The 3 remarkable records St Helens equalled with 2024 Challenge Cup triumph

St Helens etched their names further into the history books of the Women’s Challenge Cup with a 22-0 victory against Leeds Rhinos in Saturday’s final at Wembley.

Matty Smith’s side beat the Rhinos under the arch in 2023, and nine months on, repeated the feat to maintain their vice-like grip on the Challenge Cup, lifting the trophy for a fourth year on the spin.

Prior to Saturday’s triumph, only one side had ever won the competition – which was first played out in 2012 – in four consecutive seasons.

That was Thatto Heath Crusaders, who triumphed in 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016. Batley, Dewsbury & Bradford were the locations of the competition’s finals back then.

Saints – of course – bought out the Thatto Heath side ahead of the 2018 season, with skipper Jodie Cunningham among those to have donned both shirts.

But given the ‘St Helens’ brand they now go under, this is unprecedented success, with only that Thatto Heath side of the mid-2010s achieving a four-peat in the competition.

And only that Thatto Heath side before Saturday had won the competition four times, with a combined eight titles in the competition now earned when you include the period under the Saints tagline.

The 3 remarkable records St Helens equalled with 2024 Challenge Cup triumph

Added to that history is the fact that Saints became just the second side to nil their opponents in a Women’s Challenge Cup final.

Prior, only Featherstone Rovers had managed that, doing so in the first-ever competition in the final back in 2012 when they beat Bradford Thunderbids 46-0 in Dewsbury.

The Red V were 34-6 winners in 2021 against York at the Leigh Sports Village, and then 18-8 victors against Leeds at Elland Road in 2022.

Last year, as already mentioned, saw a 22-8 success against the Rhinos at Wembley, with Saturday’s 22-0 success adding yet another bit of history to the occasion.

Faye Gaskin, Phoebe Hook, Luci McColm & Chantelle Crowl were their try-scorers in the capital, with Gaskin – who opened the scoring on 26 minutes – also successfully converting three of four attempts.

Stand-off Zoe Harris was named the Player of the Match.