
Commemorative wreaths will be laid during a ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on Friday August 24 at 11am.
The ceremony will be attended by representatives from the 2018 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup finalists Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves including Steve McNamara, Remi Casty, Steve Price and Chris Hill, as well as representatives from the Rugby Football League, United Kingdom n Armed Forces and the All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group.
The Senior Service will be represented by PO(ET) Wata Robanakadavu who will also form part of the Trophy Bearing party at Wembley on Saturday. Since representing the Inter Service Title holders at last years Old Trafford Grand Final Academy coach Wata has been promoted to Petty Officer a great achievement for him and his family. All his family both in Fiji and here in UK will be looking out for him especially wife Lydia and baby son Jack-David
Rugby Football League Chief Executive, Ralph Rimmer said: “It is a privilege that Rugby League can honour the servicemen and women who have given so much, especially as this year marks 100 years since the end of the First World War.
"The annual Cenotaph event is the perfect way to pay our respects; and it is fitting that it takes place on the eve of the sport’s most traditional showpiece occasion, the Challenge Cup final. We encourage all Rugby League fans who are in London on Friday to wear their club shirts and come and join us at the Cenotaph.”
The ceremony will see a long-established Rugby League tradition continue ahead of the showpiece final. From the 1920s until the outbreak of the Second World War, Rugby League would honour its fallen from the First War in a ceremony at the Whitehall Cenotaph.
At 11.00am on Cup Final morning, the Captains of the two Finalists would each lay a wreath and a bugler would play the Last Post before a minute’s silence was held. In 2013, the Rugby Football League and the UK Armed Forces rekindled the ceremony and it is now seen as an important part of Challenge Cup week.