Fixtures revealed for Barrow Raiders, Whitehaven and Workington Town

Whitehaven will start life in the reshaped Championship with a home game on Sunday, January 18.

Sheffield Eagles will provide the first opposition in 2026 as clubs get to grips with a merger of the Championship and League One.

The big west Cumbrian derby against Workington Town at the Ortus Rec will be on Good Friday, April 3 with the return at the Fibrus Community Stadium the last in the programmed season on August 30.

They also have two Cumbrian derby clashes with Barrow, at home on February 15 and away in the penultimate game of the League campaign on August 23.

It gives Haven a bruising finish to the season with derby games on consecutive weeks at Barrow and at Workington.

Otherwise the fixtures are largely against teams that Whitehaven played in League One last year apart rom Barrow, Sheffield and Hunslet.

Fixtures

January 18 Sheffield Eagles (H)
February 1 Newcastle Thunder (H)
February 15 Barrow Raiders (H)
February 22 Keighley Cougars (A)
March 1 Rochdale Hornets (H)
March 8 Midlands Hurricanes (H)
March 29 NW Crusaders (A)
April 3 Workington Town (H)
April 12 Goole Vikings (A)
April 26 Hunslet RLFC (H)
May 3 Dewsbury Rams (A)
May 10 Swinton Lions (A)
June 7 Midlands Hurricanes (A)
June 14 NW Crusaders (H)
June 21 Sheffield Eagles (A)
June 27 Newcastle Thunder (A)
July 12 Swinton Lions (H)
July 19 Goole Vikings (H)
July 26 Hunslet RLFC (A)
August 9 Rochdale Hornets (A)
August 16 Dewsbury Rams (H)
August 23 Barrow Raiders (A)
August 30 Workington Town (A)

Workington Town

Workington Town have a Cumbrian derby to start their 2026 programme in the new-look Championship.

They will travel to Barrow on Sunday, January 18 to take on the Raiders in a tasty opening fixture.

The first home game isn’t until February 15 when they will host the Widnes Vikings.

There’s a big game on March 8 at the Fibrus Community Stadium when they entertain fallen Super League giants Salford Red Devils.

The majority of games are against sides they faced in League One but they do have fixtures with Barrow, Salford, Oldham, Sheffield and Hunslet who were in last season’s Championship.

The big West Cumbrian derby games with Whitehaven are on Good Friday (away) and August 30 (home) the last programmed league fixture.

The return game with Barrow at the Fibrus Community Stadium is on June 5.

Fixtures

January 18 Barrow Raiders (A)
January 24/25 Blackbrook/GB Police (A) tbc
February 1 Rochdale Hornets (A)
February 8 tba
February 15 Widnes Vikings (H)
March 1 Keighley Cougars (A)
March 8 Salford Red Devilss (H)
March 15 Prelim 1895 round draw tbc
March 22 Dewsbury Rams (H)
March 29 Newcastle Thunder (A)
April 3 Whitehaven (A)
April 12 Midlands Hurricanes (H)
April 26 Oldham (A)
May 3 Hunslet RLFC (A)
May 10 Sheffield Eagles (A)
May 24 Dewsbury Rams (A)
June 7 Barrow Raiders (H)
June 14 Oldham (H)
June 21 Salford Red Devis (A)
June 28 Hunslet (H)
July 19 Sheffield Eagles (A)
July 26 Keighley Cougars (H)
August 2 Newcastle Thunder (H)
August 9 Midlands Hurricanes (A)
August 16 Rochdale Hornets (H)
August 23 Widnes Vikings (A)
August 30 Whitehaven (H)

Barrow Raiders

Barrow Raiders start the new Championship season with successive home games, starting against fellow Cumbrian side Workington Town on Sunday January 18.

It will mark the first time the two have met in the league since 2022.

The second game sees Paul Crarey’s side host Salford Red Devils with those fixtures coming either side of the Raiders’ first game in the Challenge Cup.

The Raiders won’t have to wait long for a second Cumbrian derby as they make the trip to the Ortus Rec on Sunday February 15.

The Raiders find themselves at home on Good Friday, with Widnes Vikings the visitors to the Northern Competitions Stadium.

In similar fashion to the start of the campaign, the Raiders will end with back-to-back home games, against Featherstone Rovers and Whitehaven on August 15 and August 23.

The majority of games are against Championship sides from last season but as well as Town and Whitehaven from the old League One they also play Newcastle, Hunslet, Dewsbury and Rochdale.