Help with choosing a great experience

[Desert Qlder]

Hey UK Rugby League fans, was wondering if any of you would like to offer some insight as to what would be a better experience for an Aussie Rugby League fan in the UK?

Basically I'm deciding at present whether to go to the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in August or the Super League GF at Old Trafford in October. The history of the event and the attraction of Wembley are obviously fine points in favour of the CC Final. Yet I think the culmination of the season in the heartlands of the game is also a decisive factor for the SL GF.

My work commitments will only allow me to attend one or the other so I'm keen to make a good choice. At present I'm kind of leaning towards the GF as I'm not really a fan of London, yet would love to visit Wembley.

Any advice in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

p.s. loving the SL comp over here by the way

 

[Evil Homer]

I'd go for the Cup final.

It's much more of an atmosphere, in the sunshine with thousands of RL fans invading London it's always a carnival experience. There's nothing like being in the tube or in the pubs that are packed with RL fans, the entire weekend is really unique. Challenge Cup every time for me. You can also attend the London Skolars game and the Middlesex International 9's if you chose the Cup final.

Whilst the prize is bigger, the GF has nowhere near as much tradition and heritage and is never as big an event, mainly because most people just turn up, watch the game and then go home. A lot of the time the weather is poor, it's cold and the game is a damp squib. While it's a good event, the CC absolutely walks all over it in terms of experience IMO.

 

[Desert Qlder]

I'd go for the Cup final.

It's much more of an atmosphere, in the sunshine with thousands of RL fans invading London it's always a carnival experience. There's nothing like being in the tube or in the pubs that are packed with RL fans, the entire weekend is really unique. Challenge Cup every time for me. You can also attend the London Skolars game and the Middlesex International 9's if you chose the Cup final.

Whilst the prize is bigger, the GF has nowhere near as much tradition and heritage and is never as big an event, mainly because most people just turn up, watch the game and then go home. A lot of the time the weather is poor, it's cold and the game is a damp squib. While it's a good event, the CC absolutely walks all over it in terms of experience IMO.

Great advice, you may have just swayed me.

I didn't realise that London really seems to get behind this game. But I suppose with so many Northerners descending on the place it couldn't help but be that way. Are there really good 'Rugby League Pubs' around the ground that also embrace the day?

 

[roughyedspud]

challenge cup every time.....


i went to my first challenge cup final last year, as a catalan "fan"...it's wembley dude...the best stadium in the world...and it is too.

this is what i did last year

friday - travelled do to london,into hotel in bayswater/noting hill area, then got the tube up to tottenham to watch london skolars ( they achived their highest ever crowd because of all the neutrals that went.)

saturday - travelled up to wembley @ 11 am...wembley area was packed, every one had the crack not a ounce of trouble...got into stadium @ 1pm...watched schools final then challenge cup final..back at hotel for 6pm...then big night out

sunday notting hill carnival........enough said...as i goes andrew johns was a pub or 2 in front of me...read into that what you will...


all in all a cracking weekend

 

[roughyedspud]

challenge cup every time.....


i went to my first challenge cup final last year, as a catalan "fan"...it's wembley dude...the best stadium in the world...and it is too.

this is what i did last year

friday - travelled do to london,into hotel in bayswater/noting hill area, then got the tube up to tottenham to watch london skolars ( they achived their highest ever crowd because of all the neutrals that went.)

saturday - travelled up to wembley @ 11 am...wembley area was packed, every one had the crack not a ounce of trouble...got into stadium @ 1pm...watched schools final then challenge cup final..back at hotel for 6pm...then big night out

sunday notting hill carnival........enough said...as i goes andrew johns was a pub or 2 in front of me...read into that what you will...


all in all a cracking weekend

 

[Desert Qlder]

challenge cup every time.....


i went to my first challenge cup final last year, as a catalan "fan"...it's wembley dude...the best stadium in the world...and it is too.

this is what i did last year

friday - travelled do to london,into hotel in bayswater/noting hill area, then got the tube up to tottenham to watch london skolars ( they achived their highest ever crowd because of all the neutrals that went.)

saturday - travelled up to wembley @ 11 am...wembley area was packed, every one had the crack not a ounce of trouble...got into stadium @ 1pm...watched schools final then challenge cup final..back at hotel for 6pm...then big night out

sunday notting hill carnival........enough said...as i goes andrew johns was a pub or 2 in front of me...read into that what you will...


all in all a cracking weekend

"A cracking weekend" hey? That certainly sounds like a weekend in London. ;-)

I don't think there is much doubt about it now.

 

[Billythekid]

What sort of price are you looking at for the challenge dup final? I'd be interested but I've already got my knights season ticket as well as quite a few WC tickets and i'm not sure if i can really afford much more (i'm expecting to spend quite a bit of money around WC time). Also if i go i'd be spending quite a bit on drink i'm guessing.

 

[roughyedspud]

cheapest tickets are £21 - $45

 

[deluded pom?]

As has already been stated the CC is a weekend for the vast majority of supporters whilst the proximity of OT to most of the SL teams and the bulk of the NL teams is about an hour max so most people go on the day and leave straight after the game. I'm lucky (if you can call it lucky ;-) ) in that I live on the East side of the country and I like to make a weekend of the GF. The down side to Wembley is the fact that there's little in the way of pubs, let alone Rugby League pubs, in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. Most people will stay in central London and go to the game on the tube (an experience in itself). Just watch the locals miserable fissogs break into the occasional smile with the antics of some of the "invaders". If I were to advise an overseas supporter then I'd say Wembley for it's camaraderie and carnival atmosphere but purely from a purists point of view I'd say the GF. I hope you enjoy whichever one you decide on DQ but a word of advice, make sure you've got plenty of pennies with you if you do go to London.

 

[Desert Qlder]

As has already been stated the CC is a weekend for the vast majority of supporters whilst the proximity of OT to most of the SL teams and the bulk of the NL teams is about an hour max so most people go on the day and leave straight after the game. I'm lucky (if you can call it lucky ;-) ) in that I live on the East side of the country and I like to make a weekend of the GF. The down side to Wembley is the fact that there's little in the way of pubs, let alone Rugby League pubs, in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. Most people will stay in central London and go to the game on the tube (an experience in itself). Just watch the locals miserable fissogs break into the occasional smile with the antics of some of the "invaders". If I were to advise an overseas supporter then I'd say Wembley for it's camaraderie and carnival atmosphere but purely from a purists point of view I'd say the GF. I hope you enjoy whichever one you decide on DQ but a word of advice, make sure you've got plenty of pennies with you if you do go to London.

I live currently in Edinburgh but have been to London twice now and am well aware of the fact it is a money pit. Later I'm working on the continent and won't have much opportunities for getaways for footy matches, hence the choice. I find it quite amusing that for the day London gets taken over by Rugby League supporters.

Hey man, either way I'm happy but thought seek out a bit of advice from those who'd been there and done that.

 

[deluded pom?]

As I said it depends what you want out of the experience. You could also pop along and see/play for the Edinburgh Eagles if you want a Scottish RL fix.

 

[The Observer]

I went to the Cup final last year.

PROS - The banter on the trains out there is fun, its cool seeing all the people on the Wembley walk and fun that people do fancy dress.

CONS - Wembley is the suburb is bland, the stadium really isn't that different to Homebush, and last year's game was not that exciting.

The Grand Final has its advantages, the game is usually a higher standard, and Manchester is more fun to go out afterwards.

 

[CAS]

Get yourself to Wembley, i will be there for the Weekend, great Atmosphere, like everyone says, everyone gets on and has a great time, you spend the whole Nights bumping into fellow Fans.

Get yerself there, i will buy you a Beer , thats got to sway it.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Get yourself to Wembley, i will be there for the Weekend, great Atmosphere, like everyone says, everyone gets on and has a great time, you spend the whole Nights bumping into fellow Fans.

Get yerself there, i will buy you a Beer , thats got to sway it.

Can't even have a beer at SPL games. Will that be the case at Wembley?

Before and after different story though, so I might have to hold you to that one mate, cheers.

 

[CAS]

There are Bars inside Wembley, not sure if you can take them in and sit down with them though, there's plenty of time before and after.

Always used to go down as a kid for the day and remember seeing everyone meeting up the friday morning before outside pubs and clubs, waiting to go down for the weekend, when i was old enough i used to do it myself and its always a great weekend, from travelling down with other Fans and trying to find your hotel from kings cross station....always hard when you stop off in every pub in the Area on Route.

You will have a great time if you get down.