Congrats to Catalans. Personally, I reckon any team beyond the usual suspects that makes a final is bringing plenty to the game regardless of supporter numbers.

Just seen that in 23 European Elite Union finals, 14 times the host nation has not had a team involved. The powers that be of that competition announce the venue before the start of the season and don't seem bothered that they might end up with 2 Irish sides playing at Twickenham, as happened in 2012 when 81,000+ fans watched the final......we've all known where the CC Final 2018 was being played and if we don't fill Wembley it won't be the fault of Catalans, but the failure of the RFL and fans of the game who just can't be bothered travelling further than their bus pass allows.

Also, on the purpose of this thread. Who exactly is it a disaster for?

If the RFL didn't sell one ticket, would it impact on the income of any of the pro/semi-pro clubs in the game? It is my understanding that SKY TV cash is where the central funding comes from, so the only people it would be a disaster for would be the people who rely on the revenue, who also happen to be the people charged with marketing the game. They have a few weeks to ramp up their activity, or to consolidate their potential losses.......but an empty Wembley won't impact the fans of, or the club at Leigh (where the OP hails from I think) or the fans of, or the club of Wakefield where a great deal of anti-expansionist threads emanate from.

We worry far too much about empty seats...the RFL team have already acted appropriately and not put the top tier of the Catalan end on sale, so getting them altogether behind the posts and making it look as best it can.

Yes the crowd may be 20k down on if Saints had got there, but imagine how good the press for the sport could be if a non-British side won it? It would be a shock spoken about for years to come, and would be a massive boost for the game in France.

the real challenge for the RFL is getting neutral sales back up to a level where it really shouldn't matter too much who are the finalists. It doesn't seem to matter who the NFL send to Wembley they shift the tickets, and the RFU manage to sell games in Twickenham/Wembley for non London clubs playing regular league games.

So fans want new teams in the grand final and challenge cup final. As long the new teams are in the M62 corridor right.

No need for that really is there

I’d target the schools in and around the London area with free tickets to boost the Catalans end

Who goes to school in August?

Selling them to the general public in London is a better idea. Lots of locals attend England games in London, the Challenge Cup Final needs to be marketed to these fans

what about chucking a load of cardboard cutouts in the seats with a string of onions round their necks to make the numbers up

Can anyone explain why, when Toulon RFC and Clermont RFC, 2 Union clubs from the South East of France managed to get 50,000 fans to a game in Dublin 3 weeks after they won their semi-finals, we think that Catalans will only bring 5,000?
Catalans average attendance is about 7,500......St Helens is 11,500, but apparently St Helens would have brought nearly 2 times whilst catalans will only bring 66% of theirs?

Catalans have been in a Challenge Cup Final before with a massive following

That won't wash buddy....like it hasn't the other 5,000 times you've claimed it.

More Rhinos fans than there will be Leigh fans at SL games next season