|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Mopped up Challenge Cup final goes ahead in Scotland despite flood
Posted: Friday April 28, 2000 09:59 PM
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) -- A day after the field was flooded by up to four feet (1.2 meters) of water, officials declared Friday that Saturday's rugby league Challenge Cup final between Bradford and Leeds will go ahead at Murrayfield. The players walked the field and said they were satisfied with its condition after a massive mopping up operation. There were fears that the first final to be staged in Scotland would have to be postponed for the first time in the competition's 103-year history when a deluge of rain left the field and the locker rooms flooded at the nation's 65,000-capacity rugby union stadium. But the water drained away and scores of volunteers and the Royal Navy rugby league team joined ground staff to mop up the silt and debris washed onto the field by the rain. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the flooding yesterday but everybody was determined that this great sporting spectacle would go ahead if at all possible," said Rugby Football League deputy chief executive Dave Callaghan. "I've been on it and kicked a few goals and it seems quite firm, which surprised me," said Leeds star Iestyn Harris. "I saw the pictures in the papers and on the TV news and they've done a marvelous job to get it anything like. To be honest, it's a lot firmer than Leeds' pitch at the moment." With some 50,000 fans traveling north from England in a fleet of 500 buses as well as cars and trains, organizers wanted to avoid a postponement until Sunday. The Leeds lineup includes 14 of the squad who beat the London Broncos 52-16 in last year's final at Wembley. The starting lineup includes winger Leroy Rivett, who earned the Lance Todd Trophy at Wembley 12 months ago after scoring a record-breaking four tries. Leeds is expected to be the underdog against a Bradford team which is unbeaten in 10 league and cup games this season but hasn't won the title since 1949. Because of the sticky state of the Murrayfield surface, Harris doesn't expect the game as free flowing as finals usually are at Wembley. "It will change the way the game is going to go," he said. "It is not going to be as open as it would be on a dry day but you have to adapt to the conditions and we'll do that." Bradford's 33-year-old forward, Bernard Dwyer, is aiming to collect his first winner's medal after being a four-time runner up. The second row player played in two losing finals for St. Helens and was on the Bradford team beaten by Saints in 1996 and 1997.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
