York shut out Leeds to set up Wigan Grand Final
York Valkyrie beat Leeds Rhinos 12-0 at AMT Headingley on Friday 18 September to reach the Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final.
York will meet Wigan Warriors in the championship decider on 27 September at the Brick Community Stadium, according to BBC Sport. The winners will be crowned champions of the top women's rugby league competition in England.
Leeds were kept scoreless across the full 80 minutes. York's points came from tries by Liv Wood and Adaoha Akwiwu, with two goals from the boot of Tara-Jane Stanley, BBC Sport reported. In rugby league, a try is worth four points for grounding the ball over the tryline, and a goal kicked after a try adds two more.
The result keeps York on course for a third straight title. They went into the semi-final as back-to-back Grand Final winners, Leeds Rhinos noted in their match preview. Their form had looked strong. A week earlier York beat Wigan 26-12 to end Wigan's 100 per cent record.
Leeds hosted the tie despite struggling for wins. They arrived on a four-match losing run, York's semi-final preview stated, including an 18-14 defeat away to York before the play-offs. Leeds had already been confirmed as semi-final hosts before their final Super 4s fixture, when they had lost their last three, according to Leeds Rhinos.
York will have to plan the final without Stanley. She will miss the meeting with Wigan after failing a head injury assessment during the semi-final, BBC Sport reported. A head injury assessment is the league's standard check by medical staff when a head knock is suspected, and a player who fails it is removed and stood down.
There is recent history between these sides. This semi-final was a repeat pairing from the 2023 Grand Final, which York won 16-6. York also edged Leeds 12-10 in a knock-out tie in 2024 before going on to lift the trophy again.
What makes this stand out is the shutout. Holding any side to nil in a semi-final takes relentless tackling and calm control of field position through each set of six tackles. For fans, this means a familiar final with a new twist, champions York against the league leaders Wigan, with York chasing three in a row without one of their goalkickers.
