2022 Womens Challenge Cup Round One

A new format for the Women's Challenge Cup in 2022 as the opening three rounds are formed by 16 teams competing in four groups with the top two in each reaching the quarter finals. This years competition began last weekend with Round One. 

Group One -Super Saints Rout Raiders

St Helens Women opened the defence of their title with a comfortable 68-0 win over Barrow Raiders Ladies on Saturday afternoon. A rapid start from the visitors saw Amy Hardcastle cross for a brace either side of a Paige Travis effort with Zoe Harris adding two conversions to open up a 16-0 lead inside ten minutes. Leah Burke crossed for a brace herself in the 24th and final minute of the half to send the Saints into the interval with a 24-0 lead.

Hardcastle completed her hat-trick within two minutes of the restart as she crossed and Harris converted for 30-0 before Burke did the same for 34-0 within four minutes. Tara Jones touched down next with Harris kicking for 40-0 before a fourth score from Hardcastle (Harris conv) made it 46-0.Saints wrapped up the win with further scores from Dani Bush, Victoria Whitfield and Katie Mottershead with a second from Travis in-between and Harris converting thrice more to complete the 68-0 victory. 

Davis Quintet Fires Wolves Past Army 

Warrington Wolves Women stormed to a huge 50-8 win over Army RL Ladies on Sunday afternoon  which began with a brace from Michelle Davis who converted her second score for a 10-0 lead inside 18 minutes. The Army cut the gap on the half hour mark with a try from Emily Carlisle to make it 10-4 before Emily Baggaley crossed for a debut try to sent the Wolves into the interval leading 14-4. 

Baggaley scored her second within four minutes of the restart with Davis also scoring her second try to push the lead to 22-4 before Sammy Simpson went over and Davis converted to make it 28-4 on the hour. Army RL quelled the Wolves' spree with a try from Hannah Williams to cut the gap to 28-8 and the joy lasted barely three minutes as Fern Davies (Davis conv) crossed for the Wolves to make it 38-8. The win was wrapped up three further scores as Davis crossed twice in two minutes to claim her fourth and fifth of the game and Baggaley completed her hat-trick, Davis converting only the latter for a haul of 30 points in the 50-8 win. 

Group Two- Rhinos Rally Past Giants 

Leeds Rhinos Women began with a 38-8 win over Huddersfield Giants Women at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The hosts struck first as Amelia Brown crossed inside seven minutes to put the Giants into a 4-0 lead. Leeds hit back with a rapid double as Georgia Roche and Fran Goldthorp touched down with Sam Hulme converting twice for a 12-4 lead on 15 minutes. Roche scored her second try on the half hour mark with Hulme converting for 18-4 before improving a Keara Bennett try to send the Rhinos into the interval with a 24-4 lead.

Tasha Gaines and Shannon Lacey crossed just before the hour mark with Hulme converting the latter for 34-4 and she soon crossed for a try of her own for make it 34-8. Hudds quelled the Leeds spree with a late try from Angel Howey but it proved to be the final say as Leeds secured the 38-8 win. 

Majestic Miners Humble Hull

Leigh Miners Rangers Ladies cruised to a comfortable 72-0 win over Hull FC Women at Twist Lane on Sunday afternoon but sadly due to limited updates the only news from the clash is that the hosts led 34-0 at the interval with scores that included a brace from Charlotte Hill .

Hill completed her hat-trick in the second half as the Rangers Ladies eased to the 72-0 victory. 

Group Three- York Dominate Dewsbury Moor

York City Knights Ladies began their pursuit of a second consecutive final with a comfortable 78-0 win away at Dewsbury Moor. The Knights held a 34-0 lead the interval after tries from Olivia Wood, Mary Tiplady, Sinead Peach, Daisy Sanderson, Tara Jane Stanley and a brace from Rhiannion Marshall with Stanley adding three conversions and Olivia Whitehead kicking once. 

The second half was the Stanley show as she crossed for four further tries for a haul of five with Marshall completing her hat-trick and Kelsey Gentles crossing for a brace and Emma Kershaw also touching down with Stanley converting four times and Whitehead twice to wrap up the 78-0 win. 

Wondrous Warriors Beat Bulls

Wigan Warriors Women opened their campaign with a 44-6 win over Bradford Bulls Women in a clash that I attended at Horsfall Stadium on Sunday evening. The Warriors struck first with Gabi Leigh crossing inside four minutes before Georgia Wilson crossed and converted for a 10-0 lead inside ten minutes, Kaitlin Hilton (Wilson conv) crossed to extend the lead to 16-0 before a superb intercept try from Hannah Donald saw her cross and convert to cut the gap to 16-6. Wilson crossed and converted for a second time as the visitors went into the interval leading 22-6.

Wigan continued their control with a try from Anna Mary Davies for 26-6 before Holly Speakman dived over with Wilson converting for 32-6 at the hour mark. The gloss on the win came with two scores in the final ten minutes as Carys Marsh and Bethany Hayes touched down with Wilson converting both for a 44-6 final score. 

Group Four- Triumphant Trinity Topple Tigers

Wakefield Trinity Ladies were the surprise of the round as they secured a 32-10 over city rivals Castleford Tigers Women at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle. The visitors opened up a 12-0 lead with tries from Kacey Davies and Abbie May Millward which saw Megan Preston convert twice. The Tigers got off the mark with a score from Tally Bryer for 12-4 before scores from Amie Leigh Wood and Lauren Harvey saw Preston convert the latter for a 22-4 advantage into the interval. 

A quiet start to the second half saw the score remain at 22-4 past the hour mark until Castleford cut the gap to 22-10 as Verity Randall touched down and Chloe Smith converted but Wakefield wrapped up the win with two further scores as Cassy Lawson and Libby Priestley crossed with Preston converting the former as Trinity completed the 32-10 win. 

Rovers Rally Against Raidettes

Featherstone Rovers Ladies began their campaign with a 30-10 win ay Oulton Raidettes on Sunday afternoon. The Raidettes opened the scoring for 4-0 before being pegged back by a Hayley Swann try which Katie Hepworth converted for 6-4 before the hosts regained the lead for 10-6. Fev regained the lead themselves with Jess Matthews, Elland Lanb, Fran Copley and a score unknown with Hepworth converting the lot for a 30-10 lead into the interval. 

The packed first half seemed to be the final say on the score as the sides shared a blank second half as Fev held firm for the 30-10 win.