Home starts for Featherstone Rovers and Castleford Tigers in 2023 Betfred Women's Super League

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.

Rovers 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.

Fixtures 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.

“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