Leigh, a Lancashire town with a population barely reaching 45,000 and so small it does not have a train station to its name, has been threatening to write one of the most remarkable rugby league stories for a good few weeks. It has just taken another gargantuan leap towards that becoming a reality by advancing to the final of the Challenge Cup for the first time since their win over Leeds in 1971, their only other final coming in 1921.
Last summer, Leigh Leopards were playing in the Championship and in the warm-up game to their local rivals, Wigan Warriors, on finals day last year at Tottenham. They won the 1895 Cup before the Warriors won the Challenge Cup final hours later. Leigh’s owner, Derek Beaumont, has frequently admitted how he dreams of a Leigh v Wigan cup final. If the Warriors hold up their end of the bargain with victory against Hull KR on Sunday, he will get his wish.
