Women’s Academy win season opener

  • Match Report as Wigan Warriors Women’s Academy open their season with a huge win over Warrington Wolves.
  • Wigan scored seven tries each side of half time including hat-tricks from Lucy Johnson and Grace Banks.
  • FT | Wigan Warriors Women’s Academy 74-0 Warrington Wolves Women’s Academy.

Wigan Warriors Women’s Academy ran in 14 tries as they romped to victory against Warrington Wolves in their season opener on Wednesday evening.

Winger Sydney Alderman-Smith wasted no time in getting the Warriors on the board with a quick try after 2 minutes, supporting Kerrie Evans on the right edge to score in the corner, the effort was unconverted for 4-0.

The Warriors second came after 18 minutes as Wigan got upfield to send Lucy Johnson over for her first of the evening with a crash ball. Molly Jones slotted the conversion for 10-0 before Wigan went on a rout.

Eva Hunter was next on the scoresheet after 22 minutes, bursting through a gap in centrefield to race away and score under the sticks before Grace Banks scored her first of the night with a weaving run before putting the ball down in the right corner to make it 20-0.

Jessica Brown added Wigan’s fifth a few minutes later after supporting Isabel Glover in the centre of the field to crash over close to the uprights.

Molly Jones also registered a double before the half time break. The first effort saw Cerys Jones work into good space before the Warriors played left for Jones to go in, before finding her way over again in style, collecting the ball deep in her own half to race through the defence, upfield and under the sticks. Jones converted her own effort to see Wigan in with a 36-0 lead at the interval.

The Warriors were just as ruthless in the second half, as they went in through a second Eva Hunter effort before Lucy Johnson also added her second with another crash ball making it 46-0 to the Cherry & Whites.

Arabella Reed added her name to the scoresheet on the hour mark as she powered her way over the line on the last, the conversion from close range was converted by Molly Jones for 52-0. Wigan’s next score saw Lucy Johnson complete her hat-trick as she showed her strength once more to go over.

Quick-fire tries followed as Grace Banks made it double with a fine solo effort, darting from half way and shrugging off multiple defenders to round the defence and cut inside to score close to the sticks, which Kerrie Evans converted.

A Lydia Egan effort followed immediately as she powered onto a short ball before Grace Banks completed her hat-trick and the game just before the final whistle as a fine run down the centre of the field from Kaitlin Hilton found Banks to once again round the defence and score for a 74-0 victory in the opening game of the season.

Gallery:

Wigan Warriors: Kerrie Evans, Sydney Alderman-Smith, Libby Clarke, Molly Jones, Charlotte Meacham, Grace Banks, Isabel Glover, Lucy Johnson, Lily Wilkinson, Arabella Reed, Eva Hunter, Emma Davies, Kaitlin Hilton.

Interchange: Sophie Morris, Cerys Jones, Lydia Egan, Charlotte Nixon.

18th & 19th Player: Emma Welsford, Jessica Brown.

Tries: Alderman-Smith (2′), Johnson (18′, 53′, 65′), Hunter (22′, 48′), Banks (28′, 70′, 79′), Brown (31′), Jones (34′, 39′), Reed (60′), Egan (72′)

Goals: Jones 6/10, Evans 3/4

Warrington Wolves: Rebecca Nixon, Megan Thornley, Francesca Boyham, Adele Chesterman, Abigail Morris, Izabella Hughes, Olivia Webb, Olivia Hill, Katie Tymon, Ella Hatton, Georgia Bogg, Phoebe Shovelton, Jasmine Wilson.

Interchange: Summer Morrall, Ellanor Purtill, Olivia Boyham, Izzy Hackney.

Header Photo: Brian King.

Thursday 18 May 2023