SCHOOLCHILDREN, family and friends were there to wave off Saints Women as the team embarked on their mission to make it four in a row when they take on Leeds Rhinos in tomorrow’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.
The squad, led by coach Matty Smith and skipper Jodie Cunningham, gathered at the Totally Wicked Stadium before setting off to London on Friday morning for the showpiece.
Supporters waved banners and cheered off the players, who travelled to the capital by coach.
The game kicks off at 11.45am and takes place ahead of the Men’s Challenge Cup Final between Warrington and Wigan (3.07pm).
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There will be a minute’s silence ahead of the game in tribute to Rob Burrow – and then a minute of applause in the seventh minute of this and the other two matches taking place.
The Saints v Leeds Rhinos Women's game will be broadcast live on BBC2.
Cunningham said: "We've got a really great rivalry on the go with Leeds because every single game is so tight in the league and in cup finals, it's been six points in it most of the time one way or the other.
"They have broken our hearts a few times in 2019 particularly, they knocked us out of semi final, the Challenge Cup and then in the play-offs to get to the Grand final, both by a last minute try.
"I think we used that as motivation so much off the back of 2019 because 2020 season didn't happen and that genuinely spurred us on to make the most of that off year and going into 2021, where we dominated for that year.
"What's great for fans is how unpredictable the games are. You can't call it either way on Saturday and that's exactly what you want from the women's game."
The two sides meet at this stage of the competition for the third consecutive season.
Saints won 18-8 at Elland Road in 2022, followed in 2023 with a 22-8 at Wembley Stadium in the first Women’s Challenge Cup Final to be played at the National Stadium.
Saints: Beri Salihi, Rebecca Rotheram, Luci McColm, Erin Stott, Leah Burke, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Vicky Whitfield, Tara Jones, Chantelle Crowl, Paige Travis, Jodie Cunningham, Naomi Williams, Darcy Stott, Pip Birchall, Katie Mottershead, Phoebe Hook, Amy Taylor, Megan Williams, Georgia Sutherland.
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