St Helens Cement Legacy in Women’s Challenge Cup with Fourth Consecutive Title
St Helens etched their names further into the history books of the Women’s Challenge Cup, securing a 22-0 victory against Leeds Rhinos in Saturday’s final at Wembley. Matty Smith’s side repeated their 2022 triumph under the arch, maintaining their vice-like grip on the prestigious trophy and lifting it for the fourth year in a row.
Prior to this weekend’s success, only one team had achieved such a feat – Thatto Heath Crusaders, who won the competition from 2013 to 2016 when the finals were held in Batley, Dewsbury and Bradford. However, with St Helens having acquired Thatto Heath ahead of the 2018 season, this latest quadruple triumph is unprecedented under the club’s banner.
Match Summary
Faye Gaskin, Phoebe Hook, Luci McColm and Chantelle Crowl crossed the whitewash for St Helens, with Gaskin also adding three successful conversions. Zoe Harris was awarded the Player of the Match accolade for her influential display.
The Red V became only the second side to keep their opponents scoreless in a Women’s Challenge Cup final, matching Featherstone Rovers’ clean sheet victory over Bradford Thunderbids in the inaugural 2012 showpiece. St Helens’ previous Cup final wins came by margins of 34-6 over York in 2021 and 18-8 against Leeds in 2022, before this weekend’s commanding 22-0 result.
“This latest triumph cements St Helens’ status as the dominant force in the Women’s Challenge Cup, cementing an impressive tally of eight titles when accounting for the Thatto Heath Crusaders era. The club’s sustained excellence in the competition is unparalleled in the modern era.”
🔗 Source
