A Super League CEO has stated that he thinks that the Challenge Cup final may have to be held ‘somewhere else’ as opposed to Wembley Stadium.
Warrington Wolves chief, Karl Fitzpatrick, has spoken out on his thoughts about a potential stadium switch, which could see the Challenge Cup Final moved from England’s national stadium.
The cup final has been held at Wembley since 1929, where Wigan beat Dewsbury in front of a crowd of 41,500.
However, turnout to the showpiece event has decreased over the last decade. The last time there was a crowd of over 70,000 was 2016, and attendances since Covid have failed to reach 65,000.
Fitzpatrick knows what Wembley means to the game, but admits questions also need to be asked whether it is really the best venue for fans.
Warrington Wolves chief makes Challenge Cup admission
Speaking to CityAM this week, he said: “I understand the nostalgia and I understand the history. I was a Wigan fan growing up, so I used to go to Wembley all the time. And it was a big occasion. Where it sits now, in order of priorities; it has dropped behind the Grand Final but now we throw into the mix Catalans away, then we have Magic Weekend.”
He added: “I’m not sure. My heart is saying yes [stay] but my head is saying we may need to look at somewhere else.
Fitzpatrick mentioned the different events that rugby league fans bookmark in the calendar and thinks that it is just too much for the supporters to afford.
He said: “You could [also] have Toulouse [away]… and on top of that throw Vegas in the mix as well – goodness it starts to add up, it starts to be quite expensive.”
He added: “Our demographic, they’ve got limited surplus income. So then going on a trip down to London can be expensive.”
Wembley will also host the first test in the Ashes series between England and Australia. The Wolves chief hopes that the game will be a success in the capital but is sceptical about whether the game has done enough to sell it out.
He said: “Hopefully the Ashes series has a big impact on the game at Wembley Stadium, but have we done enough as a game to really have a good shot at filling it? The answer to that may be yes, but I don’t know.”
Catalans Dragons vs Warrington Wolves team news as Sam Burgess loses another man to injury
