The Challenge Cup has produced some of Rugby League's most memorable moments with its superb blend of traditional sporting pageantry and breathtaking excitement.

It is one of British sport's most prestigious tournaments, embracing the full spectrum of the game from amateur teams through to European - including sides from Russia, France, England, Wales, Ireland and, of course, the full-time engage Super League professionals

The tournament has had a very special and historic relationship with Wembley Stadium dating back to 1929 when the Challenge Cup Final between Dewsbury and Wigan was first staged at the famous twin towers.

Wigan's love affair with Wembley was fashioned that day as they beat the Yorkshiremen 13-2, thanks to a superb try from Roy Kinnear, father of the late comedy actor of the same name.

Whilst the new Wembley Stadium was being built, the Challenge Cup Final was staged at several other major UK sporting venues: Murrayfield (Edinburgh), Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium (Cardiff).
The first Carnegie Challenge Cup Final at the new stadium took place on 25 August 2007 between rugby league giants St Helens and French side, Catalans Dragons.

St Helens' James Roby became the first person to score in a Rugby League match at the new stadium after he broke the deadlock in the first half. St Helens then went on to win the match 30 - 8 in front of a crowd of 84,241.

The History of both Wembley Stadium and the Challenge Cup go hand in hand as these famous games can attest to...

On 9 May 1965, the British publics' fondness for a David v Goliath clash was satisfied when Wigan played Hunslet in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.

Unfancied Hunslet were returning to Wembley for the first time in 31 years, while glamour side Wigan was making a record ninth trip.

The huge gap in class was perfectly illustrated by the league table; Wigan finished in second place with eight defeats in 34 games while Hunslet had conceded 15 defeats in the same number of outings.
As expected, Wigan started the game but were restricted to a 12-9 half-time lead.

At the start of the second half, Wigan produced another major surge with loose forward, Laurie Gilfedder, scoring a long range try. Soon after, winger Trevor Lake took his place in Rugby League legend by scoring one of the best tries in Challenge Cup history.

With little over 20 minutes left to play, Wigan led Hunslet 20-9.

Yorkshire minnows Hunslet were far from over-awed and their fight-back took the 1965 Final into the record book as a classic of its kind. They surprisingly took control of the game and fought back to within only four points of Wigan, making the score 20-16.

But the clock time eventually beat the Hunslet heroes and Wigan finally emerged winners in one of the most exciting Challenge Cup Finals ever.

And, one of the all-time best finals was also distinguished by the fact that the journalists could not split Hunslet stand-off Brian Gabitas or Wigan full-back Ray Ashby in their voting between the two players for the Lance Todd Trophy. For the first time in the award's history it was shared.

The 50th anniversary of the Challenge Cup was staged at Wembley in 1985 and it proved to be one of the all-time great Finals.

Wigan returned to Wembley 12 months after the defeat by Widnes with an almost newly constructed team to face Hull FC.

The game was played at break neck speed with devastating individual performances as well as exceptional team skills.

Wigan, under the creative genius of Australian Brett Kenny and finishing skills of wingers John Ferguson and Henderson Gill, built up substantial 28-12 lead.

It looked as though Kenny and Wigan were to take the Cup.

But Hull's equally majestic Australian half-back, Peter Sterling, began to influence the flow of the game and ran the show.

Two tries from New Zealand centre James Leuluai and a try from substitute Gary Divorty saw Hull trailing 28-24.

The final four minutes of the game saw supporters witness a nail-biting finish to a spectacular match. Wigan eventually survived to win arguably the greatest Wembley Final of them all.

It was the first time in 20 years that Wigan had won the Cup and Brett Kenny became the first Australian to win the coveted Lance Todd Trophy as the man of the match.

In 1996, St Helens defeated Bradford Bulls 40-32 in a spectacle of extraordinary attacking skills to produce one the most exciting Challenge Cup Finals seen at Wembley Stadium.

The game personified the new style of Rugby League for the modern era. It was fast, aggressive and high scoring played in a sweltering heat that tested the fitness of these supreme athletes to the limit.

Not only was the Final memorable for the entertaining style of Rugby League produced by both sides, but it also produced a flurry of new Challenge Cup Final records.

Bradford Bulls' New Zealand born Captain Robbie Paul scored the first hat-trick of tries in a Wembley Final and became only the seventh player from a losing team to win the Lance Todd Trophy as the Man of the Match.

St Helens' 40 points was the highest score in a Final, while Bradford's 32 points was the highest total registered by a losing team. The aggregate 72 point total and 13 tries where new records, while St Helens' come-back from 26-12 down to win this enthralling encounter broke the best recovery record in a Challenge Cup Final.