchford, Joe Philbin and Toby King, playing that day, are also again at Warrington.

Meanwhile, Mike Cooper, who played for Warrington in that game, now plays for Wigan, as does Liam Farrell, who has remained at the club since then.