Wigan are within field possession just over a minute in but a huge hit from Saints captain Jodie Cunningham drives them back.

A short pass is then knocked on by Megan Williams and Saints can start again inside their own 10.

Brian Noble
Former Great Britain coach on BBC Two

The start of the game is very, very important.

Get into your game, three or four sets each, get your systems and your plans running.

Both teams will be hoping for big starts.

The national anthem has been sung and we are underway in the 2026 Women's Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

St Helens get possession for the first set.

Image source, SWPix.com

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Vicky Molyneux
Former England International on BBC Two

The mood within the Wigan team is very relaxed.

There's a different pressure this year, obviously it was a little bit unexpected last year in terms of the result. This year it comes with a bit more pressure and a bit more expectation.

Image source, SWPix

Wigan coach Denis Betts largely keeps faith with the squad that demolished York in the semi-final, with the only change involving Molly Jones being replaced by Beri Salihi.

Image source, SWPix

Jodie Cunningham captains St Helens as she looks to sign off with a flourish by lifting the Challenge Cup in what is her last season before retirement.

Pheobe Hook
St Helens winger on BBC Two

We're feeling comfortable and confident.

We want to prove this year that last year's Wembley wasn't us and that there's a lot more to us than that and I think that's shown in our last meetings in the league.

I'm hoping we can bring some of that into today's final.

It's all to play for.

Image source, PA Media

St Helens captain Jodie Cunningham picks her favourite career moments ahead of the Women's Challenge Cup final, following her announcement that she'll be retiring at the end of the season.

Image source, SWPIX.com

One players who has seen things from both sides is Wigan's Lucie Sams.

Having come through Warriors' academy, she joined Saints for 2023 and won the Challenge Cup that season before returning to Wigan at the tail end of 2025.

Not only that, she also played rugby union for Sale Sharks and represented England at Under-18 and Under-20 level.

"When I played at Wembley the first time I kept dropping the ball in the warm-up because the stadium was so big and I was looking around and it felt almost intimidating," Sams told BBC Radio Manchester.

"Experiencing that already and now being able to go into it a little bit older and a little bit more mature gives me a better foot forward to warm up well and then perform well while I'm playing."

Image source, SWPix.com

Wigan Warriors thrashed York Valkyrie 52-0 in the Women's Challenge Cup semi-final at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium earlier this month.

Half-back Isabel Rowe totted up 20 points as Denis' Betts' side were in total control of a one-sided affair from the outset.

Victory for St Helens proved to be slightly more difficult in their semi-final a day later in Doncaster.

However, Saints were able to withstand a strong second-half fightback from Leeds Rhinos to come out 30-14 winners and set up a repeat of last year's final.

Image source, SWPix.com

Image source, SWPIX.com

The end of an era is coming for St Helens and the farewell tour begins this morning.

In the lead-up to the trip to the capital, England's most-capped women's international rugby league players Jodie Cunningham and Emily Rudge announced they are to retire at the end of the season.

Cunningham is the current St Helens and England skipper and has 34 international caps, one more than Saints vice-captain Rudge, who also led her country from 2018 to 2023.

Both have been with Saints since the formation of the women's side eight years ago, and have 197 appearances for the club between them.

"I think [some people] never really know when it's your last game, you don't know when it's your last final and you don't know when it's the last time you lift a trophy," Cunningham, the 2021 Woman of Steel award winner, told BBC Sport.

"We'd already made the decision a while back, that this would be our last year, and I think just getting to the final, we wanted to be authentic this week, enjoy it for what it is and knowing that it's our last, which is a really fortunate position to be in."

Wigan Warriors

Image source, SWpix.com

Denis Betts believes his trailblazing Wigan side have "changed the game" following Saints' domination in the competition between 2021 and 2024.

In three seasons, Betts has transformed Warriors' fortunes and wrapped up a domestic clean sweep last season - something he thinks caught their rivals by surprise.

"I've had a fantastic group of girls that have been able to get into the final and last year performed so well that everybody started talking about the women's game," he added.

"I think we changed the real vision of what women's rugby looks like and everybody watched it through the BBC last year, they saw that team and they went 'wow, this is a little bit different' - and I think that's a credit to the girls and what they've put in and how hard they've worked to make people see that."

Image source, SWpix.com

Good morning and welcome along to our live text coverage of the Women's Challenge Cup final between holders Wigan Warriors and old foes St Helens.

It should prove to be an absolute belter under the Wembley arch and we're glad to have your company.

Wigan beat Saints 42-6 in last year's showpiece - will Warriors reign again or will the Merseysiders exact revenge?

Without further ado, let's get into things...