Challenge Cup: Wigan Warriors overwhelm Hull KR to reach Wembley as St Helens Women keep cup dreams alive | Rugby League News

Wigan Warriors are in a 34th Betfred Challenge Cup final after beating Hull KR at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster; St Helens stayed on course to lift the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the fourth consecutive year after comfortably beating reigning league champions York Valkyrie

Wigan Warriors reached the Betfred Challenge Cup final with victory over Hull KR at Doncaster on Saturday, while St Helens stayed on course for a fourth straight Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup triumph, defeating York Valkyrie at the Eco-Power Stadium…

The Warriors beat the Robins for their record-extending cup final appearance

Ruthless Wigan avenged last year’s Challenge Cup semi-final as they crushed Hull KR 38-6 at Doncaster to seal their place at Wembley for the first time since 2017.

Jake Wardle and Abbas Miski both scored twice in a seven-try pairing that erased memories of last year’s golden points loss to the same team at the same stage at Headingley and left the Robins below par.

Matt Peet’s men last won the trophy in his first season in charge in 2022, when the final was played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and will now face either Warrington Wolves or Huddersfield Giants, who play at St Helens on Sunday ( 15.15), in his 34th appearance in the Challenge Cup final on Saturday 8 June.

It took just four minutes for Wigan to gather the momentum as Jai Field’s short pass sent England center Wardle past a weak challenge from Peta Hiku to open the scoring and push further into the quarter hour, when Miski landed acrobatically from Bevan French. coup.

Niall Evalds’ failure to deal with a high shot served up the Warriors’ third after 27 minutes as Smith sent Junior Nsemba through, then an equally costly blunder by Joe Burgess let Liam Marshall pick up the loose ball and to give international player Liban Miski. second.

Wigan finished a thoroughly dominant first period, hitting the poor Robins once more with Marshall kicking over for Smith to gallop over. Adam Keighran, handed over the kicking duties after Smith landed one of his first four, duly converted.

Center Keighran struck twice more after the break before Hull KR finally made a breakthrough after 50 minutes when ex-Wigan player Burgess received an audacious pass from Lewis and raced diagonally in, followed by Lewis converted.

But the failings of the 2023 Challenge Cup runners-up were exposed moments later when a mix-up right from the restart handed Wigan the initiative and in the following play Tyler Dupree got his side’s sixth try, Keighran’s conversion raising brings it back to 26 points.

Sam Walters, finally making his first appearance in a Wigan shirt after a knock-on injury following his move from Leeds Rhinos, had a hand in the Warriors’ seventh shortly after Keighran and Opacic had been tangled up for sin. which sparked a mass melee.

The 6ft 7in Walters delivered the decisive pass for Wardle to cross for his second before Smith, resuming the kicking duties in Keighran’s absence, sealed the win.

Holders Saints seal Wembley return

St Helens kept alive their hopes of winning the Women’s Challenge Cup for the fourth consecutive time after beating York 32-2 in the semi-final at Doncaster.

Phoebe Hook crossed twice in a dominant six-try display while Faye Gaskin added eight points with the boot to see off the Betfred Women’s Super League champions.

York, who were without star defender Tara Jane Stanley due to a camp-wide illness this week, only had a second-half penalty from Rhiannon Marshall to show for their efforts.

Saints will face either Leeds or Wigan in the final at Wembley next month, with the second semi-final taking place on Sunday (12.30pm) at the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens.

What’s next?

Hull KR and Wigan Warriors both return to Betfred Super League action on Sunday 26 May with both games live on Sky Sports. Robins are off to London Broncos (3pm, Sky Sports Arena) and the Warriors travel to Salford Red Devils (3pm, Sky Sports Mix).

St Helens to feature in the Betfred Women’s Super League live on Sky Sports on Friday 24 May when they host Leeds Rhinos in a doubleheader with the two men’s teams. Watch live on Sky Sports Action from 5pm (kick-off 5.30pm).

Watch every match of the Betfred Super League 2024 season live, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs and the men’s, women’s and wheelchair grand finals. Sky Sports. Also stream NOW.

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