SATURDAY'S dramatic Coral Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium attracted the biggest domestic TV audience for the final since 2012 – and an increase of more than 50 per cent on last year’s final.

And with millions more watching from around the world, the Rugby Football League has moved to thank all those involved with creating such a memorable event.

On top of that more than two million viewers have watched the heart-rending BBC documentary Rob Burrow: My Year With MND.

And the broadcast has resulted in more than £50,000 being raised for the MND Association.

RFL Chief Executive, Ralph Rimmer said:“Saturday’s Coral Challenge Cup Final was a wonderful advert for Rugby League and a tremendous credit to everybody involved – especially the clubs and players from both sides. My congratulations go to Leeds Rhinos and my commiserations to Salford Red Devils. They created a magnificent spectacle.

“And on behalf of the RFL I’d like to thank the many others whose contribution was outstanding – first and foremost Rob Burrow. Our chief guest ‘in absentia’ was in all our hearts throughout the day and we are honoured to have such a wonderful human being connected with our sport.

“The BBC’s presentation was superb – engaging, informative, sensitive and thoroughly professional throughout. Clare Balding was typically ebullient in her first official engagement as RFL President, Lizzie Jones was another to hit the right note, and Jodie Cunningham and James Simpson were fantastic ambassadors for next year’s Rugby League World Cup.

“My only sadness and incredible frustration is that supporters – Rhinos, Red Devils and neutral fans alike – were not allowed inside the stadium. The game is not the same without them and we continue to make our case to government as powerfully as we possibly can.

“Finally, I’d like to thank our competition title partner, Coral, for their continued support and look forward to seeing Wembley Stadium packed to the rafters on 17 July 2021.”

With an aggregate of almost six million viewers the 2020 Coral Challenge Cup competition attracted the highest aggregate TV audience for five years – despite there being two fewer televised games due to the competition having to be restructured.

Tickets for the 2021 Coral Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE will go on general sale in November.

The BBC documentary, Rob Burrow: My Year With MND, attracted more than two million viewers across two broadcasts last week. By midnight on Sunday the MND Association had received almost £26,000 via the ‘text-to-donate’ system introduced specifically to coincide with the weekend’s Coral Challenge Cup Final coverage and documentary repeat. The MND Association has also attributed an additional £31,000 in online donations to increases in website activity related to the documentary showings and Coral Challenge Cup Final.

The MND Association is a Registered Charity (No. 294354). Supporters can continue to support MND via text message for the rest of this week. Text MNDROB to 70085 to donate £7. Texts cost £7, plus one standard rate message.

Partners across the sport will continue to promote the number to support vital research into MND.