Wembley Stadium
London (Wembley), Greater London, England
Wembley Stadium, London (Wembley), England — opened The rebuilt (current) Wembley Stadium opened 9 Mar 2007, 33 rugby league games hosted, home of Not a club home ground — a neutral national venue.
Sourcing caveat: See opened_caveat above regarding this entry's 1997 start date, an unresolved database-organisation question rather than a confirmed fact about the physical stadium.
Ground facts
| Opened | The rebuilt (current) Wembley Stadium opened 9 Mar 2007 (This site's own venue directory tracks 'Wembley Stadium (Old)' (1929-1999, the ground's primary rugby league identity for most of the 20th century, covered in a separate write-up) and 'Wembley Stadium' (this entry) separately. This entry's own recorded date range starts in 1997, before the new stadium existed — direct WebFetch verification of Rugby League Project's results page found the earliest match recorded under this specific directory entry is a 3 May 1997 Challenge Plate Final (a lower-tier competition final, not the main Challenge Cup Final), suggesting Rugby League Project itself may distinguish 'main Challenge Cup Final' fixtures (recorded under the Old Wembley entry through 1999) from other finals (recorded under this entry) rather than this reflecting an error about which physical stadium hosted which match. Flagged as an unresolved database-organisation quirk rather than picked apart.) |
| Home club | Not a club home ground — a neutral national venue |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 33 |
| Top recorded crowd | 85,217 |
| Capacity | 90,000 (standard configuration) |
| Test matches hosted | 2 |
| Challenge Cup Finals hosted | 2 |
| Surface | GrassMaster, a semi-artificial surface (grass reinforced with synthetic fibres), installed 2010; pitch measures 115yd x 74yd (105m x 68m) for rugby league configuration |
| First rugby league match | 2007 Challenge Cup Final, St Helens 30-8 Catalans Dragons, attendance 84,241 — the first Challenge Cup Final at the rebuilt stadium, marking the competition's immediate return to Wembley after reconstruction |
| Years used | 1997–2026 |
| Location | London (Wembley), Greater London |
Name history
- Wembley Stadium — no rugby-league-specific renaming found for the stadium itself
Rugby league history
Wembley is rugby league's most historically significant one-off venue in England: the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley became one of the sport's defining traditions for most of the 20th century, comparable to the FA Cup Final's association with the same stadium, and it has hosted World Cup and international fixtures since the rebuilt stadium reopened in 2007.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- The Challenge Cup Final has been hosted at the rebuilt Wembley in most years since 2007, continuing the competition's decades-long tradition at the ground (the earlier 1929-1999 era is covered separately under 'Wembley Stadium (Old)')
- 28 Aug 2010 — Challenge Cup Final, Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos, attendance 85,217, this site's own recorded top crowd for this venue entry
- International rugby league returned to Wembley in 2011, after a 14-year absence, with Four Nations fixtures
- 2013 Rugby League World Cup semi-finals, hosted as a double-header, drew 67,575 — described as the second-highest crowd for an international rugby league match
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan Warriors 40-10 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 2025 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull Kingston Rovers 8-6 Warrington Wolves |
| 2024 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan Warriors 18-8 Warrington Wolves |
| 2023 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leigh Leopards 17-16 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 2021 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 26-12 Castleford Tigers |
| 2020 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds Rhinos 17-16 Salford Red Devils |
| 2019 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington Wolves 18-4 St Helens |
| 2018 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Catalans Dragons 20-14 Warrington Wolves |
| 2017 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull FC 18-14 Wigan Warriors |
| 2016 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull FC 12-10 Warrington Wolves |
| 2015 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds Rhinos 50-0 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 2014 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds Rhinos 23-10 Castleford Tigers |
| Semi-final, 23 Nov 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup | New Zealand 20-18 England |
| Semi-final, 23 Nov 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 64-0 Fiji |
| 2013 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan Warriors 16-0 Hull FC |
| 2012 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington Wolves 35-18 Leeds Rhinos |
| 2011 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan Warriors 28-18 Leeds Rhinos |
| 2010 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington Wolves 30-6 Leeds Rhinos |
| 2009 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington Wolves 25-16 Huddersfield Giants |
| 2008 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 28-16 Hull FC |
| 2007 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 30-8 Catalans Dragons |
| 1999 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds Rhinos 52-16 London Broncos |
| 1998 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Sheffield Eagles 17-8 Wigan Warriors |
| 1997 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 32-22 Bradford Bulls |
| 1996 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 40-32 Bradford Bulls |
| Group A, 7 Oct 1995 | 1995 Rugby League World Cup | England 20-16 Australia |
| Final, 28 Oct 1995 | 1995 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 16-8 England |
| 1994/95 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 30-10 Leeds |
| 1993/94 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 26-16 Leeds |
| 1992/93 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 20-14 Widnes |
| 1991/92 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 28-12 Castleford |
| 1990/91 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 13-8 St Helens |
| Final, 24 Oct 1992 | 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 10-6 Great Britain |
| 1989/90 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 36-14 Warrington |
| 1988/89 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 27-0 St Helens |
| 1987/88 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 32-12 Halifax |
| 1986/87 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Halifax 19-18 St Helens |
| 1985/86 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Castleford 15-14 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 1984/85 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 28-24 Hull FC |
| 1983/84 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 19-6 Wigan |
| 1982/83 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Featherstone Rovers 14-12 Hull FC |
| 1981/82 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull FC 14-14 (drawn; replay 18-9) Widnes |
| 1980/81 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 18-9 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 1979/80 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull Kingston Rovers 10-5 Hull FC |
| 1978/79 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 12-3 Wakefield Trinity |
| 1977/78 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds 14-12 St Helens |
| 1976/77 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds 16-7 Widnes |
| 1975/76 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 20-5 Widnes |
| 1974/75 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 14-7 Warrington |
| 1973/74 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington 24-9 Featherstone Rovers |
| 1972/73 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Featherstone Rovers 33-14 Bradford Northern |
| 1971/72 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 16-13 Leeds |
| 1970/71 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leigh 24-7 Leeds |
| 1969/70 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Castleford 7-2 Wigan |
| 1968/69 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Castleford 11-6 Salford |
| 1967/68 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds 11-10 Wakefield Trinity |
| 1966/67 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Featherstone Rovers 17-12 Barrow |
| 1965/66 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 21-2 Wigan |
| 1964/65 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 20-16 Hunslet |
| 1963/64 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 13-5 Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 1962/63 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wakefield Trinity 25-10 Wigan |
| 1961/62 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wakefield Trinity 12-6 Huddersfield |
| 1960/61 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 12-6 Wigan |
| 1959/60 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wakefield Trinity 38-5 Hull FC |
| 1958/59 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 30-13 Hull FC |
| 1957/58 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 13-9 Workington Town |
| 1956/57 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds 9-7 Barrow |
| 1955/56 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 13-2 Halifax |
| 1954/55 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Barrow 21-12 Workington Town |
| 1953/54 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington 4-4 (drawn; replay 8-4) Halifax |
| 1952/53 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Huddersfield 15-10 St Helens |
| 1951/52 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Workington Town 18-10 Featherstone Rovers |
| 1950/51 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 10-0 Barrow |
| 1949/50 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Warrington 19-0 Widnes |
| 1948/49 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Bradford Northern 12-0 Halifax |
| 1947/48 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 8-3 Bradford Northern |
| 1946/47 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Bradford Northern 8-4 Leeds |
| 1945/46 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wakefield Trinity 13-12 Wigan |
| 1938/39 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Halifax 20-3 Salford |
| 1937/38 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Salford 7-4 Barrow |
| 1936/37 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 18-5 Keighley |
| 1935/36 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Leeds 18-2 Warrington |
| 1934/35 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Castleford 11-8 Huddersfield |
| 1933/34 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hunslet 11-5 Widnes |
| 1932/33 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Huddersfield 21-17 Warrington |
| 1930/31 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Halifax 22-8 York |
| 1929/30 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Widnes 10-3 St Helens |
| 1928/29 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Wigan 13-2 Dewsbury |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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