Wigan Schools shine as Year 7 Boys from St Peter’s and Deanery High Schools secure Wembley Final Spot

Wednesday 29 April marked an exciting milestone for young Rugby League players, as Year 7 boys from across the region gathered at Staningley for the semi-finals of the Champion Schools competition. Teams battled for a coveted place in the Steven Mullaney Memorial Match, which will be played as the curtain-raiser on Betfred Challenge Cup Finals Day at Wembley Stadium on 30 May. 

With both semi-finals complete, the finalists have been confirmed. St Peter’s Catholic High School and Deanery High School will now go head-to-head, ensuring an all-Wigan final and a proud moment for the town.

Wigan has a strong and longstanding history within the competition. The town was represented at the very first schoolboys’ curtain-raiser in 1975, ahead of the Challenge Cup Final between Widnes and Warrington. Since then, Wigan schools have frequently reached the latter stages of the competition, including St Peter’s, who most recently featured in the final in 2024.

This year’s final promises to be an exciting contest, with both schools delivering outstanding performances in the semi-finals. 

Champion Schools Semi-Final Overview 

St Peter’s Catholic High School vs Castleford Academy (54–6) 

The first semi-final saw Lancashire’s St Peter’s Catholic High School take on Yorkshire’s Castleford Academy. 

St Peter’s made a strong start, opening the scoring early and building momentum through confident and well-structured attacking play. Castleford responded with great determination, showing resilience in defence and working tirelessly to stem the flow of points. 

Just before half-time, Castleford’s persistence paid off as they crossed the line for a well-earned try, which was converted to take the score to 24–6 at the break. 

The second half was a testament to the spirit both teams have shown throughout the competition. Castleford returned with renewed energy and creativity, even attempting a drop goal as they searched for further opportunities. However, St Peter’s maintained their composure and showed no signs of slowing, extending their lead and eventually sealing an impressive 54–6 victory. 

Deanery High School vs Liberty High School (34–10) 

The second semi-final featured Lancashire’s Deanery High School against Yorkshire’s Liberty High School. 

Deanery made an early breakthrough, capitalising on their first clear opportunity to score and quickly establish control of the game. Their pace and teamwork proved decisive, as they added several further tries to head into the interval with a commanding 24–0 lead. 

Liberty High School, however, demonstrated admirable determination and sportsmanship throughout the match. Despite facing a tough challenge, they continued to support one another and showed great resilience. Their perseverance was rewarded in the second half as they broke through Deanery’s defence to score, eventually adding two tries to finish the contest with pride. 

An impressive combination of attacking flair and strong defence saw Deanery close out the game with a deserved 34–10 victory, confirming their place in the Wembley final.