1895 Cup final in numbers: Key stats as Wakefield Trinity face Sheffield Eagles at Wembley

1979

With victory over Bradford Bulls in the semi-finals, Wakefield Trinity booked their first Wembley final appearance since 1979. Wakey fans have had to patiently wait 45 years to see their heroes step out onto the famous turf. That day in the capital, nearly half-a-century ago, saw Wakefield lose 12-3 to Widnes in the Challenge Cup final. But within the first few months of his tenure, head coach Daryl Powell has led this new-look Trinity side back to Wembley, meaning new generations of Trin supporters can experience the iconic venue.

61

Wakefield’s last triumph at the national stadium came in 1963 when they beat Wigan 25-10 in the Challenge Cup final - a third success in the sport’s most famous knockout competition in just four special years for the club.

5,340

Over 5,000 fans descended on Odsal for Wakefield’s semi-final victory over Bradford Bulls. It will go down in history as the highest attendance for an 1895 Cup fixture outside of Wembley Stadium.

8.42

On their way to Wembley, Wakefield have scored an incredible 38 tries in just four games in the competition. That is a try, on average, every 8.42 minutes. Newcastle Thunder received the full force of Trinity’s attacking brutality in a 110-0 blitz in the group stages - a new club record victory margin.

38

During that whopping thrashing of Newcastle in February, Mason Lino, Wakey’s star scrum-half, notched 38 points for himself - a club record for points scored by a single player in a game.

30

While Daryl Powell’s men may have racked up 220 points in their four 1895 Cup encounters against York, Newcastle, Barrow and Bradford, they have also been dogged at the other end by only conceding 30 points. The Raiders put up a good fight at Belle Vue in the quarter finals and the Bulls produced an eye-catching performance in the first half of the semi-final, leading 8-6 at half-time before Wakefield’s class told in the second half.

5

Wakefield Trinity’s clash with Sheffield Eagles on Saturday, June 8 will be the fifth edition of the 1895 Cup final. The Eagles won the inaugural final in 2019 at Wembley with a 36-18 victory over Widnes Vikings before the 2020 competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, Featherstone Rovers beat York in a thriller, 41-34, before Leigh beat the reigning holders at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the following season. The showpiece occasion returned to Wembley in 2023 where Halifax Panthers withstood a dramatic comeback from Batley Bulldogs to clinch a 12-10 win.

1/12

It may be of no surprise that Wakefield Trinity are overwhelming favourites with the bookmakers to get their hands on the 1895 Cup. Having already produced an exceptional start in the Championship following their relegation from Super League, Powell’s men are expected to bring silverware back to Belle Vue with victory over Sheffield Eagles - who they comfortably beat 36-10 in the league in May - in the final at Wembley. Betting firm SkyBet, at the time of writing, have Wakefield at 1/12 to lift the trophy, meaning you have to put £12 on just to win £1 back. Sheffield are priced at 6/1 to win outright.