SEPTEMBER 2010 ISSUE 66 THE RUGBY LEAGUE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE RFL LEGEND OF LEAGUE RAY’S UP FOR THE CUP on the inside… Schooled for Bears learn successs new tricks Growing & growing 6 Legend of league CONTENTS 5 Media Matters 8 Wembley bound 10 The greatest 11 BARLA take on the MPs 12 Not playing games 14 Taking a bow 16 Schooled 20 Bears 18 Southern success for success learn new tricks 19 Moving forward 21 Heading in the right direction 22 Fully focused 24 Putting down roots 27 All to play for 28 That’s just great 30 The youth of today SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER. THE HALLIWELL JONES STADIUM, WARRINGTON TICKET PRICES: Adults: £14, £15, £16, £20 Concessions: £7, £8, £10 CALL NOW ON 0844 856 1113 CONFERENCE NATIONAL FINAL 12.30PM 26 Growing & CHAMPIONSHIP ONE PLAY-OFF 15.05PM growing www.rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 17.30PM For Hospitality, call 0844 856 1114. For disabled enquiries, call 0844 856 1113 or e-mail [email protected] INSIDE THIS ISSUE MEDIA MATTERS .... with Rob Wilkinson Welcome to issue 66 of the Rugby League Bulletin .... The RFL Media Department RL is gearing up for its busiest IN NUMBERS time of the year over the next One of the biggest days in the Rugby League calendar is almost upon couple of months, a period us as the Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves are set to meet in the 2010 Carnegie Challenge Cup Final. featuring a host of the game’s As we look ahead to the huge day at Wembley this latest issue showpiece occasions and contains several features ahead of the big game, including an interview announcements .... with the legendary Ray French, interviews with players from both sides and a trip down memory lane with a look back at the classic 1985 Cup Final between Wigan and Hull FC. First off there’s the historic Carnegie However, whilst London plays host to the Cup Final it’s not the only Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on action taking place in the nation’s capital. 89,356 Supporters at the round 22 Saturday August 28 when Leeds Rhinos and Twenty four hours earlier a huge weekend of action kicks off with Engage Super League fixtures Warrington Wolves look like selling out the the Carnegie Champion Schools Finals at Hillingdon Sport & Leisure famous venue for a match that represents complex and will see seven eagerly contested games, before the year the very best the game has to offer. What seven boys final brings the 2010 competition to an end as the curtain- bigger game could there be than the Challenge Cup holders versus the reigning raiser at Wembley. Engage Super League champions? On the eve of the cup final there’s also a chance for fans to catch Almost immediately after that we have two other games, as a BARLA side takes on the All Parliamentary the start of the Engage Super League Group’s “Political Animals” ahead of the Co-operative Championship Play-Offs featuring the second ever ClubCall One clash between London Skolars and Oldham at the New River announcement, a feature which proved Here we go again - the coming weeks will see several showpiece occasions Stadium. incredibly popular last year. Since the Other highlights include an interview with England coach Steve game’s inception in 1895 Rugby League McNamara, a look at the work done by the Wigan Warriors down in has been a pioneering force for change in UK sport and innovations such as ClubCall, Coventry and also the development activity taking place in Wales, the whereby the highest placed team after the North West and London. 29,769 Children took part in the first round of play-offs get to choose who 2009/10 Carnegie Champion they play to reach the Grand Final, reinforce that reputation. Schools tournament TOM HOYLE At the end of September it’s the Editor turn of the Co-operative Championship, [email protected] Championship One and the RLC National to have their day in the sun with Grand Finals Day. The Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, plays host to this exciting triple header of games that has firmly established itself within the rugby calendar. Will League Leaders Featherstone Rovers be crowned top dogs after a fantastic season twitter.com/CommunityRL facebook.com/rugbyfootballleague or can Barrow Raiders repeat last year’s achievement? Who will join Hunslet Hawks in gaining promotion to the Championship? One of the highlights of this year’s Super saw off Widnes with a dramatic late try from Published by the Community Game Services Department of the RFL. Will Bramley Buffaloes triumph yet again in League campaign was the ‘magnificent Alex Brown giving Bulldogs skipper Paul The RFL, The Zone, St Andrews Road, Huddersfield, HD1 6PT. 276 Clubs signed up to the RFL’s the Conference final? seven’ weekend in July when the Handforth the chance to lift the club’s first Tel - 01484 448000 | Fax - 01484 545582, community club partnership One week later Engage Super League competition posted a new record aggregate trophy for over 80 years. Email - [email protected] | Internet - www.rfl.uk.com agreement takes centre stage with the Grand Final at attendance for the seven Round 22 fixtures, Both of these events attracted a lot of Old Trafford on Saturday October 2 in what an achievement aided by a bumper crowd media coverage including previews and will be the culmination of what has to have for the table-topping clash between Wigan reviews on all four regional terrestrial The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the RFL Board of been one of the most exciting seasons of Warriors and Warrington, the first Rugby channels, a first for the tournament. Robbie Directors. all time. League match in this country broadcast in Paul’s role as Northern Rail ambassador The following day we remember and 3D. helped with the Kiwi star fronting up an pay tribute to Garry Purdham, a former RL That same weekend the 20 English entertaining short video on Blackpool with Contributors - Tom Hoyle, John Ledger, Neil Barraclough, swpix.com, Dave Williams, Nick professional who was so tragically killed Co-operative Championships sides lit up the Batley and Widnes mascots. Boothroyd, Phil Hodgson, Mark Ramsdale, Louise Fildes, Phil Caplan, Chris Westwood, Donna in the Cumbrian shootings in June, with Blackpool and the Fylde Coast with their As the top echelons of the game reach Wilkinson, Nathan Clarke, Steve Manning Steve McNamara taking his England team to own mini version of the Murrayfield Magic their climax the same applies to the many Whitehaven for a poignant fixture against weekend. Fans from 18 sides flocked in summer conferences, both men’s and Cumbria. their hundreds to Fylde Rugby Club on the women’s, up and down the United Kingdom If you are interested in advertising in the Rugby League Bulletin, please contact - Just five days after that Steve takes his Saturday to witness the Northern Rail 9s that will be holding their Grand Finals. [email protected] 24-man squad to New Zealand and Australia and then over 8,000 Batley and Widnes The RFL Media team would like to wish Main Cover Photograph - Ray French (swpix) 18 Teams took part in the Northern for the Four Nations where England will look supporters made their way to Bloomfield every team taking part the very best of © The Rugby Football League Ltd 2010 Rail 9s to maintain the progress they began making Road on the Sunday for the Northern Rail luck and we’d love to hear all about your in the 2009 Gillette Four Nations and Cup. Both were outstanding spectacles initiatives, successes and experiences Designed by - Tom Hoyle continued in this season’s Gillette Fusion with Halifax winning the 9s by defeating during an action packed 2010. Printed by - Redwood Print Ltd Tel - 01484 711111 International. Sheffield Eagles in the final before Batley - 4 - RUGBY LEAGUE BULLETIN www.tryit.co.uk www.tryit.co.uk RUGBY LEAGUE BULLETIN - 5 - Ray French is a Rugby League legend. We’ve tried, but there is no other way of putting it. A dual code international more than 30 years before the likes of Jason Robinson and Henry Paul, he won the Challenge Cup in 1966 before moving into radio and, more famously, television. He was the BBC’s commentator on every Challenge Cup Final between 1982 and 2008. As the Rugby League world focuses on this year’s Wembley showpiece, NEIL BARRACLOUGH could not think of a better time to catch up with the “The one that man who has been there, seen it and got all the T-shirts .... gave me the most satisfaction Asking Ray French about the magic of “The 1966 semi final against Dewsbury finals is perhaps a bit surprising. The 1985 the Challenge Cup is like opening a box of was the most dramatic I’ve played in,” says Wigan v Hull, Kenny v Sterling battle, was St Helens v chocolates: you sense there’s excitement French. “They were a very lowly side, but perhaps? “Memorable,” he says. But not his Catalans in 2007. ahead, but it can be difficult to know where they’d done well with some older characters. favourite. to start. We were still out and out favourites to win, “The one that gave me the most To see a French This year will be the second without though. It was something daft like 1/100 satisfaction was St Helens v Catalans in French’s unique voice broadcasting the odds.