Grace Banks 'excited' to relive Wembley memories with Wigan Warriors after 'dream' semi-final display
Wigan Warriors Women fullback Grace Banks says returning to Wembley ‘means a lot’ after they secured another Challenge Cup final appearance with a dominant 52-0 victory over York Valkyrie.
The reigning Cup holders produced an emphatic display at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday afternoon to book their place back under the Wembley arch later this month.
Wigan will now look to retain the Women’s Challenge Cup trophy they won for the first time last season during their historic quadruple-winning campaign.
Banks enjoyed a memorable day at Wembley in 2025 after being named Player of the Match in the Warriors’ final victory over St Helens, and admits she cannot wait to return to the capital.
“It means a lot,” Banks told Wigan Today. “I’ve got really good memories of being there last year, getting Player of the Match, and I’m really excited to go there again and hopefully relive what I did last year.”
The 20-year-old speedster described Wigan’s semi-final performance against York as close to perfect after the Warriors scored nine tries while keeping their opponents scoreless.
“That was a dream semi-final performance for us,” Banks said.
“We went into it knowing it was going to be hard. York have been working really hard in pre-season, and it showed. They put up a good fight, but that is probably the best semi-final you can ask for.”
Banks also pointed to the togetherness within the Wigan squad as a major factor behind the club’s recent success.
“We work on culture a lot, and we think that’s a big thing when you’re playing together,” she said.
“We all get along, and obviously, you aren’t going to get along all the time, but we are such a tight-knit group, and I think it shows in games.”
The Warriors are aiming to build on last season’s remarkable achievements after lifting all four available trophies during a memorable 2025 campaign.
“Last year meant a lot to us as a group,” Banks added. “We tried so hard in pre-season, and it obviously showed through the season because we worked so hard, we got a reward out of it, and we were all buzzing at the end of the year.
“We just really hope we can do it again this year - but we’ll see!”