EVA HUNTER might be a woman of few words, but her Wigan Warriors team-mates had plenty to say for her after the second rower’s record-equalling try-haul in the Women’s Challenge Cup Final.
Reigning Woman of Steel Hunter helped blow St Helens away at Wembley by crossing the line four times in the 54-6 win, matching the efforts of Thatto Heath Crusaders pair Claire McGinnis and Tara-Jane Stanley in the 2013 and 2016 finals respectively.
Jenna Foubister was bestowed with the player of the match honour for her display in the halves, but the Wigan stand-off was quick to deflect praise to her 20-year-old team-mate and hailed her performance as a result of the work she does off the field.
“Eva’s commitment outside of rugby is massive,” Foubister said.
“Sometimes we’re like ‘Eva, you can’t go to the gym today – we’ve got a game.’
“It’s the commitment and the work ethic she has, she constantly wants to improve herself, she wants to meet those challenges off the pitch like the strength and speed tests, and she’s constantly beating them.
“On the pitch, when she’s got such a tight shirt on and no one can grab hold of her, she’s amazing and I have the biggest honour playing alongside her.
“I don’t think I deserve this, I think Eva or Georgia [Wilson] definitely deserve it more than me.”
Hunter’s efforts on the pitch helped ensure Wigan are now a third of the way to retaining all of the domestic honours earned in 2025.
Off the pitch, she has had a big impact too, with fellow Wembley try-scorer Beri Salihi believing the England international has helped her reach new heights after their rehab sessions together while recovering from pre-season hamstring injuries.
“She trains so hard and I’ve been doing rehab with her,” Salihi said.
“The amount she has brought me on in my strength and my speed, it just shows how hard she actually works to be where she is.”