The 2026 Women’s Super League will receive a concentrated burst of national television exposure that includes key fixtures featuring the Wigan Warriors. Sky Sports has confirmed it will show five matches during the second half of the season, opening with a local derby at the Brick Community Stadium where St Helens will host the reigning champions on Thursday 6 August (kick-off 5.15pm).
Televised fixtures and what they mean for Wigan
The live schedule also includes a semi-final and the Grand Final, with the showpiece set for Sunday 27 September. In addition, Sky will broadcast Saints at home to York Valkyrie on Friday 28 August (5.15pm), and a Super Four fixture at AMT Headingley when Leeds Rhinos host Wigan on Saturday 5 September (5.15pm). The semi-final is scheduled for Friday 18 September.
- 6 Aug: St Helens v Wigan Warriors — KO 5.15pm
- 28 Aug: St Helens v York Valkyrie — KO 5.15pm
- 5 Sep: Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors — KO 5.15pm
- 18 Sep: Women's Super League semi-final — broadcast live
- 27 Sep: Women's Super League Grand Final — broadcast live
The fixtures come after a change to the competition format. The season is split: teams play each other once in the regular phase and, from 6 August, the league divides into a top four and bottom four. Those groups then contest home-and-away Super Four matches to determine League Leaders and the Grand Final participants.
Local context and impact
The televised run will put Wigan’s women's side in the national spotlight during a pivotal phase of the campaign. The Warriors, who secured their first treble in the women’s game last October with a 16-12 victory over Saints at the Brick Community Stadium, head into the second half of 2026 unbeaten to date. That run, and the rematch with St Helens, adds local intensity to Sky’s chosen fixtures.
"They remain the only unbeaten team in the competition in 2026."
For supporters, the schedule offers more opportunities to watch Wigan’s players on live television, and for the club it is a chance to broaden the profile of women’s rugby league across Wigan and beyond. Televised derbies and the Grand Final exposure can have practical benefits: higher attendance at home fixtures, increased interest from sponsors and more media coverage for players and community programmes associated with the club.
| Item | Date | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| Saints v Wigan Warriors | 6 Aug 2026 | 5.15pm |
| Saints v York Valkyrie | 28 Aug 2026 | 5.15pm |
| Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors | 5 Sep 2026 | 5.15pm |
| Semi-final (live) | 18 Sep 2026 | — |
| Grand Final (live) | 27 Sep 2026 | — |
Locally, the fixtures will be watched closely by fans, grassroots clubs and council sports officers who have supported the rapid growth of the women’s game in Wigan. The televised derby against St Helens rekindles a recent high-profile rivalry and comes during the Super Four stage when every match carries heightened consequences.
As the season moves into its decisive phase, Wigan residents will have several live occasions to follow their champions on a national platform, reinforcing the position of the Warriors at the centre of women’s rugby league this year.
