St.Helens Women fell to defeat against Wigan Warriors Women in the 2026 Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
Head Coaches Derek Hardman and Craig Richards named the same squad that secured an important away day win over York Valkyrie in the Betfred Women’s Super League last time out. By being selected in the halves, Zoe Harris would make her 100th St.Helens Women’s match appearance, a special milestone for her as she became only the third woman to reach a century of games for the Saints.
View this post on Instagram
In sweltering conditions, the first error came from St.Helens, gifting the Warriors the early territory, but we turned them away for the first five minutes.
Harris placed a great kick behind the Wigan defenders, and just one rotation of the ball was too much as it touched the corner post for a seven-tackle set from the 20m line. A penalty did not help proceedings, and the Wigan captain, Georgia Wilson, finished off some fast hands to the right for the opening points. Isabel Rowe added the first of seven conversions she would get in the game.
Looking to respond and getting our first six-again call, Amy Hardcastle went close, but we came up short. Moments later, with space on the left edge, Eva Hunter charged through our defensive line to go 30m and score a converted try. Five minutes later, it was like a carbon copy of her first; Hunter got her second with another Rowe goal added to make it 18-0 around twenty minutes in.
The Warriors’ fourth try came off a run of the ball on the last from 30m out. A hit-out pass to winger Elise Derbyshire gave her a bit of space, and before being tackled, she passed back inside to centre and former Saints player Beri Salihi, who managed to ground the ball.
Three minutes before the break, winger Anna Davies managed to squeeze into the corner, with Rachael Woosey as our last defender, to try to get her in touch. After a video referee review, one angle looked like Davies’ knee was on the whitewash; however, the try was awarded. Rowe’s conversion attempt came off the crossbar.
Off the restart, Wigan did not deal with the kick-off, allowing it to bounce and go out. That gave the Saints an attack from close range, which we had been limited in doing in the game. Faye Gaskin ran the ball towards the line, and whilst wrapped up, she got an offload away to Katie Mottershead, who fired a sharp short pass to Luci McColm to get us on the board. Gaskin added the conversion and brought the first forty minutes to a close.
View this post on Instagram
Retaking control after the break, Wigan played the ball right quickly, and Davies managed to push through and move closer to the posts for an easier conversion.
Trying to wrestle some control back, Dani McGifford cut down a try-scoring opportunity strongly. Then, at the other end, Paige Travis tried to power over from close range but lost the ball in contact in front of the try line.
50 minutes into the fixture, Harris placed a smart kick into the Wigan defensive line, which forced a knock-on and gave us a scrum 15 metres out. Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth looked like she grabbed our second try from a bulldozing run after some sustained pressure by the Warriors’ line, but a video referee check ruled it a no-try.
Three minutes later, after a stoppage in play for a Wigan player due to cramp, they restarted quickly to the right, and Grace Banks sprinted into the right corner. Conversion missed, 38-6.
Shortly after the hour mark, an unlucky moment saw the Saints knock the ball on in a tackle on Jenna Foubsiter, which gifted the Warriors a new set from 20m out. Hunter powered in for her third four-pointer, but Rowe did not add the kick from the middle this time as it came off the post.
With fifteen minutes remaining, a rare chance to attack in the opposition red zone came following a Gaskin grubber kick, which Davies knocked on by her own line. From the scrum, the ball was worked to Saints winger Leah Burke, but Wigan managed to get her into touch. On the next set, Burke was the last defender on Hunter, and being spun around, she could not complete the tackle, and so the Wigan player went under the posts, Rowe not missing the kick this time, 48-6.
Hooker Remi Wilton added one more try, thanks to a late offload by Wilson close to the line to make it 54-6, which is how the game ended.
View this post on Instagram
Warriors team: Grace Banks, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Beri Salihi, Ellise Derbyshire, Jenna Foubister, Isabel Rowe, Mary Coleman, Remi Wilton, Bethan Dainton, Eva Hunter, Cerys Jones, Megan Williams
Interchanges: Carys Marsh, Mia Atherton, Kelsey Gentles, Lucie Sams
18th Player: Ruby Hunter
Tries: Luci McColm
Goals: Faye Gaskin 1/1
Saints team: Rebecca Rotherham, Leah Burke, Amy Hardcastle, Rachael Woosey, Dani McGifford, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth, Caitlin Casey, Erin McDonald, Paige Travis, Emily Rudge, Jodie Cunningham
Interchanges: Vicky Whitfield, Katie Mottershead, Luci McColm, Alyx Bridge
18th Player: Hollie Bawden
Tries: Georgia Wilson (6), Eva Hunter (12, 17, 58, 65), Beri Salhi (23), Anna Davies (37, 41), Grace Banks (51), Remi Wilton (68)
Goals: Rowe 7/10
HT: 28-6
FT: 54-6
