Wigan Warriors fullback Beri Salihi sprints past Leeds Rhinos’ Elle Frain and Tara Moxon for a try in the Women’s Nines finals day. Photo credit: The RFL.
It was a tense Women’s Nines finals day, with results causing upsets across the board. The unbeaten in all competitions York Valkyrie were denied a spot in the final by impressive underdogs Wigan Warriors 4–12, the Warriors themselves tied with Women’s Super League champions Leeds Rhinos in the group stages. Cardiff Demons posed a threat to St Helens with a 16–8 scoreline, with Saints losing by the barest of margins to the Valkyrie 11–10. Warrington were unable to score a single point in the day, the only team to do so in the group stages.
The final was a fierce contest, Wigan coming up against Leeds who they’d tied with in group A. Wigan proved threatening in the first half, but Leeds were able to claw their way back through clever play, including a brace from Tara Moxon, to allow them a win of 21–8, and Nines champions for the year.
Group A
Warrington Wolves 0–33 Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors 14–14 Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos 36–0 Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors: Beri Salihi, Rachel Thompson, Anna Davies, Rebecca Greenfield, Grace Banks, Holly Speakman, Eva Hunter, Mary Coleman, Vicky Molyneux, Emma Dwyer, Cerys Jones, Lucy Johnson, Jodie Morris, Molly Jones, Kerrie Evans, Sarah Bardsley.
Leeds Rhinos: Hanna Butcher, Sophie Robinson, Sam Hulme, Zoe Hornby, Keara Bennett, Dannielle Anderson, Beth Lockwood, Tasha Gaines, Izzy Northrop, Elle Frain, Tara Moxon, Eloise Hayward, Kaiya Glynn, Caitlin Casey, Lucy Murray, Ruby Enright, Bella Sykes.
Group B
York Valkyrie 23–0 Cardiff Demons
York Valkyrie 11–10 St Helens
St Helens 16–8 Cardiff Demons
York Valkyrie: Tara Jane Stanley, Liv Whitehead, Tamzin Renouf, Liv Gale, Liv Wood, Sinead Peach, Lacey Owen, Savannah Andrade, Ash Hyde, Emma Kershaw, Georgia Taylor, Sade Rihari, Rhiannion Marshall, Bettie Lambert, Georgie Hetherington, Ellie Hendry, Chloe Smith.
St Helens: Rebecca Rotheram, Eboni Partington, Naomi Williams, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Chantelle Crowl, Pip Birchall, Alyx Bridge, Katie Mottershead, Amy Taylor, Megan Williams, Gracie Bradshaw, Danielle McGifford, Hannah Roberts, Phoebe Hook, Erin McDonald, Grace Arrowsmith.
Cardiff Demons: Ffion Jones, Kaitlin Hubbert, Elinor Isaac, Lauren Aitken, Jasmine Gibbons, Sophie Solari, Rania Koutiskou, Biba Chuta, Leanne Burnell, Sara Jones, Bethan Rickard, Rhi Parker, Joeann McGuire, Charlie Mundy.
Semis
Leeds Rhinos 14–4 St Helens
York Valkyrie 4–12 Wigan Warriors
It was a quiet first few minutes of the game between Leeds and St Helens. A characteristic sprint from the halfway line from Izzy Northrop saw the first try of the game scored under the sticks with the conversion attempt successful from Eloise Hayward. Another try for the Rhinos coming from Northrop from a much closer range, once more converted. Saints replied with Erin McDonald scoring, Faye Gaskin missing the kick. St Helens never looked comfortable in the game, reflected in the 14–4 scoreline
Wigan pulled an impressive 12–0 lead with just 6 minutes left on the timer versus the York Valkyrie, Last year’s champions York were unbeaten in all their games across the Super League and Challenge Cup before the Warriors’ Nines upset. Mary Coleman sprinited past York’s Liv Gale and Tara Jane Stanley to land the first try of the game in the right edge, just 40 seconds into the game. Kerrie Evans scored the Warriors second try in the second half, exploiting the space in the corner left by the Valkyrie. York responded with a try in the 15th from Bettie Lambert, but it was too little too late. Wigan advanced into the Finals winning 12–4 in the Semis.
Finals
Leeds Rhinos 21–8 Wigan Warriors
Eloise Hayward got the game underway, the kick missed on the full by Wigan. Grace Banks collected the ball for a 20 metre sprint, avoiding Leeds winger Tara Moxon. Wigan completed their set only just breaking into the Rhinos 40. More worry came the Warriors way with Mary Coleman going down after a tackle on Zoe Hornby.
Hayward made a break through the line with assistance from Hornby to set Leeds up for the first try of the game, tackled just before the line. Ruby Enright collected the ball to crash over the line, converted by Hayward.
Wigan’s Rebecca Greenfield opted for the kick on the last tackle, with Hornby knocking it on to allow for another Wigan set. England’s Vicky Molyneux got the first try for the Warriors after exploiting a gap in the Rhinos defence. The conversion attempt from Salihi was unsuccessful, dropping short of the sticks.
A sprint through the Wigan defensive line from Izzy Northrop, dismissing attempts of tackles on her, allowed Leeds within striking distance of their second try. Caitlin Casey’s side step got her the try for the Rhinos, converted by Hayward. At the break, the scoreline read 13–4 in favour of the Rhinos.
Keara Bennett broke through the Wigan threat to allow Tara Moxon a 20 metre sprint for a try in the corner, despite Salihi clinging onto the Rhinos winger. Hayward unable to convert from the edge, Leeds still comfortably ahead on 17–4.
Molly Jones made an impressive sprint from Wigan’s 30 metre line to Leeds’ 20 before she was eventually brought down by Sophie Robinson. With the ball sent across to the Wigan right edge, Warriors fullback Salihi capitalised with a try in the corner. She was unable to convert her try.
Casey kicked the ball for Moxon to chase in the corner, who beat Wigan’s Greenfield and put the ball down in similar fashion to her first try. Hayward was unsuccessful with the kick falling short.
The Warriors were glaringly present in the Leeds half but made no impact on the score in the final 3 minutes of the game. The Rhinos were unable to add to their tally either, not much bother to the side as they won 21–8, crowned the Women’s Nines 2023 champions.
