Bevan French knows that Wembley glory can be immortalized

BEVAN French knows what a magic-making effect he can have at Wembley – he’s heard all about it.

Martin Offiah will be the guest of honor at Saturday’s Challenge Cup final, 30 years after scoring one of the biggest tries in the history of the occasion, which is immortalized in stone outside the stadium.

And the 2024 Wigan star is more than aware of what the exploits of 1994 can bring.

French said: “It’s crazy that moments can be turned into statues – Martin is definitely letting us know about that, that’s for sure!

“That try was a pretty special moment and it’s crazy.

“Wembley is one of the most famous stadiums in the world and to have someone like that who played rugby league and played for Wigan is something else.

“Things like that are thrown at you when you come to Wigan – the championships, the mentality, the history of the club and what it means to the community.

“It means a lot to everyone, that’s for sure.”

French, 28, admits he couldn’t stay up late enough or get up early enough to watch Challenge Cup finals when he was younger.

But a win on Saturday could see him join a long string of Australian successes at Wembley – he won the cup in 2022, but that was at Tottenham.

“I didn’t follow them,” he added. “But coming here you learn the history pretty quickly, what it means to the club and its successes.

“And being here, I think it would be a benefit to Australian rugby league to have a competition like the Challenge Cup. A do or die competition brings out the best in everyone and can be career-changing.

“It means a lot to the Wigan community, but being Australian, playing at Wembley is a pretty special occasion.

“Me and the other overseas players are looking forward to it as much as the guys back home.”