Barrow Raiders WSL

[the man]

Super proud of our first season in the top flight. The victory over Huddersfield secured 5th place which is probably more than we hoped, with survival and something to build on being our initial goal.

The Challenge Cup tie with Wigan, when we were denied victory with a try chalked off for a forward pass on the final play of the match, gave us confidence and there have been many highlights. We were drawing at half-time at Wigan in the opening league game, we beat York in the second half at home and Leeds Rhinos were pushed all the way at home. There were only two real blow-outs at Headingley and home to St.Helens but we learnt from those games and bounced back quickly.

To win the mini-league with Huddersfield, Warrington and Featherstone was a great achievement given that those three clubs were a distance ahead of Barrow Raiders when the professional club got involved in 2021. The plan was always to get to Super League and grow women's rugby league in Cumbria and we were often in Tom Brindle's ear to make sure the pathways stayed open.

We have no open-age community clubs in the area but things are starting to happen. Thanks to our Foundation there are now 5 touch rugby teams and some of these players have found their way into our reserve side. 

We are onboard with the u15 and u16 pathway to performance programme and the first of these session start this week after a successful trial in August. We have attracted girls from West Cumbria too so hopefully this is the start of a conveyor belt of new talent that can eventually add to the strength of the Barrow team and who knows, the England team.

There are a couple of junior teams at Hindpool and Barrow Island that hopefully will also feed into the pathway.

Our next step is to have a similar trial for u19s with a view to building up numbers and forming a WSL team. With no solid foundations it is important we don't throw the girls in too quickly to the u19 WSL and the RFL have recognised that we can join when we are ready.

The club is 100% behind women's rugby and try to treat the ladies team equally with the men.

As a club and a game we now have to try to increase crowds, increase our sponsorship portfolio and hopefully become attractive to a broadcaster.

We need to use the England team more as this is the biggest failing in the men's game. If we can get the international game right then the knock on effect for the clubs could be huge. 

 

[RigbyLuger]

You're putting some of the men's Super League clubs to shame. More power to you!!!

[The Blues Ox]

To finish above those teams mentioned and especially Huddersfield who have a few paid players on the books is massive and a great achievment. Personally I feel it would be a mistake to go down the 19's route as a lack of players in the area would hurt community clubs badly by taking 25 players out of the coummunity but its also an opportunity to grow the game and work with community teams properly which a lot of SL clubs do not do only thinking they exist to provide them with players.

 

Edit: I think its 25 maximum for SL squads next year but unlimited for 19's.

Edited September 10 by The Blues Ox

[the man]

2 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

To finish above those teams mentioned and especially Huddersfield who have a few paid players on the books is massive and a great achievment. Personally I feel it would be a mistake to go down the 19's route as a lack of players in the area would hurt community clubs badly by taking 25 players out of the coummunity but its also an opportunity to grow the game and work with community teams properly which a lot of SL clubs do not do only thinking they exist to provide them with players.

 

Edit: I think its 25 maximum for SL squads next year but unlimited for 19's.

Our issue is that there are no community clubs running teams in the area so there are no community clubs to hurt, and we are literally going to have to start from scratch. If we get an U19s up and running then hopefully those players who don't make the WSL grade will get opportunities at open age with community teams if they are forward thinking enough to form women's teams.

The area is waking up to women's rugby but we are some way behind. I think the touch teams that are being formed are a good introduction for players, just hope that a couple of clubs have enough numbers for a contact team in the not too distant future.

It is 25 max for SL next year and 25 max for U19s. The U19s can play a few (4 i think) games for the the WSL team before they have to be formally transferred to the senior squad.

[WRLFan]

Thoroughly enjoyed Barrow this year with Leeds

Stayed over Saturday night for a few beers and then warmly welcomed at the game on Sunday

Warrington & Hudds need to hang their heads in shame with their choice of venues for their home games. 
 

Looking forward to visiting again next year  

[unapologetic pedant]

6 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

Personally I feel it would be a mistake to go down the 19's route as a lack of players in the area would hurt community clubs badly by taking 25 players out of the coummunity but its also an opportunity to grow the game and work with community teams properly which a lot of SL clubs do not do only thinking they exist to provide them with players.

"Bulldogs are proud to announce the club's newest NRLW signing, Latishe Smythe - who will become the first female player to progress from the Canterbury-Bankstown District Junior Rugby League through to the NRLW"

"The Greenacre Tigers junior has risen through the Bulldogs representative pathways at a meteoric rate"

"We're thrilled to have her join the squad and don the Bulldogs badge that she has worn since she was in the local junior league"

Obvious qualification that Aussie clubs possess greater advantages. Not least, resources.

However, reason for posting the above is that tensions over priorities are a regular and inevitable feature of relationships between JRL clubs and parent NRL franchise. Nonetheless, this formal junior league and junior rep system delivers the best results.

Evidence also from many junior leagues in Oz that emphasis on non-contact forms is effective at spreading the net, embedding RL participation into the social life of communities. Good to hear from the OP about Touch in the Barrow area. League Tag would enable juniors to grow up playing a form more closely resembling Tackle RL.