2026 Women’s Challenge Cup final: Wigan Warriors score ten tries to beat St Helens

Wigan’s win comes shortly before their counterparts take on Hull KR in the men’s final later on Saturday.

Since both the men’s and women’s finals have taken place on the same day at Wembley from 2023 onwards, no side has ever won the women’s and men’s finals together.

Inside the opening six minutes, Wigan were ahead courtesy of a neat and tidy set as they worked the ball wide to Wilson, who duly crossed over.

Such was their clinical start that Wigan’s second try came from their second attack and was even better, as Jenna Foubister teed up Hunter, who evaded Paige Travis to run in with ease.

Hunter’s stunning start continued with a second try just minutes after her first. She raced in again down the left wing to put Wigan in control, this time outpacing the St Helens defenders after exploiting a gap in the line.

A long afternoon continued for St Helens as Foubister’s high lateral pass to Ellise Derbyshire was played quickly to Salihi, who did well to keep control of the ball before dotting down.

Wigan rounded off the half with an impressive score, as Davies dived down at the right-hand corner and successfully managed to do so without going into touch by a matter of millimetres.

St Helens finally hit back as McColm showed great strength to touch down just before half-time.

It was a similarly chastening first half for Saints as it was in 2025’s cup final defeat by Wigan, with Izzy Rowe’s final conversion attempt of the opening 40, which dipped down and off the crossbar, the only blot on her copybook in an otherwise excellent first period with the boot.

Wigan virtually put themselves out of sight just 44 seconds into the second half as Davies ran in past a depleted St Helens defence before Grace Banks outpaced the St Helens defence again as the Warriors threatened the 40-point mark with half an hour remaining.

Hunter battered her way through to ground the ball for a sensational hat-trick with 20 minutes still to play and showed great skill to run in for her second of the half and fourth of the afternoon.

But Wigan did not let off despite their bumper score, as Wilton added their 10th try of the afternoon soon after to put the gloss on a stunning performance.