2021 Women's Challenge Cup Explained

2021 Women's Challenge Cup
Duration:4 rounds
No Of Teams:10
Season:2021
Season Champs:St Helens
Season Champ Name:Winners
Second Place:York City Knights
Prevseason Link:2019 Women's Challenge Cup
Prevseason Year:2019
Nextseason Link:2022 Women's Challenge Cup
Nextseason Year:2022

The 2021 Women's Challenge Cup (sponsored as the 2022 Betfred Women's Challenge Cup) was the 9th edition of the rugby league knockout tournament, and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last edition being played in 2019 as the 2020 edition was cancelled.

The Cup was won by St Helens who beat York City Knights 36–4 in the final at Leigh Sports Village on 5 June 2021.Due to COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom, the Rugby Football League limited entry to the 2021 competition to the 10 clubs playing in the 2021 Women's Super League. A preliminary round saw the two new teams to the Super League, Warrington Wolves and Huddersfield Giants, play each other. York City Knights and Wakefield Trinity who finished 7th and 8th in the 2019 Women's Super League contested the other preliminary round tie. The two winning teams advanced to the quarter-finals where the other six teams joined the competition. The preliminary round and the quarter-finals were played at neutral grounds and behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions.[1]

The final was played on 5 June as part of a triple-header with the semi-finals of the men's tournament.[2] For the first time the final was shown live on TV as it was shown on BBC Two.[3]

Preliminary round

2021 Women's Challenge Cup: preliminary round
HomeScoreAwayMatch information
Date and timeVenueReferee
Warrington Wolves38–12 Huddersfield Giants25 April 2021, 12:00Victoria Park, WarringtonA. Sweet
Wakefield Trinity10–16 York City Knights25 April 2021, 15:00
Source:[4]

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 28 April. All four ties were played on Sunday 9 May.

2021 Women's Challenge Cup: quarter-finals
HomeScoreAwayMatch information
Date and timeVenueReferee
Warrington Wolves6–26 Castleford Tigers9 May 2021, 12:00Victoria Park, Warrington
York City Knights30–24 Wigan Warriors9 May 2021, 12:00Rowspan=2Mobile Rocket Stadium
Leeds Rhinos70–0 Bradford Bulls9 May 2021, 15:30
St Helens44–10 Featherstone Rovers9 May 2021, 15:30Victoria Park, Warrington
Source:[5]

Semi-finals

The draw for the semi-finals were made on 9 May. The ties were played on 22 May as a double header at York City Knights' LNER Community Stadium.

HomeScoreAwayMatch information
Date and timeVenueRefereeAttendance
York City Knights32–4 Castleford Tigers22 May 2021, 12:30LNER Community Stadium, YorkM. Rossleigh76
St Helens20–12 Leeds Rhinos22 May 2021, 15:00M. Mannifield76
Source:[6]

Final

The final of the women's challenge cup, was played at Leigh Sports Village, on 5 June 2021 as part of a triple header with the semi-finals of the men's tournament.

HomeScoreAwayMatch information
Date and timeVenueRefereeAttendance
York City Knights6–34 St Helens5 June 2021, 11:15Leigh Sports VillageMarcus Griffiths4,000
Source:[7] [8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stephen . Hughes . Women's Super League to return in April . Serious About Rugby League . 3 April 2021 . 10 March 2021.
  2. News: Darbyshire . Drew . Challenge Cup triple-header to take place in June . 7 May 2021 . Love Rugby League . 7 May 2021.
  3. News: BBC to show Women's Challenge Cup final . 8 May 2021 . BBC Sport . 8 May 2021.
  4. News: Warrington and York make Challenge Cup progress . . 24 . 26 April 2021 . 3,274.
  5. News: Women's Challenge Cup Quarter Finals . . 10 May 2021 . 26 . 3,276.
  6. News: Women's Challenge Cup Semi Finals . . 26 . 3278 . 24 May 2021.
  7. Web site: 5 June 2021. St Helens outclass York to take Women’s Challenge Cup with Woosey double - Rugby league - The Guardian. The Guardian. 6 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210606020748/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/05/york-city-knights-st-helens-womens-rugby-league-challenge-cup-final-match-report. 6 June 2021.
  8. Web site: 2021 Annual Report . 16 . RFL . 4 April 2024.