Wigan thrash Saints to win first Women's Challenge Cup

Betfred Women's Challenge Cup final

St Helens (0) 6

Try: Mottershead Goal: Gaskin

Wigan (18) 42

Tries: Williams, Coleman, Veivers, Rowe, Hunter, Banks, Davies Goals: Rowe 7

Wigan Warriors ran in seven tries to thrash St Helens and win the Women's Challenge Cup for the first time, ending their rivals' hold on the trophy.

The Cherry and Whites were ahead inside 10 minutes when Megan Williams touched down and they edged further in front through Mary Coleman.

Emily Veivers charged through for Wigan's third try and an 18-0 half-time lead, and Isabel Rowe picked up where they left off after the break by scoring minutes into the second half.

Saints got on the board through Katie Mottershead but Eva Hunter, Grace Banks and Anna Davies ensured Wigan would earn a derby win on the biggest stage of a Wembley final.

It is the first time that Wigan have won the competition since its inception in 2012 and ends St Helens' run of four straight wins in the tournament in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Warriors' victory also means that boss Denis Betts, who won seven Challenge Cups with Wigan as a player, claimed his first piece of silverware as a coach.

Wigan and St Helens' only meeting in the Women's Challenge Cup prior to this final was in 2021 when Saints won 36-0 at the quarter-final stage on their way to winning their first of four finals on the trot.

St Helens have dominated much of the women's game in the past five years.

But a reinvigorated Wigan have started 2025 in stunning fashion to lead the early Women's Super League table and join Saints, Leeds Rhinos and York among the powerhouses of the domestic game.

They were mightily impressive in beating last year's finalists Leeds in the semi-finals and any hint that they would be unnerved by the occasion was banished as Rowe cut through the St Helens defence to feed Williams to run in through the posts for their first score.

Wigan then tore through Saints after Faye Gaskin's kick was charged down, leading to Molly Jones teeing up Coleman to race through unopposed.

Perhaps Wigan's finest try came when Veivers, who later went off with an arm injury and was pictured on the sidelines with it in a sling, collected the ball deep inside the Saints' 10-metre line and managed to batter her way through to the line, showing sensational strength to score.

Any inkling that Wigan simply had enjoyed the rub of the green in the first half was ended as Rowe weaved her way in for a try of her own having been laser-focused with the boot during the opening stages.

Mottershead crashed over as Saints finally responded but tries from Hunter, an audacious long-range run-in from Banks, and an easy dot down at the corner from Davies wrapped up a well-earned and historic triumph for Wigan.

St Helens coach Craig Richards told BBC Sport:

"First and foremost, congratulations to Wigan I thought they were really good today.

"We didn't quite nail what we talked about and against a side like Wigan, if you don't get the detail right, this is what you end up with.

"You've got to find energy and the way to find energy is to stick with your system. I think we panicked early doors, we let in a couple of tries that were alien in terms that we would generally make teams work harder.

"This Wigan side is a good side but so are we. We know we are, we just need to be better on the day."

Wigan Warriors boss Denis Betts told BBC Sport:

"I know the score line looks really strong but it's a really tough game. Both sides were really competitive, you saw some really talented athletes out there today and I just thought our form is really good.

"I thought Mary Coleman for 70 minutes was the player on the field by a long way. She's got so much energy. She's tough to tackle but she's also quick.

"They were nervous coming into this game. Emotions were running wild but we managed to calm it, we've experienced it now, we've won a massive game. They can use the skill of the game to push that on again.

"We are not setting any goal or targets but that's what's in front of them, to keep getting better."

St Helens: Salihi; Hook, McColm, Hardcastle, McGifford; Harris, Gaskin; Stott, Casey, Crowl, Hoye, Rudge, Cunningham.

Interchanges: Whitfield, Mottershead, Sutherland, Woosey.

Wigan: Banks; Davies, Wilson, Jones, Derbyshire; Foubister, Rowe; Coleman, Wilton, Speakman, Hunter, Power, Williams.

Interchanges: Marsh, Molyneux, Thompson, Veivers.