A LADIES rugby team have been promoted to a Super League joining the expansion of the competition.

Barrow Raiders who finished first in Women’s rugby league Championship 2021, have been promoted to join the 10 Betfred Women’s Super League club – meaning the competition will have expanded by 200% since it was launched as a four-team Super League in 2017.

Barrow will be joined in Group two by Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers, Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves.

In addition, applications are being invited for a possible expansion of the Betfred Women’s Super League South – which kicked off in 2021 with six teams – and further expansion in the Midlands and North also in the pipeline for 2022. The continued growth reflects the vision of a full national pyramid by 2024, which was the long-term vision outlined in 2016 ahead of the launch of the BWSL.

Thomas Brindle, the BWSL General Manager, said: “The Betfred Women’s Super League, like Women’s and Girls’ Rugby League more generally, continues to be a good-news expansion story for the sport.

“Managing that growth provides challenges, and we have to be prepared to be flexible on occasions – as we were in recognising the issues relating to Covid-19 that contributed to a number of postponements in the 2021 season, leading to the decision to split the BWSL into two groups of five.

“Consultation with the clubs has confirmed a substantial majority in favour of building on that success, by maintaining BWSL as one competition split into two groups.