Wigan schools to meet at Wembley as St Peter’s and Deanery secure final spots
Wigan schools Orrell St Peter’s Catholic High School and The Deanery Church of England High School will meet at Wembley Stadium after both booked their places in the rugby league Year 7 Boys Champion Schools final.
The two schools secured impressive semi-final victories to set up an all-Wigan showdown in the Steven Mullaney Memorial Match, which will be played as part of the Challenge Cup Finals Day later this month.
St Peter’s produced a dominant display to defeat Castleford Academy 54-6 in the first semi-final.
The Wigan side started strongly and quickly took control through confident attacking play, building pressure from the opening stages. Castleford continued to work hard throughout and managed to get themselves on the scoresheet before the break, with the conversion making it 24-6 at half-time.
Despite Castleford showing determination in the second half and continuing to search for openings, St Peter’s remained composed and continued to add points. Their attack proved too strong as they sealed a convincing victory and another appearance at Wembley.
Deanery High School then completed the all-Wigan final line-up with a 34-10 win against Liberty High School.
Deanery made an early breakthrough and quickly settled into the game, using their pace and teamwork to build a commanding lead. Several well-worked tries helped them establish a 24-0 advantage by the interval.
Liberty responded with great spirit after the break and were rewarded with two second-half tries as they continued to battle throughout the contest. However, Deanery stayed in control and closed out the game with another impressive display to confirm their place in the final.
The occasion continues Wigan’s strong tradition in the Champion Schools competition, with schools from the town regularly reaching the latter stages over the years.
The Year 7 Boys final is played in memory of Steven Mullaney, who scored a famous solo try in the Wembley curtain-raiser match in 1986 before tragically passing away the following year.
This year’s final guarantees Wigan representation on one of rugby league’s biggest stages once again, with both schools now preparing for a memorable day at Wembley Stadium.
The Challenge Cup Finals Day takes place in the capital on Saturday, May 30, with the Steven Mullaney Memorial Match, Women’s Challenge Cup final, and Men’s Challenge Cup final being played on the same day.