Featherstone’s perfect season continues as they win the 1895 Cup at Wembley

James Webster’s Rovers beat the York City Knights 41-34 in what was a tremendous advert for the Championship.

It’s been a long 16 months for everyone, and fans of all sports have been absent for far too long, and we have all had to get used to watching from behind a screen. For fans of championship clubs though, it was a case of getting used to not seeing their team play at all with the 2020 season curtailed.

The 2021 season started behind closed doors, but gradually fans have been allowed back into the grounds to see some Championship action once again. Fans have slowly been returning since mid-May, every game from Round nine onwards has had a number of spectators present.

With full capacity crowds returning, there’s plenty to look forward to for fans of all sports, but this Saturday posed an opportunity for fans of four Rugby League clubs to see their team play on the hallowed turf at Wembley. After everything that has happened, this was a very special proposition for all involved.

This was, of course, due to the 1895 Cup final being played in a doubleheader with the Challenge Cup final. However, there was a difference from 2019, where the 1895 cup final was contested after the ‘main event’ the challenge cup final, and consequently saw small crowds and TV figures. As a result, the decision was taken to have the 1895 cup final played as a team predecessor to Castleford Tigers vs St.Helens.

This gave the players of the two sides a chance to put themselves on the map and perform on a nationwide stage, showing the talent and quality that exists in the Championship. The game certainly didn’t disappoint…

York’s form heading into this game didn’t bode well for them up against an unbeaten Featherstone Rovers side. Six straight league defeats had seen York slide all the way down to 12th in the Championship, leaving them just outside the relegation zone.

Featherstone have shown that they can dismantle teams, putting 60+ past Dewsbury, Newcastle and London in three consecutive games. Cup competitions can, as we know, act as levellers, and if anything could get York up for this game, Wembley stadium certainly could, and it did.

Featherstone dominated the early stages and were rewarded as such with an early try. This set off the alarm bells for York fans and indeed for the neutral, who undoubtedly wanted to see this game be a contest. York answered back with a fabulous take and try from Ben Jones-Bishop just minutes later.

York were able to keep up with Featherstone throughout most of the first half, responding to a Craig Kopzcak try with one from Sam Scott. The game looked to be going into halftime well poised at 12-10, but a late flurry from Fev saw Jacob Doyle and Fa’amanu Brown go over and give the favourites a sizeable 22-10 half-time lead.

York however responded with two quickfire tries after half-time and the momentum swung in the favour of the City Knights. The best teams find a way to respond to these moments of adversity, and certainly did so as Jacob Doyle, James Harrison and Craig Hall all scored in the ten minute period leading up to the hour mark.

Against such high-quality opposition, it would have been quite easy for York to fold, but James Ford’s men did no such thing and fought to the very end, despite some excruciatingly warm conditions. They were rewarded for such with Mikey Lewis running in following a Featherstone mistake, as well as a late Perry Whiteley score. Unfortunately for York though, it was all too little too late, and Featherstone’s perfect season continues with a trophy to add to the cabinet.

For Featherstone, this will just be the first step in what they hope is a history-making season that will see them return to the Super League, but they will have to see off the likes of Toulouse if they are to do that.

This, however, is undoubtedly an excellent achievement, and it proved their ability to reach goals they set themselves having targeted a win in this competition right from the very start of the season. They’ll look now to go on and get the rest of their business done, but Rovers undoubtedly gave their fans a day at Wembley they will never forget.

As for York, they certainly can leave with their heads held high, having given Featherstone a real game and refusing to quit at any point during the 80. Of course, York will be disappointed, but James Ford will be looking to take the positives from this performance and turn it into some league form. Undoubtedly, if they start playing as they did in this game in the league, they will see themselves move back up the table.

The real winners of this game were the fans and the Championship as a whole. This match was played on the biggest stage of them all between two very good Championship sides and provided an incredibly entertaining match for everyone to see. There was some really high-quality Rugby League played throughout, showcasing the standard of players that you can find in the second tier of English Rugby League.

In 2019 (the last full season with capacity crowds), the average Championship attendance was 2,645 with lows of less than 400 at some matches. Of course, location and history all play factors in these crowd sizes, but interest in the game as a whole needs to increase to help boost the fan bases of these clubs.

This final certainly will not have done the Championship, or indeed the game as a whole any harm as it provided a fantastic advert with some great action from both sides. Hopefully, we will see some big Championship attendances in the weeks to come following this fabulous advert for Rugby League’s second tier!