The attendance for yesterday’s Challenge Cup Final between Hull KR and Wigan Warriors sat at 56,383 , but where does that rank in terms of all time attendances?
Wigan were comfortable winners at Wembley, defeating the Robins 40-10 in a clinical display under the sun.
Lance Todd Trophy winner Jack Farrimond and Adam Keighran both crossed twice in the win, whilst the returning Bevan French, Junior Nsemba and Luke Thompson also got on the scoresheet.
KR looked to be in with a chance of a comeback after Peta Hiku’s first try came on the stroke of half-time, but his second would come as mere consolation, as Wigan sealed the trophy for a record-extending 22nd time.
With 56,383 in attendance to watch them lift the trophy, we have trawled through the decades to see where yesterday’s attendance ranks in Challenge Cup Final history.
Where the 2026 Challenge Cup Final ranks in the all-time attendance list
The attendance record, set in 1954 when Warrington played Halifax at Odsal, will likely never be beaten, with 102,569 fans packing into the West Yorkshire stadium that day.
Recent history also tells us that the Challenge Cup Final just isn’t as well-supported as it used to be, with the last time a crowd of over 70,000 watched on was back in 2016.
There have been 64 Finals that have notched up a crowd of 70,000+, something that looks a huge feat nowadays.
The 56,383 this year ranks 77th overall, and ranks sixth in the six Challenge Cup Finals since 2021.
Challenge Cup Finals with a crowd of 60-70,000:
65th – 2017: Hull FC 18-14 Wigan – 68,525
66th – 2001: St Helens 13-6 Bradford – 68,250
67th – 2000: Bradford 24-18 Leeds – 67,247
68th – 1955: Barrow 21-12 Workington – 66,513
69th – 1958: Wigan 13-9 Workington – 66,109
70th – 2006: St Helens 42-12 Huddersfield – 65,187
71st – 2024: Wigan 18-8 Warrington – 64,845
72nd – 2025: Hull KR 8-6 Warrington – 63,278
73rd – 2019: Warrington 18-4 St Helens -62,717
74th – 2002: Wigan 21-12 St Helens – 62,140
75th – 1998: Sheffield 17-8 Wigan – 60,669
Challenge Cup Finals with a crowd of 55-60,000:
76th – 2023: Leigh 17-16 Hull KR (AET) – 58,313
77th – 2026: Wigan 40-10 Hull KR – 56,383
78th – 1939: Halifax 20-3 Salford – 55,543
