Home starts for Featherstone Rovers and Castleford Tigers in 2023 Betfred Women's Super League
and live on Freeview channel 276
The new season starts with a Group One game between Leeds Rhinos and York Valkyrie on Sunday, April 9 before the remaining Group One teams and Group Two sides – including Rovers and the Tigresses – begin a week later.
Rovers are expected to be one of the title challengers again while Castleford are aiming to build on progress made last year when they completely rebuilt on and off the pitch and suffered some big defeats before showing signs of improvement towards the end of the 2022 campaign.
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Hide AdRovers host big rivals from 2022 Barrow Raiders in their opening game while the Tigresses step into the unknown a little at home to promoted Salford Red Devils in their first match.
The two neighbours teams clash for the first time at Featherstone on Sunday, May 28 with the return on Sunday, August 20.
The last round of regular season games is on the weekend of September 8-10, after which the top four of Group One will contest semi-finals leading to the Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final on the weekend of October 7-8.
The team finishing top of Group Two will secure automatic promotion to the expanded eight-team BWSL in 2024, with play-offs to determine the second promoted team.
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Hide AdFixtures for the Betfred Women’s Super League South, and the Championship and League One competitions, will be finalised soon – with the draw for the group stage of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup, including Cardiff Demons and London Broncos from the BWSL South and Hull KR and Oulton Raidettes from the Championship, taking place this Thursday at Wembley, the venue for August’s final.
Thomas Brindle, general manager of the BWSL, said: “There is more excitement and anticipation than ever around Women’s Rugby League in 2023, after the national impact made by England’s performances in the World Cup.
“For the BWSL to kick off with a repeat of last year’s Grand Final as part of a double header at Headingley is another first for the competition and another big stage for a lot of those England players.
“We welcome three new names to the BWSL in 2023, following the rebrand of York Valkyrie, the new partnership between Leigh Leopards and Leigh Miners Rangers and the rapid progress made by Salford Red Devils in their debut season in 2022.
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Hide Ad“With Warrington building impressively for their elevation to Group One, it promises to be the most competitive season yet – and we hope to make some more exciting announcements soon about broadcast coverage.”
Fixtures in full:
Sunday April 9 Leeds Rhinos v York Valkyrie (Headingley Stadium, KO TBC)
Round 1 – Sunday April 16
Group 1
Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos, 2pm
Warrington Wolves v Wigan Warriors, 2pm
York Valkyrie v St Helens, 3pm
Group 2
Bradford Bulls v Leigh Leopards, 5.15pm
Castleford Tigers v Salford Red Devils, 2pm
Featherstone Rovers v Barrow Raiders, 12noon
Round Two
Group 1
Friday May 26: Leeds v St Helens (Headingley Stadium, 5.30pm)
Sunday, May 28
Huddersfield Giants v Wigan Warriors, 2pm
York Valkyrie v Warrington Wolves (KO TBC)
Group 2
Barrow Raiders v Bradford Bulls Craven Park, 2pm
Featherstone Rovers v Castleford Tigers Millennium Stadium, 12noon
Salford Red Devils v Leigh Leopards, 12noon
Round Three
Sunday June 11
Group 1
Huddersfield Giants v Warrington Wolves, 2pm
St Helens v Wigan Warriors, 1pm
Group 2
Barrow Raiders v Castleford Tigers, 12noon
Bradford Bulls v Salford Red Devils, 5.15pm
Leigh Leopards v Featherstone Rovers, 2pm
Round 4
Sunday, July 2
Group 1
St Helens v Huddersfield Giants, 1pm
Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos, 2pm
York Valkyrie v Wigan Warriors, 12noon
Group 2
Barrow Raiders v Leigh Leopards, 12noon
Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers, 5.15pm
Featherstone Rovers v Salford Red Devils, 12noon
Round 5
Sunday July 9
Group 1
Huddersfield Giants v York Valkyrie, 2pm
Warrington Wolves v St Helens, 2pm
Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos, 12noon
Group 2
Castleford Tigers v Leigh Leopards, 2pm
Featherstone Rovers v Bradford Bulls, 12noon
Salford Red Devils v Barrow Raiders, 12noon
Round 6
Sunday July 16
Group 1
Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves, 12noon
York Valkyrie v Leeds Rhinos, 12noon
Group 2
Barrow Raiders Featherstone Rovers, 12noon
Leigh Leopards v Bradford Bulls Twist Lane, 2pm
Salford Red Devils v Castleford Tigers, 12noon
Round 7
Group 1
Friday July 28
St. Helens v York Valkyrie, 5.30pm
Sunday July 30
Warrington Wolves v Huddersfield Giants, 2pm
Round 8
Sunday August 6
Group 1
Leeds Rhinos v Huddersfield Giants, 12.30pm
Warrington Wolves v York Valkyrie, 2pm
Wigan Warriors v St Helens, 12noon
Group 2
Castleford Tigers v Barrow Raiders, 2pm
Featherstone Rovers v Leigh Leopards, 12noon
Salford Red Devils v Bradford Bulls, 12noon
Round 9
Sunday August 20
Group 1
Huddersfield Giants v St Helens, 2pm
Leeds Rhinos v Warrington Wolves, 12.30pm
Wigan Warriors v York Valkyrie, 12noon
Group 2
Bradford Bulls v Barrow Raiders, 5.15pm
Castleford Tigers v Featherstone Rovers, 2pm
Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils, 2pm
Round 10
Sunday September 3
Group 1
St Helens v Leeds Rhinos, 1pm
Wigan Warriors v Huddersfield Giants, 12noon
Group 2
Barrow Raiders v Salford Red Devils, 2pm
Bradford Bulls v Featherstone Rovers, 5.15pm
Leigh Leopards v Castleford Tigers, 2pm
Round 11
Friday September 8
Group 1
Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors, 5.30pm
Sunday September 10
St Helens v Warrington, 1pm
York Valkyrie v Huddersfield Giants, 3pm
Group 2
Castleford Tigers v Bradford Bulls, 2pm
Leigh Leopard v Barrow Raiders, 2pm
Salford Red Devils v Featherstone Rovers, 12noon