2023 Women's Challenge Cup
DurationGroup stage plus three knockout rounds
Number of teams16
Broadcast partnersBBC Sport
Biggest home winYork Valkyrie 122–0 Hull KR
(7 May 2023)
Biggest away winCastleford Tigers 0–106 St Helens
(7 May 2023)

The 2023 Women's Challenge Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2023 Betfred Women's Challenge Cup) was the 11th staging of the Rugby Football League's cup competition for women's rugby league clubs.

Format

The competition used the same format as in 2022 with four groups of four competing in a single round robin with group winners and runners-up advancing to the knockout rounds. The group stage draw took place on 12 January.[1]

Groups
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4

Group stage

The fixture list for the group stage was published on 16 February 2023.[2]

Challenge Cup group fixtures week 1
Group Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
1 Salford Red Devils 8–22 Featherstone Rovers 23 April, 12:00 AJ Bell Stadium J. Pemberton
Cardiff Demons 20–38 Wigan Warriors 23 April, 14:00 Cardiff University Sports Fields R. Apsee
2 Leeds Rhinos 72–0 Bradford Bulls 23 April, 13:00 Weetwood Sports Park F. Lincoln
Oulton Raidettes 4–54 Huddersfield Giants 23 April, 14:00 Oulton Sports Pavilion M. Mckelvey
3 London Broncos 0–76 St Helens 22 April, 14:00 The Rock, Roehampton H. Winnard
Castleford Tigers 0–72 Warrington Wolves 23 April, 14:00 Mend-a-Hose Jungle A. Rhodes
4 Barrow Raiders 4–44 York Valkyrie 23 April, 14:00 Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness J. Hughes
Hull KR 16–38 Leigh Leopards 23 April; 14:00 Craven Park, Hull D. Frederick
Source:[3]
Challenge Cup group fixtures week 2
Group Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
1 Featherstone Rovers 10–12 Wigan Warriors 7 May; 12:00 Post Office Road C. Hughes
Salford Red Devils 8–12 Cardiff Demons 7 May; 13:00 Moor Lane S. Houghton
2 Bradford Bulls 12–32 Huddersfield Giants 7 May; 14:00 Horsfall Stadium M. Clayton
Oulton Raidettes 0–48[lower-alpha 1] Leeds Rhinos —
3 Castleford Tigers 0–106 St Helens 7 May; 14:00 Mend-a-Hose Jungle D. Geddes
Warrington Wolves 64–10 London Broncos 7 May; 14:00 Victoria Park O. Ireland
4 York Valkyrie 122–0 Hull KR 7 May; 12:00 York Community Stadium B. Worsley
Leigh Leopards 30–22 Barrow Raiders 7 May; 14:00 Twist Lane L. Flavell
Source:[5]
Challenge Cup group fixtures week 3
Group Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
1 Cardiff Demons 36–18 Featherstone Rovers 21 May; 14:00 Cardiff University Sports Fields R. Apsee
Wigan Warriors 60–0 Salford Red Devils 21 May; 14:00 Robin Park S. Houghton
2 Huddersfield Giants 0–54 Leeds Rhinos 21 May; 14:00 Laund Hill J. Covell-Wood
Bradford Bulls 38–6 Oulton Raidettes 21 May; 17:15 Odsal Stadium A. Rhodes
3 London Broncos 40–4 Castleford Tigers 21 May; 14:00 The Rock, Roehampton
St Helens 38–4 Warrington Wolves 21 May; 14:00 Totally Wicked Stadium L. Flavell
4 Hull KR 11–20 Barrow Raiders 21 May; 14:00 Craven Park, Hull
Leigh Leopards 0–54 York Valkyrie 21 May; 14:00 Twist Lane
Source:[6][7][8]

Standings

Group 1
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Wigan Warriors 3 3 0 0 110 30 +80 6 Advance to knock-out stages
2 Cardiff Demons 3 2 0 1 68 64 +4 4
3 Featherstone Rovers 3 1 0 2 50 56 −6 2
4 Salford Red Devils 3 0 0 3 16 94 −78 0
Source:
Group 2
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Leeds Rhinos 3 3 0 0 174 0 +174 6 Advance to knock-out stages
2 Huddersfield Giants 3 2 0 1 86 70 +16 4
3 Bradford Bulls 3 1 0 2 50 110 −60 2
4 Oulton Raidettes 3 0 0 3 10 140 −130 0
Source:
Group 3
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 St Helens 3 3 0 0 220 4 +216 6 Advance to knock-out stages
2 Warrington Wolves 3 2 0 1 140 48 +92 4
3 London Broncos 3 1 0 2 50 144 −94 2
4 Castleford Tigers 3 0 0 3 4 218 −214 0
Source:


Group 4
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 York Valkyrie 3 3 0 0 224 4 +220 6 Advance to knock-out stages
2 Leigh Leopards 3 2 0 1 68 96 −28 4
3 Barrow Raiders 3 1 0 2 46 85 −39 2
4 Hull Kingston Rovers 3 0 0 3 27 180 −153 0
Source:

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was made live on BBC Radio Five, on 26 May.[9] Ties took place over the weekend of 17–18 June.

Challenge Cup quarter-final fixtures
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Leeds Rhinos 54–0 Leigh Leopards 17 June, 13:00 Headingley Stadium
Wigan Warriors 46–10 Huddersfield Giants 18 June, 11:30 Robin Park Arena
St Helens 36–0 Warrington Wolves 18 June, 12:30 Totally Wicked Stadium
York Valkyrie 54–0 Cardiff Demons 18 June, 14:00 York Community Stadium
Source:[10]

Semi-finals

Ties took place over the weekend of 22–23 July, each being part of a double header with one of the men's semi-finals; St Helens v York was played with the Leigh v St Helens men's game and Wigan v Leeds was played with the Hull KR v Wigan men's game. Both of the women's matches were broadcast live on the BBC Sport website.[11]

Challenge Cup semi-final fixtures
Team A Score Team B Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
St Helens 17–16 York Valkyrie 22 July, 11:45 Halliwell Jones Stadium A. Belafonte 12,113[lower-alpha 2]
Wigan Warriors 4–16 Leeds Rhinos 23 July, 14:15 Headingley E. Burrow 10,926[lower-alpha 3]
Source:[12]

Final

On 12 August 2022, the RFL announced that the Women's Challenge Cup Final would make its Wembley debut, and be played as a double header with the men's final. The final was played on 12 August 2023.[13]

Challenge Cup Final
Team 1 Score Team 2 Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Leeds Rhinos 8–22 St Helens 12 August 2023, 12:00 Wembley Stadium J. Vella
Source:[14]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Match forfeited by Oulton as they were unable to raise a team.[4] Under the RFL operational rules the match is recorded as a 48–0 win to the non-forfeiting team.
  2. ↑ attendance combined for both the women's and the men's games.
  3. ↑ attendance combined for both the women's and the men's games.

References

  1. ↑ "Challenge Cup 2023: Draw details for women's and men's competitions as St Helens and Wigan Warriors defend titles". Sky Sports. 12 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Betfred Women's Challenge Cup: Our League to stream Cardiff Demons versus Wigan Warriors". RFL. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "Women's Challenge Cup: Round-up". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3376. 24 April 2023. pp. 24–25.
  4. ↑ "Challenge Cup tie awarded to Leeds Rhinos after opponents fail to raise a team". Yorkshire Evening Post. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Women's Challenge Cup Round-up | Sunday 7 May". RFL. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Cardiff Demons join big guns in Cup Quarter-Final draw". RFL. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Hull KR Women 11 – 20 Barrow". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Bradford 28 – 6 Oulton Raidettes". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "BBC Radio 5 Live to broadcast Betfred Women's Challenge Cup Quarter Final draw". RFL. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Betfred Women's Challenge Cup Quarter Finals Round-Up". RFL. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Venues and broadcast details confirmed for Betfred Challenge Cup Semi-Finals". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Betfred Women's Challenge Cup Final Preview". RFL. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Challenge Cup final to return to Wembley in 2023". BBC Sport. 12 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Women's Challenge Cup final: Leeds Rhinos 8-22 St Helens - Saints win third title in first-ever Wembley final". BBC Sport. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
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