Sheffield Eagles stand in the way of Wakefield Trinity captain Matty Ashurst again as he returns to Wembley in 1895 Cup final
Wakefield Trinity club captain Matty Ashurst will be hoping his first experience of playing at Wembley in the 1895 Cup final doesn’t match his first ever visit to the national stadium.
As an eight-year-old boy, Wigan-born Ashurst made the trip down to the capital to see his beloved Warriors suffer a surprising Challenge Cup final defeat at the hands of Sheffield Eagles.
Twenty-six years later, it is still considered to be the greatest ever upset in the history of the famous competition.
The in-between years have seen Ashurst rise through the academy ranks at St Helens, where he spent three years in the first team, before signing for Salford.
He then made the switch to Belle Vue in 2015 where has remained ever since. Taking over the club captaincy followed before he entered his testimonial year ahead of the 2024 campaign.
A trip to Wembley, in 15-and-a-bit years as a professional rugby league player, never materialised. Until now.
And, of course, the Eagles, yet again, stand in the way of Ashurst.
“To get to Wembley is massive for myself and for the club,” he told the Wakefield Express. “It’s what everyone dreams of doing, playing at Wembley.
“A lot of people go through their career without getting the chance and I am at the stage of my career where I don’t know how many chances I will get.
“I am really pleased to get there and it should be a great occasion.”
He added: “To captain a team at Wembley is another thing people dream of doing. It will be a really proud day. I was really proud to take over the captaincy of the club.
“It’s a brilliant club with a great history. We went through some tough times last year, so to lead the team out at Wembley will definitely be at the top of the list.”
The “adopted Yorkshireman”, as he describes himself, scored two tries as Trin produced a stirring comeback to beat Bradford Bulls, 40-14, at Odsal in the semi-finals, and a “special” trip to Wembley.
He said: “I don’t get over for two tries very often!
“It was great to get over for them but the most important thing about that day was getting the result and getting to Wembley.
“Getting to Wembley is special. You saw how much it meant to the fans, as well as us. It’s great for everyone involved.”