2024 Women's Challenge Cup final

Last updated
2024 (2024) Women's Challenge Cup Final  ()
12Total
Rhinoscolours.svg LEE000
Saintscolours.svg ST H101222
Date8 June 2024
Stadium Wembley Stadium
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Player of the MatchZoe Harris (St Helens)
Abide with Me Maxwell Thorpe
God Save the King Katherine Jenkins
Referee Aaron Moore
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
  2023
2025  

The 2024 Women's Challenge Cup Final was the 12th final of rugby league's Women's Challenge Cup knock-out competition. The 2024 will be the second final at Wembley Stadium, and held on 8 June 2024. [1]

Contents

The final will be contested by Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.

Background

The 2024 Women's Challenge Cup final will be the third consecutive meeting between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos in the competition final.

St Helens are three times defending champions of the Challenge Cup having won in 2021, 2022, and 2023. They also won the tournament four times in a row between 2013 and 2016. Upon gaining their place in the final St Helens were third in Super League.

Leeds Rhinos entered the final aiming to avenge back to back defeats to St Helens in 2021 and 2022. They last won the competition in 2019 retaining it after their 2018 victory. Upon qualification Leeds were in second place in Super League, behind Wigan Warriors the team they eliminated in the semi-finals, but above St Helens.

Route to the final

Leeds Rhinos

RoundOppositionVenueScore
Group Stage Leigh colours.svg Leigh Leopards Twist Lane52–4
HKRcolours.svg Hull KR Craven Park 90–0
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants West Park RUFC54–10
Quarter-final Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves Headingley 70–10 [2]
Semi-final Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors Totally Wicked Stadium 34–20 [3]

St Helens

RoundOppositionVenueScore
Group Stage Broncoscolours.png London Broncos Totally Wicked Stadium 64–0
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls Odsal Stadium F–W/O
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves Dallam Playing Fields58–6
Quarter-final Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants Crusaders Park74–0 [4]
Semi-final YorkRLFCcolours.png York Valkyrie Eco-Power Stadium 32–2 [5]

Source: [6]

Pre-match

British singer Maxwell Thorpe sang the national anthem and Abide with Me ahead of the match. Thorpe was supported by British DJ Alex Simmons in providing the pre match entertainment. [7] Following the death of Rob Burrow on 2 June, the RFL announced that Rob's death be commemorated with a minute's silence before kick-off and with a minute's applause during the seventh minute of the game. [8]

Before the game, the Year 7 School's Final was played. Wigan's St Peter's Catholic High School won against Cardiff's Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf. [9]

Match details

Saturday, 8 June 2024
11:45am BST
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos0–22 Saintscolours.svg St Helens
Tries: Gaskin, Hook, McColm, Crowl
Goals: Gaskin (3/4)
Wembley Stadium, London
Referee: Aaron Moore
Touch judges: Neil Horton, Beth Neilson
Player of the Match: Zoe Harris (St Helens)
Team details
Leeds RhinosPositionSt Helens
NameNumberNumberName
Ruby Enright1 Fullback 1Beri Salihi
Liv Whitehead18 Wing 20Phoebe Hook
Caitlin Beevers 3 Centre 4Erin Stott
Amy Hardcastle 4 Centre 3Luci McColm
Evie Cousins21 Wing 5 Leah Burke
Hanna Butcher6 Stand off 6Zoe Harris
Caitlin Casey7 Scrum half 7Faye Gaskin
Grace Field19 Prop forward 8Vicky Whitfield
Keara Bennett9 Hooker 9 Tara Jones
Izzy Northrop10 Prop forward 10Chantelle Crowl
Shona Hoyle11 Second row 11Paige Travis
Lucy Murray17 Second row 12 Emily Rudge
Bella Sykes12 Loose forward 13 Jodie Cunningham
Sophie Robinson2 Interchange 14Naomi Williams
Zoe Hornby8 Interchange 16Darcy Stott
Bethan Dainton 13 Interchange 19Katie Mottershead
Ella Donnelly25 Interchange 24Georgia Sutherland
Jenna Greening22 Concussion substitute 17Philippa Birchall
Lois Forsell Coach Matty Smith

The match officials were named on 4 June, with Aaron Moore as the referee, alongside Neil Horton, and Beth Neilson, the touch judges. Neilson became the first woman to be part of a senior final officiating team. [10] [lower-alpha 1]

Post-match

Following the game, the men's final will be played along with the 2024 1895 Cup final. The men's game saw an 18–8 victory to Wigan Warriors against Warrington Wolves. [12] [13] [14] The 1895 Cup final saw Wakefield Trinity beat Sheffield Eagles 50–6. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. Caitlin Beevers refereed the Year 7 Schools Final in 2018. [11]

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References

  1. "RFL to move Wembley Challenge Cup final date again". BBC Sport. 12 August 2023.
  2. "Leeds Rhinos Women 70 Warrington Wolves Women 10". Sky Sports.
  3. "Leeds beat Wigan to book third straight final v Saints". BBC Sport. 19 May 2024.
  4. "St Helens Women 74 Huddersfield Giants Women 0". Sky Sports.
  5. "St Helens beat York to reach Challenge Cup final". BBC Sport. 18 May 2024.
  6. "Wembley cup final gives women's game incentive". BBC Sport. 17 May 2024.
  7. "Katherine Jenkins OBE to perform at Wembley Stadium on Rugby League's Finals Day". RFL. 13 May 2024.
  8. Bower, Aaron (5 June 2024). "Challenge Cup final kick-off time moved to honour Rob Burrow at Wembley". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  9. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/orrells-st-peters-victorious-at-wembley-to-lift-the-steven-mullaney-memorial-trophy-4658388
  10. Smith, Peter (4 June 2024). "Leeds referee appointed as 1895 and Challenge Cup final match officials confirmed". Yorkshire Evening Post . Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  11. "Champions Schools: Year Seven Boys Final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express . No. 3, 136. 27 August 2018. p. 21.
  12. https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/06/08/warriors-win-challenge-cup-at-wembley/
  13. https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/articles/c2jj1x7m71zo.amp
  14. https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/08/warrington-wigan-challenge-cup-final-rugby-league-report
  15. https://www.rugby-league.com/match-centre/match-report/2280778