2025 Super League Grand Final
| 2025 Betfred Super League Grand Final | |||||||||||||
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The match took place at Old Trafford | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 11 October 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Old Trafford | ||||||||||||
| Location | Manchester, England | ||||||||||||
| Rob Burrow Award | Mikey Lewis | ||||||||||||
| Jerusalem | Camilla Kerslake | ||||||||||||
| Referee | Liam Moore | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 68,853 | ||||||||||||
| Broadcast partners | |||||||||||||
| Broadcasters |
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The 2025 Super League Grand Final, named the 2025 Betfred Super League Grand Final for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th official Super League Grand Final and the championship-deciding rugby league game of the 2025 Super League season. The match was contested between Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, a repeat of the 2024 Grand Final.
Wigan Warriors are the defending champions, having won seven Super League Grand Finals including in 2024, and were looking to win three successive Grand Finals for the first time after also winning the 2023 final. Hull Kingston Rovers, meanwhile, were making their second consecutive appearance at a Grand Final in an attempt to win their first ever treble, having finishing top of the Super League table and lifted the League Leader's Shield and having also won the 2025 Challenge Cup final.[1][2]
Hull Kingston Rovers defeated Wigan 24-6 to claim their first Super League title, and in doing so, became the fifth winners of a Grand Final and achieved their first ever treble.[3]
Background
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 27 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 786 | 292 | +494 | 44 |
| 2 | Wigan Warriors | 27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 794 | 333 | +461 | 42 |
Route to the final
Hull Kingston Rovers
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-final | St Helens (H) | 20–12 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue. | ||
Hull Kingston Rovers finished the regular season as league leaders, earning the team a bye to the semi-final. They played the lowest ranked winner from the eliminators, which was St Helens.
Final score: Hull Kingston Rovers 20-12 St Helens[4]
Wigan Warriors
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-final | Leigh Leopards (H) | 18–6 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue. | ||
2024 Grand Final winners Wigan finished the regular season in second place, earning the Warriors a bye to the semi-final. They played the highest ranked winner from the eliminators, which was the Leigh Leopards, a repeat of their 2024 semi-final fixture.
Final score: Wigan Warriors 18–6 Leigh Leopards[5]
Pre-match
Broadcasting
In the United Kingdom, both regular providers Sky Sports, via their Main Event channel, and the SuperLeague+ streaming platform aired the Grand Final, with highlights of the Grand Final also aired a day later on BBC Two.[6] Live radio coverage of the final was also provided by BBC Radio 5 Live.[7]
Sky Sports' coverage was also shared with Fox League in Australia and Fox Sports in the USA, Digicel in the Pacific Region, Premier Sports Asia in South East Asia, Dubai TV, Sportsnet in Canada, SportsMax in the Caribbean and Sportdigital in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. A deal agreed between IMG and Sport Media Group also saw the Grand Final broadcast for the first time on Sport Media's main channel in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova and Ukraine.[6]
| Region | Network |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Two (nextday highlights) |
| Australia | Fox League |
| United States | Fox Sports 1 |
| Canada | Sportsnet |
| Caribbean | SportsMax |
| Pacific Islands | Digicel |
| South East Asia | Premier Sports |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai TV |
| Estonia Latvia Lithuania Moldova Ukraine |
Sport Media Group, Channel 1 |
Entertainment
Pre-match and half-time entertainment was provided by The Pigeon Detectives,[8] with the Grand Final anthem 'Jerusalem' sang by Camilla Kerslake.[9]
Officiating
Liam Moore refereed the match and was aided by touch judges Marcus Griffiths and Richard Thompson. The video referee was Jack Smith, while the reserve referee was Chris Kendall.[10]
Team selection
Hull KRs' squad remained largely unchanged from their semi-final victory against St Helens, with the exception of Noah Booth replacing Eribe Doro, and the retiring Michael McIlorum's selection initially being in doubt due to recovering from a fractured ankle;[11] McIlorum finished his career by playing in the Grand Final with his ankle still fractured, although he was substituted during the first half.[12] Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who was to also retire after the Grand Final, initially faced a three match ban due to committing a Grade C head contact offence in the semi-final fixture, however this ban was overturned upon appeal.[13]
The Wigan Warriors squad remained unchanged following their semi-final match against Leigh.[14]
Prize money
Prize money was £200,000 for the victors and £140,000 for the runners-up.[15]
Match details
| Hull KR | 24–6 | Wigan Warriors |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lewis 20' Burgess 27', 79' Litten 62' Goals: Mourgue 21' Martin pen 53', 60', 80' (3/4) |
report |
Tries: Smith 49' Goals: Keighran pen 39' (1/2) |
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 68,853 Referee: Liam Moore Touch judges: Marcus Griffiths and Richard Thompson Video referee: Jack Smith[10] Rob Burrow Award: Mikey Lewis (Hull KR) |
Details
| Hull KR | Position | Wigan Warriors | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Arthur Mourgue | Fullback | 1 | Jai Field |
| 2 | Tom Davies | Wing | 2 | Abbas Miski |
| 3 | Peta Hiku | Centre | 3 | Adam Keighran |
| 4 | Oliver Gildart | Centre | 4 | Jake Wardle |
| 5 | Joe Burgess | Wing | 5 | Liam Marshall |
| 6 | Mikey Lewis | Stand-off | 6 | Bevan French |
| 7 | Tyrone May | Scrum-half | 7 | Harry Smith |
| 8 | Sauaso Sue 22' | Prop | 16 | Liam Byrne 22' 30' |
| 14 | Michael McIlorum 17' | Hooker | 9 | Brad O'Neill 18' to 28' 58' |
| 10 | Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 29' 51' 70' | Prop | 10 | Luke Thompson 30' |
| 11 | Dean Hadley | Second-row | 21 | Sam Walters 58' |
| 12 | James Batchelor | Second-row | 12 | Liam Farrell |
| 13 | Elliot Minchella 58' 71' | Loose forward | 13 | Kaide Ellis 47' 65' |
| 9 | Jez Litten 17' | Interchange | 8 | Ethan Havard 30' |
| 15 | Sam Luckley 58' | 11 | Junior Nsemba 30' | |
| 16 | Jai Whitbread 29' 71' | 15 | Patrick Mago 47' | |
| 17 | Rhyse Martin 22' | 17 | Kruise Leeming 22' 58' | |
| 18 | Jack Broadbent | Concussion substitute | 20 | Harvie Hill |
| Willie Peters | Head coach | Matt Peet | ||
Post-match
By winning the Grand Final, Hull Kingston Rovers claimed their first Super League title, becoming the first new winners of a Grand Final since the Leeds Rhinos in 2004 and also becoming rugby league champions for the first time since 1984-85. Following victories in the Challenge Cup Final and winning the League Leader's Shield, Hull Kingston Rovers also achieved their first ever treble, becoming only the seventh club to do so. By comparison, Wigan's loss in the Grand Final represented their first season of rugby league since the appointment of coach Matt Peet in 2022 where they did not win a single trophy.[3]
A day after the final, Hull Kingston Rovers held a victory parade from their home stadium at Craven Park to Hull City Hall.[16] As winners of the Grand Final, Hull Kingston Rovers are expected to play the 2026 World Club Challenge against 2025 NRL Grand Final winners Brisbane Broncos in February 2026.[17]
Television viewing figures for the Sky Sports broadcast averaged at 455,000 during the match, marking a rise in viewership by 22% when compared to the 2024 final, which itself saw a 40% rise.[18]
References
- ^ Freeman, Jay (10 October 2025). "Hull KR & Wigan set for repeat of 2024 Grand Final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (10 October 2025). "Wigan eye third consecutive Super League title and place among all-time greats". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ a b Freeman, Jay (11 October 2025). "Hull KR beat Wigan in Grand Final for historic treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ Wellens, Megan (4 October 2025). "Hull KR show steel to set up Super League Grand Final against Wigan Warriors with 20-12 win over St Helens". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Wellens, Megan (3 October 2025). "Wigan Warriors secure Super League Grand Final spot with 18-6 win over Leigh Leopards in play-off semi-finals". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ a b Walker, Callum (9 October 2025). "2025 Super League Grand Final to be broadcast in five eastern European countries". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Spina-Matthews, Sarah (10 October 2025). "All you need to know for Super League Grand Final". BBC News. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ "The Pigeon Detectives to headline the Grand Final". Betfred Super League. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Camilla Kerslake to perform at the Grand Final". Betfred Super League. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ a b Olawumi, Ben (6 October 2025). "2025 Super League Grand Final match officials confirmed including referee". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Matthew (9 October 2025). "Super League Grand Final squads named as Hull KR wait on Micky McIlorum". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (11 October 2025). "Michael McIlorum played in Hull KR triumph with horrific injury as Willie Peters praises veteran duo". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ "Retiring Waerea-Hargreaves cleared for Grand Final". BBC Sport. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (9 October 2025). "Hull KR v Wigan Warriors: Super League Grand Final 21-man squads announced". Wigan Today. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (8 October 2025). "Super League Grand Final prize money confirmed as winners set for big windfall". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Smailes, James (12 October 2025). "Hull KR Grand Final victory parade as Rovers celebrate - route, road closures and timings". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Matthew (12 October 2025). "Hull KR's World Club Challenge focus as big game experience readies them for Brisbane". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (12 October 2025). "Super League Grand Final posts huge TV figures with major increase on 2024". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 12 October 2025.