Hull KR v Wigan again?! Is that good or bad for the sport?

On Saturday, Hull KR will face Wigan in the Challenge Cup Final. This will be third meeting of the two sides in major finals in the last four finals. Only Warrington have broken the duopoly of finalists by making the Challenge Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.

But when taking a whole sport perspective, does it matter that we are seeing the same two sides repeatedly contest finals? You can make an argument either way.

Hull KR and Wigan have faced each other on five occasions in knockout fixtures since 2023. Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final will be the sixth. So far, Wigan have won three and Hull KR have won two. Can Hull KR square it up on Saturday or will Wigan show they have the edge when it matters, more often than not?

If you are of the view that the same final is bad for the sport, we should say from the outset that it is on other sides to get better. Hull KR and Wigan will never and should not be expected simply to get out of the way so other sides can enjoy a day in the limelight.

You can argue having the same sides repeatedly contest the major finals can get a bit repetitive and stale. Some may say that the sport becomes predictable when it is the same two sides trading trophies.

In terms of engaging both Rugby League fans and the general public, this may lead to apathy. One example of this can be seen in the Leeds v St Helens rivalry of the late 2000’s / early 2010’s. By the time the sides faced each other in their third consecutive Grand Final, the attendance at Old Trafford was relatively low.

I use that Leeds v St Helens rivalry as a comparator as it is the most obvious one in my lifetime. We saw that rivalry spill into the international scene too in the 2008 World Cup. In England’s disastrous campaign, players have since recalled how the camp was effectively split in two; the Leeds camp and the Saints camp. Against that backdrop, England’s failure was perhaps inevitable.

For all of England’s flaws in the 2025 Ashes series, we did not seem to have a similar situation. Perhaps that may have been one reason why Shaun Wane arguably under-represented Wigan in the squad, surprisingly leaving out players such as Luke Thompson and Junior Nsemba.

The counter-argument to having finals involving the same teams is that this allows us to build stories in the way that varied finals do not.

Manchester United v Arsenal in the early 2000’s. Roger Federer v Rafa Nadal. Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen. Ali v Fraser.

These rivalries all meant more because they developed over time. They didn’t just face off once. They repeatedly battled each other to be the top dog in their sports. In turn, this engaged the wider sporting public in a way that a one-off final could never.

We are seeing this with Hull KR and Wigan too. Both sides are fierce competitors. You see the rivalry develop between the coaches to be the best. Fans of both sides are desperate to get one over on the other; whereas before 2023 it would have been a run-of-the-mill league fixture.

I understand why people may take opposite approaches to the developing duopoly but I lean towards it being something that the sport can harness and build.

We have two sides at the top of their game, unquestionably the best in the country right now and we get to see the latest installment on Saturday.

What I find particularly interesting is the unpredictable nature of the match.

In knockout games involving these two sides since 2023, we have seen both sides win comfortably, both sides lose comfortably and tight battles where the game hangs in the balance until the end. We have seen cagey affairs with limited points and chances. We have seen comeback wins. We have seen one side blown off the park by the other.

That makes Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final so hard to predict. A victory for either side would not be a surprise. A handsome victory for either side wouldn’t shock either.

The next chapter in this rivalry is yet to be written and I cannot wait to find out who the author of it will be.