Image source, Getty Images

The men's Challenge Cup Final between Leigh and Hull KR will be a historic occasion - the 80th time this grand occasion has been held at Wembley Stadium.

Someone will end a long drought with victory, with either Leigh lifting the trophy for the first time in 52 years, or Hull KR ending their 43-year wait to be crowned cup kings.

Another quirk is that it's the first final in 37 years not to feature either Wigan, St Helens, Warrington or Leeds, so there is a genuine freshness to one of the great days in the game's calendar.

Not to mention that it is also the first time a women's final will be staged, as Leeds Rhinos and St Helens also feature on a day of showpiece matches.

While the 'Cup Final' has been hawked around the country down the decades, Wembley is surely its spiritual home.

Read more from Dave Woods' on a historic day at Wembley here.

BBC One

We've got you well covered if you want to keep across today's Challenge Cup final.

Not only is there this live text commentary but at the top of this page you will see a series of links for your audio visual enjoyment.

BBC Local Radio and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra are at Wembley to take you through the action.

The game is also live on BBC One as well.

Image source, SWPix.com

Leigh stand-off Ben Reynolds has been at the crux of the Leopards side this season, as the club have turned heads during a stellar campaign.

The 29-year-old is in his third spell with the club and helped them win promotion back to Super League last season, and has made 19 appearances during 2023.

His arrival at the club, however, came thanks to a chance meeting with Leigh owner Derek Beaumont during a reserve game at the beginning of his career.

"I was playing for the reserves at York City Knights. It was quite a good game. Some fat bloke sat behind the posts started giving me a bit of stick," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"I turned round and gave him some back. I didn't realise who it was, obviously. After the game he said 'I'll meet you in the bar' and I said no problem, so I go in there and then he gave me a drafted contract.

"I thought 'who is this guy?' and it turned out to be Derek Beaumont and the rest is history.

"He's passionate, flamboyant and crazy. But he's a loving, family man and he takes care of all his players and everyone around the club. He's an amazing bloke."

Matt Newsum
BBC rugby league commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It feels like a long time since there was this much buzz and sparkle about a men's Challenge Cup final, borne out by the atmosphere around Wembley over the last 24 hours.

The chatter was all about the game in the bars and restaurants around Wembley, the northern 'invasion' colourised by the many shirts on display on Olympic Way.

How you can become tired of this place I don't know, but the enthusiasm and vigour shown by fans, players, coaches and particularly owners in the case of Derek Beaumont has whet the appetite.

On the pitch it is so difficult to call.

Hull KR have shown they can find a match-winning moment with Brad Schneider's semi-deciding drop-goal, and have big-game players such as Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Ryan Hall.

However, there is far more Wembley know-how in the Leigh ranks in the shape of Zak Hardaker and Tom Briscoe - the scourge of Rovers in 2015 with five tries - and that might just be the difference.

Whatever happens, it was be the end of a long wait for someone to hoist the cup aloft.

It is rugby league's big day in the capital! The Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

So are St Helens there? No. Wigan Warriors? Nope. Surely Leeds Rhinos then? Again, no.

We have Hull KR against Leigh Leopards.

What an opportunity for either set of players to write their names into rugby league folklore.

Thanks for joining us for what promises to be a fantastic occasion.