YORK VALKYRIE 26 WIGAN WARRIORS 12
JACOB KILBRIDE, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday

YORK booked their place in the play-off with a statement victory over reigning champions Wigan.

Wigan had not tasted defeat since losing against York in August last year, winning a remarkable 17 consecutive matches and four trophies since that reverse in Newcastle.

An unbeaten romp to a second straight title appeared a foregone conclusion for the all-conquering Wigan in 2026, yet York delivered a stunning shock win to lay down a marker to the rest of the division.

A play-off semi-final clash against Leeds at Headingley on Friday now awaits for the Valkyrie as they seek a Grand Final rematch against the Warriors.

Such an upset looked a faint possibility when Wigan hit the front on six minutes.

York’s markers switched off on their own 30 and dummy-half Carys Marsh took full advantage, darting straight through the pair and giving Mary Coleman a simple finish under the posts and Isabel Rowe an even more straightforward conversion.

An onslaught from the champions appeared inevitable when a classy run of hands sent Ellise Derbyshire haring down the left edge, only for a superb one-on-one cover tackle into touch by Monique Donovan to spark the Valkyrie into life, as they scored twice in the space of three minutes.

Liv Wood was the unlikely provider of the first, putting Donovan over with a neat drop-off pass from the ruck.

Tara Jane Stanley appeared to have shanked a wide kick out of Eboni Partington’s reach, only for Wigan to fail to gather the ball themselves and then fail to stop Partington muscling across the tryline a couple of plays later.

Wigan were still reeling from the quick-fire double when a slack play-the-ball allowed Stanley to steal possession back for York deep in Warriors territory. The visitors were ruthlessly punished when Wood hit a crash ball from Sinead Peach to the left of the sticks.

There was better still to come for the Valkyrie before half-time. A pin-point Stanley grubber earned a repeat set from which Donovan found a sublime short kick of her own, winning the race to the right corner.

Everything was going York’s way, including goal-kicking, with Stanley converting all four tries, including a couple of testing touchline efforts.

Stanley looked primed for a fifth two-pointer on 44 minutes, only to pull the penalty goal effort wide after Kelsey Gentles’s late shot on Ellie Williamson.

The start of the second half was a tense affair littered with errors, with Wigan ultimately able to profit off one such mistake.

Emma Kershaw dropped a flat cross-field Rowe kick, laying the platform for Gentles to burrow over against her former club. Another Rowe conversion followed.

No Wigan comeback was forthcoming though, as the Valkyrie re-asserted their three-score lead. After Megan Pakulis copped a high tackle, Stanley made no mistake this time from the tee.

The Warriors fought valiantly for a consolation but York’s defence remained firm, summed up by a determined late cover tackle by Amelie Lenham on Anna Davies.

GAMESTAR: Megan Pakulis, the Canadian international prop, gave a typically gritty and battle-hardened performance in the forward pack.

GAMEBREAKER: Wigan were left with a mountain to climb to overturn a three-score lead when Monique Donovan dotted down her own short kick to the right corner.

MATCHFACTS

VALKYRIE
23 Monique Donovan
3 Emma Kershaw
21 Petra Woods
28 Amelie Lenham
2 Eboni Partington
1 Tara Jane Stanley
7 Ellie Williamson
8 Liv Wood
9 Sinead Peach
15 Megan Pakulis
25 Adaoha Akwiwu
12 Savannah Andrade
24 Lisa Parker
Subs
10 Jas Bell
14 Izzy Bibby (not used)
16 Agnes Wood
18 Izzy Brennan

Tries: Donovan (12, 33), Partington (15), L Wood (24)
Goals: Stanley 5/6

WARRIORS
1 Grace Banks
2 Anna Davies
3 Georgia Wilson
4 Molly Jones
5 Ellise Derbyshire
6 Jenna Foubister
7 Isabel Rowe
8 Mary Coleman
9 Carys Marsh
20 Lucie Sams
11 Eva Hunter
22 Ruby Hunter
13 Megan Williams
Subs (all used)
10 Mia Atherton
15 Bethan Danton
16 Beri Salihi
17 Kelsey Gentles

Tries: Coleman (6), Gentles (56)
Goals: Rowe 2/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 12-6, 18-6, 24-6, 24-12, 26-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Valkyrie: Megan Pakulis; Warriors: Carys Marsh

Penalty count: 2-6
Half-time: 24-6
Referee: Milo McKelvey