The 2023 Betfred Women’s Super League regular season ended with a record-breaking weekend of attendances.
Featherstone Rovers, Leigh Leopards and York Valkyrie each set a new record for a stand-alone home fixture on Sunday afternoon, and with Leeds Rhinos recording a crowd of 2,402 for their match against Wigan Warriors which was played as the first part of a double header at Headingley on Saturday, there was an aggregate of more than 6,000 across the five fixtures which submitted attendances.
Thomas Brindle, the BWSL General Manager, said: “It’s been another season of progress for Women’s and Girls’ Rugby League in many ways, with the historic first of playing the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in August – and having such a strong set of attendances on the last weekend of the regular season is a great way to go into the Play-Offs.
“York Valkyrie created another excellent occasion at the LNER Community Stadium as they were presented with the League Leaders’ Shield for the second consecutive season, and are already promoting another big home match against Wigan in the first round of the Play-Offs on Saturday week.
“St Helens continue to show their commitment to their Women’s team by hosting matches at the Totally Wicked Stadium where they have developed a loyal support, and they also have an attractive home Play-Off against Leeds Rhinos on September 23 – with both of the Group 1 Play-Offs to be shown live on Sky Sports.
“The fact that Featherstone Rovers and Leigh Leopards also attracted record stand-alone crowds for their Group 2 fixtures on Sunday shows the growing depth of the BWSL, which is one of the reasons we took the decision to expand the top tier to eight clubs next season.
“Congratulations to Featherstone for securing the first promotion place, and we can now look forward to an intriguing battle to join them.”
Featherstone will be presented with the Group 2 League Leaders’ Shield at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday week, September 23, at half-time of their Men’s team’s last home game of the regular Betfred Championship season against Widnes Vikings.
The semi finals of the Group 2 Promotion Play-Offs will be played on the same weekend, with Amanda Wilkinson’s Barrow Raiders hosting Bradford Bulls at Craven Park from midday before their men face York Knights on Sunday September 24, and Leigh Leopards returning to Twist Lane to host Salford Red Devils at 2pm on the same day.
The winners of those matches will then clash in the Promotion Play-Off Final on Sunday October 8 – and that game will be shown live on Our League from midday, before Sky Sports coverage of the Grand Final at 3pm.
Betfred Women’s Super League Play-Offs
Group One – Saturday September 23 – live on Sky Sports
York Valkyrie v Wigan Warriors (330pm, LNER Community Stadium)
St Helens v Leeds Rhinos (6pm, Totally Wicked Stadium)
Grand Final, Sunday October 8, 3pm, live on Sky Sports
Group Two – Sunday September 24
Barrow Raiders v Bradford Bulls (Midday, Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium)
Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils (2pm, Twist Lane)
Promotion Final, Sunday October 8, Midday, live on Our League
