Barrow Raiders have welcomed a new team to the club who are delighted to be on board – and hold Super League ambitions ahead of the new season.

Barrow Raiders Ladies – formerly Barrow Ladies – have now moved from their previous home at Barrow Island to Craven Park in a hope to secure their future and progress to where their ambitions are in Super League.

Captain Jodie Litherland said that they had lost three players to Super League clubs after the last season in 2019 and they want to have the backing of a professional club so that they have the opportunity to join the top flight if the opportunity comes.

"We want to win the Championship and go all the way through to win the play-off final," she said.

"We want to make sure that if the opportunity comes to get into the Super League, we are considered, which is why we have affiliated ourselves with a professional club.

"Also, Barrow Raiders' community team have introduced Barrow Raiders Girls which is great, and we have been involved in that for a while sending a player and a coach to each session before Covid came along, so we will continue that once it restarts."

Litherland explained that the junior section sees girls and boys mix but there is a lack of options for girls playing rugby league once they reach their teens, so sees this as a great option for them to see a future playing and have a clear vision of being able to play at Craven Park.

They are having open trials starting on March 30 at Craven Park for those interested in what the game is all about, which from Jodie says, is 'an exciting game' which is 'faster' and almost guarantees more tries due to the more open style to the game. For those who watch the rugby for the physicality and brutality, Litherland explained that is still 'absolutely' the case in the women's game.

Steve Neale, chairman at Barrow Raiders, was delighted to welcome them to the club. He said: "We are going to do everything we can to push this.

"If we can create that conveyor belt of talent for the women's game like we have with the men's that would be great.

"We want to row the women's game as much as possible."

Any double headers like the ladies' opening game against Keighley on May 16 will see great prices for fans to watch both the men's and the women's game in one day.