The sun always shines...
| 09:34 UK time, Friday, 24 August 2007
I know it's been a lousy summer, but you can bet the sun will be shining at 1500 BST on Saturday - in North London at least.
That's because it's back, after an eight-year gap, at its spiritual home - Wembley. And any rugby league fan will tell you the sun always shines on this day, well ever since the famous "Water splash" final of 1968 anyway.
Forget the cost, forget that it's still a mess outside, forget that there's no parking, forget that it's seven quid for fish and chips, the north will descend on this hallowed venue with a communal smile to walk up , raise voices for "" and cheer the homespun heroes of the world's greatest game for 80 minutes that will not disappoint.
Yes, I know we League fans are not slow to big up our sport, but this day truly does have a mythical, mystical quality.
And we might have guessed there would be a special twist for the delayed Wembley return. For this year they will come not just from the north of England but the south of France, draped in the blood and gold colours of the Catalans Dragons. In traditional style, as Catalans, the 8-1 underdogs, will have the support of all bar the 20,000 fans of holders St Helens.
We Leaguers also love our history and the game in France is a fascinating one. Branded illegal as a rebel sport under the wartime Vichy government in occupied France, League has had a century long struggle to maintain its place at the heart of French sport. This Saturday, even with an Aussie and Kiwi playing core, a Catalans victory would be a huge boost for French RL.
Clare Balding will present ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV's coverage of the final from 1430 BST on Saturday. And fittingly for such a day we have a very special guest - the world's greatest rugby player, . The Brisbane Broncos, Queensland and Australia star last year led all three of his teams to triumph in NRL Grand final, State of Origin tournament and the Tri-Nations.
Also in the studio are Wigan coach Brian Noble, whose side and Hull KR coach Justin Morgan, who knows French RL better than most from his successful spell as coach of Toulouse.
Pitchside we will have two Wembley legends - Joe Lydon, once of Widnes and Wigan, and Robbie Paul , lifted the cup with Bradford Bulls, as well as scoring the first ever hat-trick in a Wembley final back in 1996.
Both men will take part in a "Parade of Legends" before the game, as the RFL honours former winners of the Lance Todd trophy such as Alex Murphy, David Topliss, Brian Lockwood, David Hobbs, Ellery Hanley, Martin Offiah, Henry Paul and .
Also part of the big match build-up will be the under 11s champion schools final this year between Normanton Freeston and Castleford High.
Here's your big day starter for ten - what connects Joe Lydon, David Hulme, Denis Betts, Philip Clarke, Kevin Sinfield, James Roby and James Graham among others?
The answer is they all first played at Wembley in this under 11s curtain raiser .
Ten years ago, Roby and Graham represented St Helens Blackbrook in the kids game while Keiron Cunningham was in the Saints team that won the Cup against Bradford. This Saturday all three will be in the Saints pack with Cunningham given the honour of leading his side.
That's another top Wembley story for the scribes. And the one guarantee is that there will be another one to be written after Saturday's first final at the new Wembley.
Oh, and as I said, the sun will shine. Get on!
