Barrow Raiders Ladies set to open Super League campaign with home clash

Barrow Raiders Ladies will open their inaugural Super League campaign with a home game against Warrington Wolves on Sunday, May 15.

The competition has expanded again this year, to 12 teams, leading to a decision to split the competition into two groups of six – with one up one down between the groups for 2023.

Group 1 will consists of St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, York City Knights and Huddersfield Giants.

Meanwhile, Barrow have been joined in group two by Warrington, fellow competition newcomers Leigh Miners Rangers, Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Bulls and Featherstone Rovers.

The 2022 campaign will kick off in mid-March with the first of three rounds of group matches in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup, followed by the quarter-finals on the weekend of April 9-10, the semi-finals two weeks later and the final at Elland Road in Leeds on Saturday May 7.

Following this, there are ten rounds of fixtures culminating in late August, when the top four in each group will qualify for semi-finals.

This will be followed by the Grand Final, which is scheduled for the weekend of September 17-18.

Further details of venues for the semi-finals, Grand Final and ticket sales will be announced soon – with the BWSL aiming to build on the success of the 2021 Grand Final, when St Helens beat Leeds Rhinos in front of a record crowd of over 4,000.

Ahead of the new season, Thomas Brindle, the RFL’s Head of Growth and General Manager of the BWSL, said: “The decision to split to two groups of six in 2022 has been taken to ensure greater quality as well as quantity, with a focus on England Women’s preparations for the home World Cup at the end of the season.

“After the frustration and disappointment of the Covid-enforced postponement of the 2020 season, 2021 was a year of real progress and encouragement, with the launch of the Betfred Women’s Super League South, and a number of new girls competitions and teams.

“That trend has continued for 2022 with a total of 140 teams spread across almost 50 clubs – compared to 78 teams in 2019 and 98 last year – and already this year we’ve seen Salford Red Devils play their first match against Swinton Lions, and we welcome Oxford Cavaliers to BWSL South.

“The appointment of Jodie Cunningham as National Women’s and Girls’ Development Manager last November has strengthened the RFL team – and as ever we are grateful to the many volunteers who have helped to drive the development of the Women’s and Girls’ game, and delighted that more and more continue to do so.”