Wembley Stadium set to host Ashes Test versus Australia this summer
Wembley Stadium is being lined up to host the first UK rugby league Ashes Test in over two decades.
The 90,000 capacity home of the Challenge Cup final is set to open the three-Test series against Australia, which has not been held since Kangaroos beat Great Britain 3-0 in 2003.
Wembley Stadium will be followed by rugby league heartland Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley as well as Premier League club Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, according to Love Rugby League.
England has not beaten Australia since 1995, albeit there was a period where Australia played Great Britain rather than England.
The series was due to take place in Australia as a Lions Tour of the country but that has been changed.
It comes a year out from the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, which will be taking place across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Wembley ideal
London’s Wembley is no stranger to hosting rugby league, having been home to the Challenge Cup final for every season since 2007 except 2022, when it was hosted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to scheduling issues.
Its association with the cup final dates back to the 1928-29 season.
Last year’s final between Wigan and Warrington – the two sides that played in Las Vegas last weekend – saw the biggest attendance at the stadium since 2017, and only one match has topped 80,000 since 2011.
It means the decision to host the opening Ashes Test at 90,000 capacity Wembley is a brave one.
England’s most recent match against the Kangaroos finished in a 6-0 defeat during the 2017 World Cup final, while their most recent clash in the UK – at West Ham United’s London Stadium – saw Australia win 18-36.
Rugby league appears to be seeing a resurgence at the moment, with the festival of rugby in Las Vegas at the weekend drawing over 45,000 fans for two NRL matches, one Super League clash and a Women’s Ashes tie between England and Australia.