Hoyle makes sure Saints fight off Leeds in Women’s Challenge Cup final

St Helens created history to win the first women’s Challenge Cup final to be played at Wembley. Women’s rugby league has made extraordinary strides in the past decade; in 2012, the first women’s final was played in front of just a handful of people in Dewsbury.

However, the final has now moved alongside the men’s event as part of a double-header, and it was Saints who put their name into the history books. Matty Smith’s side have now won seven of the 11 Challenge Cups, including the last three.

Leeds and York have begun paying their players this season and the hope is that further exposure on a national stage for the women’s game here could lead to more clubs doing the same. The ultimate goal is professionalism and while that is still some way away, the final being played here was a heartening glimpse into the future.

Saints continued their dominance of the competition with an impressive performance. Three tries in five first-half minutes swung the contest firmly their way and despite a rally from Leeds either side of half-time, they did enough to deny the Rhinos a third Challenge Cup title.

It was Leeds who began the brighter of the sides, coming desperately close to going ahead through a magnificent break from Amy Hardcastle. However, she was hauled down close to the line by Eboni Partington and a few minutes later, Saints went ahead as Tara Jones touched down.

Phoebe Hook extended Saints’ lead after a fine individual finish and Jodie Cunningham’s superb pass split the defence. That allowed Partington to touch down in the corner and make it 14-0. Leeds needed a response before half-time, and they got it when Sophie Robinson scored to narrow the deficit to 10.

You felt Leeds had to score first after the break to remain in the contest and when they did exactly that through an incredible long-range try by Caitlin Beevers, one befitting the stage , you wondered if a comeback was on but, Saints composed themselves to great effect.

Leeds’s momentum was well and truly stunted going into the final quarter when Shona Hoyle finished another impressive move, before a penalty from Amy Taylor settled any nerves and allowed the holders to close out victory with little drama.