The FA Cup of rugby

Being a southerner, I was always going to pick rugby union over the two-man-lite code that is rugby league. However, there is one thing about it that I envy and that's the Challenge Cup.

It's a straight knock-out competition that sees the elite of the Super League take on the minnows of the National Leagues. Union used to have something like this until the RFU and WRU in all their wisdom decided on creating the half-arsed Anglo-Welsh Cup which comprises of the 12 Premiership clubs and the four Welsh regions.

The final used to provide an opportunity of playing at Twickenham, which led to big crowds including over 55,000 attending last year's contest between Gloucester and Cardiff Blues. However, the two organisations have now well and truly buried this by announcing that this year's final will take place at Sixways in Worcester - capacity 12,000.

Last year's Challenge Cup winners Warrington Wolves

All this now means that the Challenge Cup is now the undisputed FA Cup of rugby. The obvious similarity with the World's oldest cup competition is that the final is played at Wembley and it's still a big deal. Last year the cup was won by Warrington Wolves - a nice change from St Helens or Leeds Rhinos gobbling up the silverware. It's the equivalent of Villa or Spurs winning the FA Cup this year (fingers crossed).

Next month comes a personal favourite of the competition - when the big boys enter it giving us David and Goliath clashes like Dewsbury v Bradford Bulls, Sheffield Eagles v Wigan Warriors and St Helens v Toulouse (yes French teams are in it as well). This year will also see a big name drop out early as Leeds travel to the KC Stadium to take on Hull. It may only get any real attention up north in this country, but rugby league truly has something that fans of the more-illustrious rugby union can only wish to have in their code.