RUGBY League World Cup 2013 has beaten off competition from the FA Cup Final, the Champions League Final, the NFL and several other major sporting and musical events, including The Killers and Bruce Springsteen, to be named Best Wembley Moment of 2013.
New Zealand’s thrilling clash with England, which was decided by Shaun Johnson’s try in the final minute, was nominated for the award, and it won the popular vote from fans and members of the public as the year’s most memorable moment under the arch.
It means that for the first time since the new stadium opened Rugby League will be immortalised in stone on Wembley Way, and forever remember as the venue’s biggest moment of 2013.
RLWC2013 Tournament General Manager Sally Bolton said “Many people have called the England v New Zealand semi-final the best game of Rugby League they’d ever seen.
“However, considering the competition, it’s fantastic to get recognised like this. It’s another feather in the cap for RLWC2013 and a fantastic accolade.”
Roger Maslin, Managing Director of Wembley Stadium, said: “2013 has been an incredible year for Wembley Stadium, not just through the calibre of events hosted, but for the excitement they have provided. We’ve had last-minute winners in both major football finals, World Cup qualification for the England football team and spectacular musical performances from some world-class acts.
However, the drama of the Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final certainly befitted the occasion, so it is right to commemorate the match with a Wembley Way stone.”