2024 Championship Grand Final: Date, kick-off time, TV coverage, team news and more

Ben Olawumi
Luke Gale, Benjamin Laguerre in front of Belle Vue

Wakefield Trinity and Toulouse Olympique will square off in the 2024 Championship Grand Final

Wakefield Trinity and Toulouse Olympique will square off in the 2024 Championship Grand Final on Saturday, October 19 at Belle Vue. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the second tier’s showpiece…

Kick-off time

Saturday’s Grand Final, which sees the division’s top two meet, will kick off at 7pm (BST).

TV coverage

The Championship showpiece is not on TV, but will be shown live on The Sportsman’s YouTube channel.

Coverage will begin at 6.45pm (BST), 15 minutes prior to kick off at Belle Vue, with full match commentary.

The broadcast can be watched via the YouTube app on smart televisions and all other devices.

Here is the link to The Sportsman’s YouTube channel.

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Team News

The two clubs’ 21-man squads for the Grand Final were on Thursday.

Daryl Powell, Sylvain Houles
Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell (left) and Toulouse Olympique boss Sylvain Houles (right)

Wakefield boss Daryl Powell has been forced into one change from their semi-final success against York, with veteran back-rower Josh Griffin picking up a groin injury.

Jack Croft is the man drafted in to replace him, with Jake Trueman also named. Having signed from Hull FC earlier this season, the playmaker is now eligible to don a Trinity shirt.

He was named in the 21-man squad for that York semi-final, but didn’t make it into the matchday squad, so awaits his Wakefield debut.

Toulouse boss Sylvain Houles has also made one change to his 21 from their semi-final victory against Bradford, with Pierre-Jean Lima dropping out.

Englishman Mac Walsh, who joined Olympique from Hunslet ahead of this season, is the one to replace him.

Here are the 21-man squads for Saturday’s Grand Final in full…

Wakefield: Jowitt, McGillvary, Pratt, Thornley, Walmsley, Gale, Lino, Bowden, Hood, Atoni, Ashurst, Pitts, Kay, Uele, Cozza, Rodwell, Vagana, Doyle, Croft, Olpherts, Trueman

Toulouse: Ashall-Bott, Rennie, Rivett, Belmas, Hansen, Peyroux, Pelissier, Roumanos, Laguerre, Walsh, Brochon, Ulberg, Marcon, Shorrocks, Gahan, Stefani, Marion, Bretherton, Armitage, Richards, Biscarro

Other notable information

  • Unlike in previous years, due to the IMG grading system which comes into play ahead of next season, the winner of Saturday’s Championship Grand Final will NOT automatically be promoted.
  • Whatever happens in the showpiece, Wakefield are likely to return to Super League next season.
  • Toulouse’s situation is somewhat more unclear, with the French club harbouring hopes of being promoted but likely to remain in the second tier in 2025, even with a win in the Grand Final.
  • The winners of Saturday’s game will receive an additional 0.25 IMG points.
  • Having already lifted the 1895 Cup, Wakefield ended the year top of the Championship table – 13 competition points clear of 2nd-placed Toulouse.
  • Olympique were the only team to beat Trinity in the league this year, winning 32-4 over in France back in July
  • Wakefield won 28-12 when the pair met at Belle Vue in April.
  • No player in the history of the game has scored more points for a single team in a single season than Trinity back Max Jowitt (494).
  • Jowitt needs just three points to become the highest points scorer ever in a single season in the history of the game, currently sat two behind Lewis Jones.

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Championship Toulouse Olympique

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