BBC to show first game of Women’s Rugby League season

Drew Darbyshire 08 Mar 2022 8:27 AM

Danielle Bush St Helens Women's Rugby League SWpix — Danielle Bush celebrates her try in the 2021 Women's Super League Grand Final (Photo: Allan McKenzie / SWpix)

The 2022 Women’s Rugby League season starts this weekend, with the BBC showing the first game of the Challenge Cup on Saturday.

BBC sport will show the first women’s game of 2022 when Challenge Cup holders St Helens travel to Barrow Raiders Ladies. The BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website will show the game live from 2pm on Saturday.

It will be the first part of a Cumbrian double as BBC Sport will also cover the men’s Challenge Cup tie between Barrow and Workington the following day (1pm).

Saints, who won the treble in 2021, are one of 16 teams drawn into four groups of four teams in a Champions League-style format.

Elland Road will host the final on May 7 as part of a triple header including the men’s semi-finals. The Women’s Super League will begin later in May.

Thomas Brindle, the RFL’s head of growth: “Women’s Rugby League comes back stronger than ever in 2022 – and this announcement of live coverage on BBC Sport of St Helens launching their defence of the Challenge Cup at Barrow is a great start.

“We have more teams than ever participating in our flagship league and cup competitions in the north, more teams playing in the Betfred Women’s Super League South, and in the Under-11 to Under-16 age range we’ll have even more girls and more teams playing rugby league in 2022.”