Derek Beaumont issues concerning 1895 Cup update as Wembley admission made

Derek Beaumont, whose company are the principal sponsors of the competition, admits he doesn’t know how the 1895 Cup will look next season: with the chances of a Wembley final appearing slim.

Leigh Leopards owner Beaumont also owns AB Sundecks, the company whose name has adorned the 1895 Cup since it was first formed back in 2019.

Six different clubs have won the competition to date, including Leigh themselves in 2022, with all six finals coming as part of Challenge Cup finals day.

Notably, that success for Leigh in 2022 against Featherstone Rovers was the only final so far to take place away from Wembley, coming at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium instead.

But while that game still formed part of Challenge Cup finals day that year, it looks like next year’s 1895 Cup final won’t do.

And that means things are still up in the air in relation to how the competition will look in 2026.

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Derek Beaumont issues concerning 1895 Cup update as Wembley admission made

Sheffield Eagles, Featherstone, Halifax Panthers, Wakefield Trinity and York are the five clubs that have lifted the 1895 Cup to date along with Leigh.

Of those, Leigh (2022), Wakefield (2024) and York (2025) have gone on to get promoted in the same year – with the Knights set to play in Super League for the first time next season having been selected by an independent panel for promotion.

Speaking to a selection of media – including LoveRugbyLeague – earlier this month at Leigh’s 2026 home kit launch, Beaumont was unable to shed much light on the 1895 Cup’s future, concerningly admitting: “I don’t know the answer.

“My wife Laura deals with it primarily, but neither of us are comfortable with it (the final) being after the Men’s Challenge Cup final.

“We don’t think that’s where it should sit, we think it should be the curtain raiser to the main event.

“And if a game has to go after it, it should be the Women’s Challenge Cup final.

“If that doesn’t change, I’m not so sure we would look at doing that.”

‘The whole idea behind it was giving teams, players and fans who haven’t got a chance of getting to Wembley’

The RFL have already released the schedule for 2026’s Challenge Cup finals day, and the Women’s Challenge Cup final is again the curtain raiser – with the 1895 Cup showpiece not currently booked in anywhere.

All 21 Championship clubs have also received their fixture schedules, and the 1895 Cup wasn’t part of it.

But Beaumont hopes to ensure the competition doesn’t just fade into the distance, explaining: “I want to see that event continue, so it might be something I look at with my brand.

“But if it wasn’t going to be at Wembley or somewhere that’s of significance, (we’ll have to re-assess).

“The whole idea behind it was giving teams, players and fans who haven’t got a chance of getting to Wembley (in the Challenge Cup) an opportunity.

“I don’t know, but I reckon there should be something worked out in a couple of weeks, because people need to know.”