Women's Super League Grand Final: York City Knights 4-12 Leeds Rhinos
- Published
Leeds won the Women's Super League Grand Final having lost the Challenge Cup final to St Helens earlier in the season
Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final |
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York City Knights (0) 4 |
Try: Peach |
Leeds Rhinos (12) 12 |
Tries: Beevers 2 Goals: Winfield-Hill 2 |
Caitlin Beevers scored twice as Leeds won the Women's Super League Grand Final for the first time since 2019 with victory over York City Knights.
Beevers gave Leeds an early lead and the Rhinos then defended resolutely to go in 6-0 in front at the break.
Leeds extended their advantage early in the second half when Beevers powered her way over again.
Sinead Peach scored a brilliant solo try to give York hope of a comeback but Leeds held on.
York had gone into the game as favourites having won the League Leaders' Shield in Group One of Women's Super League, including beating Leeds home and away.
However, the Rhinos came out on top when the sides met in the Challenge Cup semi-finals and they produced a strong defensive display to frustrate the Knights.
They had already defended their own line before they scored with their first real attack when Courtney Winfield-Hill put Beevers in from close range.
Leeds lost forward Shannon Lacey to a lower leg injury early in the second half, but they put that setback behind them when they won a repeat set after a York hand touched a hanging Winfield-Hill kick and Beevers stepped past the Knights defence.
Peach beat several Leeds defenders to run in from 30m, but the Rhinos defence were not breached again as they held on to claim the title.
Leeds 'showed great determination' - reaction
Caitlin Beevers' first try gave Leeds the perfect start
Leeds head coach Lois Forsell told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It feels amazing, I'm just so proud of all the girls, they were absolutely fantastic.
"We didn't make it easy for ourselves but they showed great determination and togetherness and I'm really proud of them for that.
"We did too much defending for sure but showing you can turn up for each other from the first whistle to the last whistle is amazing.
"Caitlin Beevers was outstanding. I've told her all year she's an absolute competitor and she showed that today."
York City Knights director of rugby Lindsay Anfield told BBC Radio York:
"It was one those days. We probably didn't execute when we needed to, there were a couple of slip-ups in defence and they are the margins to win a Grand Final.
"If anything, it makes us hungrier to come back next year. If someone had said to us at the start of the year that we'd win the League Leaders' [Shield] and get to a Grand Final I would have snapped their hand off, so I'm not complaining.
"Leeds had done their research on us. It's no secret that we don't have really experienced half-backs and they shut down anything they were able to do. Credit to Leeds, they were fantastic today."
Warrington clinch promotion to Group One
Warrington will play in Group One of Women's Super League next season
Earlier on Sunday, Warrington won the Women's Super League Shield Final and promotion to Group One with a convincing 34-6 win over Featherstone Rovers.
Warrington had won all 12 of their Group Two league games, conceding only 30 points in the process, and Featherstone proved no match for them despite taking the lead through Jess Dadds' try from close range.
The Wolves replied immediately through Amy Johnson and then opened up a 22-6 lead at the break through two Dani Bound tries and a fourth from Emily Baggaley.
Lauren Roberts and Georgia Sutherland added further tries after the break, while Michelle Davis kicked five or her six conversion attempts.
York: Stanley, Taylor, Renouf, Langan, Gentles, Gale, Hetherington, Akpa, Peach, Wood, Andrade, Dodd, Owen.
Interchanges: Kershaw, Bessahli, Bell, Butler.
Leeds: Goldthorp, Moxon, Butcher, Beevers, Robinson, Hulme, Winfield-Hill, Anderson, Bennett, Lumley, Nuttall, Murray, Hornby.
Interchanges: Earnshaw-Cudjoe, Lacey, Lockwood, Kerrigan.