Rugby League Results: Wigan and Warrington Cruise to Commanding Challenge Cup Semi-Final Victories
The 2024 Challenge Cup semi-finals played out largely as expected, with Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves emerging victorious in dominant fashion. Both teams headed into their respective matchups as firm favorites, and they delivered convincing performances to book their places in the final.
Wigan Warriors 38-6 Hull KR
In a fiery encounter, the Warriors asserted their dominance over Hull KR, securing a comfortable 38-6 victory. Jake Wardle and Abbas Miski each scored two tries for Wigan, who were in control throughout the match.
Warrington Wolves 46-10 Huddersfield Giants
The Wolves were equally impressive, brushing aside Huddersfield Giants with a 46-10 triumph. Fullback Matt Dufty led the way with two tries, as Warrington put on an emphatic display to advance to the final.
The margins of victory in both semi-finals were unusual, with Wigan and Warrington winning by over 30 points each. This is a rare occurrence in the Challenge Cup, with only nine semi-finals in the 21st century seeing such a significant gap between the winning and losing teams.
“Prior to this round, only seven semi-finals out of the 48 played this century had witnessed a margin of victory greater than 30 points. The last time both semi-finals were won by such large margins was in 2024, making this year’s blowouts a somewhat unique occurrence.”
The contrasting result to the 2023 Challenge Cup semi-finals is worth noting. Last year, the two ties were decided by a combined margin of just three points, a stark difference to the 68-point total across the 2024 fixtures.
Although this year’s semi-final matches saw lower attendance figures, with the Warrington-Huddersfield game attracting fewer than 10,000 fans, the television audience remained strong. Saturday’s game secured an impressive audience share of nearly 10%.
As the Challenge Cup continues to evolve, the organizers will be hoping for more closely contested matches to maintain the prestige and appeal of the competition. The 2023 semi-finals demonstrated the allure of tight, nail-biting encounters, a stark contrast to the one-sided affairs witnessed this year.
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