Kieran Buchanan is hoping to right some wrongs and finish on the winning side at Wembley as York Knights face Featherstone Rovers in the 1895 Cup final this Saturday.
The former Hull FC youngster, who debuted in 2019 for the Black and Whites and spent two seasons in the first team, was part of the Batley Bulldogs side that suffered an agonising 12-10 defeat to Halifax Panthers in the 2023 final.
Now, he has a second chance at glory on the national stadium, with the 1895 cup competition rounding off a triple-header at Wembley alongside the men’s and women’s Challenge Cup finals.
Buchanan, who represented Scotland at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup weeks after playing in the Championship Grand Final, signed with York ahead of the 2025 Championship competition and was named player of the match in their semi-final win over Bradford Bulls last month, securing their place in the capital.
This year’s tie is a repeat of the competition’s second final, four years ago.
He said: “I’ll be very privileged to play there twice if I’m selected. I want to right my wrongs from last time and get the win. It doesn’t make it as special if you don’t win, so hopefully we can get that this time.
“Going once is special enough, but this feels like a must-win. I don’t want to feel the pain [of losing] twice, never mind once.
“I’ll do anything at any cost to win that game.
“It’s a proud moment for all of us. We want to win, and give it back to the fans, the players and the club.”
York, currently fourth on the Betfred Championship table, have been headed up by former Wakefield Trinity boss Mark Applegarth since June 2024. And Buchanan has hailed his head coach’s impact.
“He gets you fired up for games, and has taught me a lot of stuff in the six months I’ve been here already,” Buchanan explained. “He brings the best out of you.
“He’s been unbelievable for me, and I feel like I’m getting better and better with each game. He’s a great bloke.”
Fellow finalists Featherstone meanwhile appointed Paul Cooke as their boss in February, replacing James Ford.
The Hull FC Challenge Cup winner previously served as an assistant coach at York during the 2024 campaign.
Buchanan is predicting a fierce final between two of the two Championship big-hitters on Saturday.
He added: “Two really good, fiery teams. We played against them a couple of weeks ago and it was fiery then.
“It’s two really good teams, and it’ll be a good contest on the big stage.”