THREE Warringtonians could help St Helens make history on Saturday by becoming the first women’s rugby league team to qualify for the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.

Jodie Cunningham, Emily Rudge and Tara Jones are in the Saints 21-strong squad for Saturday's semi-final at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, kick-off 11.45am, ahead of the men's last-four battle between Saints and Leigh Leopards.

They face a tough nut to crack in York Valkyrie – who have already defeated Saints 26-4 earlier in the season and who are unbeaten in the Women's Super League.

But the prize at stake means that there will no shortage of motivation – not least from skipper Cunningham, who played in the final 10 years ago held at Batley’s Mount Pleasant.

Cunningham said: “I think if you've told me 10 years ago we'd be playing at Halliwell Jones I don't think I would have believed that.

"So to think that it's an 80 minute performance away from playing at Wembley, it's huge and there's a lot at stake.

“Any semi-final there is pressure and you want to win, but this is just even more special with so much more riding on the game because the chance to play at Wembley and be the first women’s team to get there is going to be pretty epic.”

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Cunningham is back available for selection following knee surgery in June, and could make her first appearance since the Red V’s win over Leeds Rhinos at Headingley in May.

The 31-year-old has been something of a pioneer for women’s rugby league and has watched the profile of the game grow.

In fact she has been in the thick of it, featuring in Challenge Cup Finals, Grand Finals and World Cups representing England 28 times.

But Cunningham admits that the prospect of leading a team out at Wembley would be pretty special should Saints pull it off in the semi-final.

“Representing your country is something that means the world to me, but actually in terms of an individual game and what's riding on this - to be part of history and play at Wembley, it does feel like one of the biggest games of my career," she said.

“I've spoken with Emily Rudge about it - and we have had a very similar journey and have been there from the start together.

“The Challenge Cups has been really special for us – that is how we fell in love with the game going down as part of Champion Schools and getting paraded at Wembley, as winners of the Champ Schools Competition.

“So to then go there and get the chance to play in the Challenge Cup final ourselves, that would be history making.

“So that's what we want to do, and that's what's going to drive us at the weekend,” she said.

Cunningham has featured at full-back, in the halves, at hooker and in the back row during her career but expect her to feature at loose-forward if selected, with her fellow former Cardinal High School student Rudge in the second row and Jones at hooker.

Ex-Crosfields junior Jones from Penketh, a member of the Warrington Rugby League Referees Society, has officiated in Champion Schools finals at Wembley but is now seeking to taste the action there from the playing perspective.