Not many teams get to say they have booked one final before their league season begins, but Wigan Warriors women can as they prepare to face York Valkyrie in a huge double-header on Friday night.
Yes, the Warriors are off to Wembley on June 7 to face local rivals St Helens in the Challenge Cup final, the Saints looking to claim their fifth successive Challenge Cup with Wigan hunting their first.
But now, despite their excitement, all their focus is on a huge double-header for their season opener at The Brick Community Stadium, the women’s team taking on York Valkyrie from 5pm (5.30pm KO) on Sky Sports Action, with the men’s team then taking on Leigh Leopards from 7.30pm (8pm KO).
For Wigan star Georgia Wilson, her eyes are firmly set on what is a huge league opener on Friday night, helping to make history for some members of the team that will have never played live on Sky Sports or at the club’s home stadium before.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch the moment York Valkyrie lift the Women’s Super League Grand Final trophy after victory against St. Helens.
“We’re trying not to mention too much about Wembley at the moment. Obviously, it’s really exciting and it’s obviously our first time getting there, but we’ve got a massive game on Friday night against York,” Wilson said.
“That’s our first game of the season and that’s going to be at the stadium as a double-header with the men.
“Friday night is also a must-win for us and we’ve just got to stay focused and take each week as it comes.
“We’ve been in those tough games before. We’ve been close. It’s just learning how to overcome those areas in the game where we might maybe slack off a little bit or start to get a bit fatigued.
“It’s just learning how to manage a specific time in the game. It’s just game management, really.
“Yeah, it is huge and there’ll be some girls in the team that have never played in the stadium before. That’s obviously making history for them as well.
“It’s going to be massive, especially after getting to Wembley on the weekend.
“I’m hoping that quite a few fans come early and cheer us on and see what we’re all about.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Wild celebrations for York Valkyrie as they become the first team to retain the Women’s Super League title.
In the Women’s Super League, there have been three standout sides in reigning champions York Valkyrie, St Helens, and Leeds Rhinos, but Wigan Warriors have felt like a team building towards joining that elite club.
That is something Wilson herself has felt at the club, with their backing and new pathways helping to create the most “competitive” women’s side they have ever had.
“Absolutely. And that comes down to the backing from the club as well. They’ve backed the women’s and girls’ pathway here, so now we’ve got an academy and same with other Super League teams, they’ve got an academy that actually have a proper league now,” she added.
“Those fixtures, we’ve got our first academy girls’ fixture on Sunday, so it’ll be good to see how those girls get on against York – they’re also playing York.
“But again, they’ve got the P2P pathway to performance, which is also run by Jenna Banks as well. She’s doing a great job with the youth of the town and hopefully we can keep recruiting and getting girls out of our pathway for the next few years.”
So, for those who are going down to The Brick Community Stadium on Friday night, what can they expect?
For Wilson, it’s physicality, physicality, physicality.
She said: “I think it’s going to be really physical. All York’s forwards are really, really physical and it’s probably going to be one of those games where it’s keep it simple but big hits in the middle and shaking it out wide when we get the opportunities.
“But I think it’s a very different game to the men’s, obviously, biologically as well.
“People compare it to the men all the time, but they shouldn’t because it’s a completely different game and the way we play is very different to the men’s.
“I think quite a lot of people are surprised when they come and watch women’s rugby league just based on the physicality of it as well.
“Hopefully people can come down and maybe watch it for the first time and have a bit of a shock and realise what it’s all about.”
Women’s Super League fixtures: Opening round
Friday, May 16
Wigan Warriors vs York Valkyrie (5.30pm, Sky Sports Action)
Saturday, May 17
St Helens vs Leeds Rhinos (2pm)
Sunday, May 18
Warrington Wolves vs Huddersfield Giants
Leigh Leopards vs Barrow Raiders
Sky Sports will again show every game of Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.
