Challenge Cup winners Emily Rudge and Paige Travis believe that the St Helens supporters, who were also there for the men’s Challenge Cup semi-final, played a great part in the women coming back from a half-time deficit to win their final.
Saints faced their toughest test yet as they battled to an 18-8 win over Leeds Rhinos, having been 8-4 behind at half-time.
But two second-half tries from Eboni Partington and one from Jodie Cunningham turned things around in front of a noisy crowd of almost 6,000 as St Helens retained the trophy.
“It wasn’t as easy as we might have had it in the past, but these are the games we want,” said Rudge.
“We wanted it to be hard work and when you earn a win it feels so much better.”
Travis, who alongside Rudge is an England international, agreed and admitted that the strong Saints contingent in the crowd played their part in the victory.
“We’ve not been challenged as much coming into these bigger games, but it shows a lot about us and our hard work, that we can still perform,” she said.
“As England players, when we come up against Australia, New Zealand and PNG in the World Cup, we want to know what that intensity is like, so games like this are really important, not just for us and Super League but for internationals as well.
“Fans want to come and watch games like the one we had today; they’re more exciting when they’re neck and neck and our fans really did lift us.
“It is so nice that they were not just there supporting the men, they’re there to watch us too and supporting us all the way.”
The Women’s Super League begins at the weekend and if St Helens make the Super League Grand Final again, their fans will be able to see them at the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens on Sunday September 18, with the semi-finals scheduled for two weeks earlier, on Sunday September 4, at Headingley Stadium.
The 2022 competition will receive more broadcast coverage than ever through Sky Sports – who will show the next meeting between Saints and Leeds at Headingley in a double header with the men’s Super League fixture between the clubs.
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