This year’s Friday Night Lights, as ever, kicks off Challenge Cup Final weekend in London and there is a great buzz around New River and amongst Rugby League fans as the Premier Sports cameras arrive to broadcast the match live on Friday.

Heading up the commentary team for Premier Sports is Ian Ramsdale, a great advocate of Rugby League in London who, for some time, has presented a weekly Rugby League show for BBC London 94.9. Commenting on the event Ian had this to say: “I have been a great advocate of Rugby League in the Capital for some time so I’m delighted to be commentating on Skolars Friday Night Lights match against Whitehaven as I believe this can only help raise the profile of the sport in London”.

Assisting Ian Ramsdale in the commentary box will be Brian Noble and Gareth Walker. Brian Noble enjoyed a distinguished playing career that included over 400 games for Bradford Bulls, a team that he would eventually go on to coach. Brian’s playing career also included 11 games for Great Britain between 1982 and 1984. Brian also coached Wigan Warriors and, most recently, Crusaders and between 2004-2006 he coached the Great Britain team for 14 matches. This season has seen Brian join the Premier Sports commentary team, adding a wealth of Rugby League experience to their coverage of Co-operative Championship matches.

Gareth Walker is a respected journalist who is the People newspaper’s Rugby League correspondent and he is Championship consultant for Premier Sports, having summarised a number of games this season.

London Skolars offers a warm welcome to Premier Sports, and their distinguished commentary team, for our Friday Night Lights fixture. The Skolars v Whitehaven match kicks off at 6.30pm on Friday

Information on the event and tickets canan be found by clicking here