Latest news with #BetfredWomen'sChallengeCup
ITV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Wigan achieve seven-try win over St Helens to earn their first Women's Challenge Cup trophy
Wigan have earned their first Betfred Women's Challenge Cup trophy at Wembley after a 42-6 win against long time rivals St Helens. Izzy Rowe led her team to a win by scoring 18 points against the four-time defending champions St Helen. Their thumping 42-6 win brought Wigan their first major trophy since the 2018 Grand Final and confirmed a seismic shift in the balance of power in the women's game with once-dominant Saints second-best in every department. Rowe's magnificent contribution included the first try of the second half and a perfect record of seven conversions including a looping effort from the touchline that put the seal on a stunning personal display. Wigan, given a major overhaul under head coach Denis Betts this season, were irresistible from the off and to add to Saints' woes, it was their former player Megan Williams who opened the scoring after getting on the end of Rowe's short pass. Error-strewn Saints missed a golden chance to level when Amy Hardcastle knocked on in front of the posts, and Wigan doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Mary Coleman raced through for her side's second. St Helens dug deep to barge the dangerous Anna Davies into touch but the wave of Wigan attacks continued and they moved further clear just past the half-hour when Papua New Guinea international Emily Veivers went over on the diagonal to give them an 18-0 half-time lead. The interval brought brief respite for Saints, with Rowe soon extending her side's lead before the holders finally got on the scoresheet when Katie Mottershead burrowed over from dummy half, with Faye Gaskin converting. The brief revival was ended on the hour mark when Eva Hunter punctured the Saints rearguard and further tries from Grace Banks, who roared over from 65 metres out, and Davies completed the rout.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wigan demolish Leeds to reach first Challenge Cup final
Betfred Women's Challenge Cup semi-final Leeds (0) 14 Tries: Greening, Bryer, Howard Goal: Bennett Wigan (30) 44 Tries: Davies 2, Wilson, Banks 2, Williams, Veivers, Jones, Rowe Goals: Foubister 4 Wigan Warriors reached the Women's Challenge Cup final for the first time as they demolished two-time winners Leeds Rhinos in York. Anna Davies went in for Wigan twice inside the opening 10 minutes, while Georgia Wilson, Grace Banks, Megan Williams and Emily Veivers added to the tally by the break. Things went from bad to worse for Leeds as they lost Bella Sykes to a failed head injury assessment (HIA) and Ruby Walker to an ankle injury. Molly Jones and Banks picked up where Wigan left off, before Jenna Greening and Tally Bryer got Leeds going. But Izzy Rowe's score - shortly before Mel Howard's run-in on the hooter - ensured Warriors reached Wembley to play either St Helens or York Valkyrie. Leeds had won their past 12 meetings with Wigan, including semi-final wins in the past two seasons. Yet the Warriors quickly justified their pre-match favourites tag as they exploited weakness on the Rhinos left edge to give Davies two early scores in the right corner. Davies was inches away from a hat-trick before poor defence allowed Wilson to add a third Wigan try. Player of the match Banks turned on the afterburners to grab the first try of her brace. Williams' close-range effort and burst from Papua New Guinea international Vievers then effectively ended the game before half-time as the Warriors led 30-0. Jones broke through a couple of tackles to extend the lead and Banks then made it 38-0. An improved Leeds pulled two scores back in four minutes around the hour mark through Greening and a nice finish from Bryer - the first points Wigan had conceded in their cup run. Rowe stretched out an arm to score as Wigan responded, before Howard added a try to a superb defensive display to give Rhinos the final word. Leeds: Stead; Bryer, Greening, Boyd, Whitbread; Howard, Walker; Sykes, Bennett, Northrop, Lacey, Murray, Dainton. Interchanges: Bruce, Donnelly, Glynn, Short. Wigan: Banks; Davies, Wilson, Jones, Derbyshire; Foubister, Rowe; Coleman, Wilton, Speakman, Hunter, Power, Williams. Interchanges: Marsh, Thompson, Casey, Veivers. Referee: Tara Jones
