VICKY Molyneux hailed Wigan Warriors’ history-makers as they lifted the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the first time with a dominant 42-6 derby win over St Helens at Wembley.
First-half tries from Megan Williams, Mary Coleman and Emily Veivers set Denis Betts’ side on their way to victory, with Isabel Rowe, Eva Hunter, Grace Banks and Anna Davies
The defeat ended the hold Saints, whose only response came through Katie Mottershead’s converted try, had retained on the cup since 2021, and co-captain Molyneux was full of praise as Wigan continued their unbeaten start to 2025 in all competitions so far.
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🏆 @WiganWarriorsRL are the 2025 @Betfred Women’s #ChallengeCup winners! pic.twitter.com/NRBwvyGnRl
— Betfred Challenge Cup (@TheChallengeCup) June 7, 2025
“When I joined the club in 2019, we’d never beaten Saints, and today we’ve beaten them at Wembley,” the 37-year-old said.
“They’re a tough team, innundanted with internationals, physical, established athletes, and we were the better side by far.
“If I’d looked a long time ago, maybe I’d have never believed I’d play at Wembley, but did I believed we’d do the job today? One hundred percent.”
The Warriors made the stronger start to the contest and their early pressure paid off in the 11th minute when Rowe sent loose forward Williams powering through to score under the posts.
Saints rallied after this, but a charge-down from Faye Gaskin’s kick led to Molly Jones breaking the line then passing inside for support runner Coleman to finish midway through the first half.
Then in the 32nd minute, interchange forward Veivers stepped on the gas and surged through the St Helens defence, shrugging off a weak tackle in the process, for Wigan’s third try of the game.
Rowe’s three successful conversions made it 18-0 to the Warriors at the break, and the scrum-half got her name on the board as a try-scorer as well four minutes into the second half when she ghosted through the defence to finish on the back of player-of-the-match Banks’ break.
Mottershead’s burst out of dummy-half and the conversion from Gaskin got St Helens on the board five minutes later, but the game was taken beyond their reach two minutes before the hour mark as Jenna Foubister sent second row Hunter away to finish from around 20 metres out.
Full-back Banks and centre Davies put some gloss on the win inside the final 10 minutes with a solo charge from halfway on the counter-attack and a finish in space out wide respectively.
“We’re four-time Challenge Cup winners, that was going to come to an end at some spell,” St Helens joint-head coach Dec Hardman said.
“Unfortunately that was today, but if you think of those players and the games they’ve played over their careers, and what they’ve brought to women’s rugby league, I think they’ll go down as great players – and I’m not saying their going to stop now.
“The motivation for us is to drive on and turn this season into something positive.”
ST HELENS 6 (Mottershead try, Gaskin goal) lost to WIGAN WARRIORS 42 (Williams, Coleman, Veivers, Rowe, Hunter, Banks, Davies tries, Rowe 7 goals).
ST HELENS: Beri Salihi, Phoebe Hook, Luci McColm, Amy Hardcastle, Dani McGifford, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Darcy Stott, Caitlin Casey, Chantelle Crowl, Shona Hoyle, Emily Rudge, Jodie Cunningham. Interchange: Vicky Whitfield, Katie Mottershead, Georgia Sutherland, Rachael Woosey.
WIGAN WARRIORS: Grace Banks, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Molly Jones, Elise Derbyshire, Jenna Foubister, Isabel Rowe, Mary Coleman, Remi Wilton, Holly Speakman, Eva Hunter, Shaniah Power, Megan Williams. Interchange: Carys Marsh, Vicky Molyneux, Rachel Thompson, Emily Veievers.
Referee: Aaron Moore.