AS the Carnegie Challenge Cup Final at Wembley approaches, seven young aspiring Rugby League match officials from across the country are preparing for a very big challenge of their own - with the knowledge that they too could appear at the new stadium on the big day.

The seven young Rugby League match officials from throughout the country are preparing to referee matches which are part of the Carnegie Champion Schools Finals day at RAF Uxbridge in West London (Friday 24th August 2007.

The finals day is the culmination of a UK-wide Rugby League tournament involving young people in school ages Year 7 to Year 10. Young developing match officials are involved in the event as an element of the RFL's Match Officials recruitment and development programmes.

The seven young officials will be monitored throughout the schools matches that are staged on the Friday before the Carnegie Challenge Cup Final between Catalans Dragons and St Helens at Wembley.

The official judged by independent assessors to have given the most complete performance will be named as the the referee for the Carnegie Champion Schools Year 7 Boys Final which is played at the new Wembley Stadium as a curtain raiser to the final.

The others will also be involved in the Wembley curtain raiser as touch judges, in-goal judges and in other officiating capacities.

To prepare for their challenge, the young people spent a full day with the RFL's full time professional match officials who are based at Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie Sports centre in Headingley.

During the day they had the chance to sample some of the physical and technical preparation that the professional officials undertake and speak to RFL Match Officials Director Stuart Cummings about officiating in a major match.

The young officials are: Patrick Wilson (17 - from Northampton), Warren Turley (17 from Leigh, Greater Manchester), Tom Roby (18 from Preston), Andy Tolley (16 from Huddersfield), Beth Nielson (15 from Huddersfield), Josh Beddis (15 from Castleford), Stewart Kilpatrick (18 from Oldham).

Commenting on the day with the aspiring officials, the RFL's Match Officials Director Stuart Cummings said: "All these young people have already achieved a good degree of success as developing Rugby League referees and touch judges and we were delighted to help them prepare for their big day at the Carnegie Champion Schools Finals.

"They have all showed great promise and their progress illustrates that young people who get involved with our match officials recruitment programme do have an exciting development pathway open to them."

Cummings added: "The young officials had an opportunity to learn from our full time squad and we wish all of them all the very best for the Carnegie Champion Schools event and of course for Wembley!"