YORK Valkyrie will begin the defence of their Betfred Women’s Super League title with a trip to Wigan Warriors.

Lindsay Anfield’s side will kick off the new season at Robin Park on Friday, May 16 (5:30pm) in a match broadcast live on Sky Sports.

2024 marked a resurgent season for Wigan under Denis Betts, who guided them to a fourth-placed finish before they were defeated by St Helens in the play-offs.

They beat the Valkyrie 18-10 at the LNER Community Stadium in July, but York battled to a 16-12 victory at a rain-soaked Leigh Miners Rangers in the reverse fixture in September.

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Anfield’s side will begin their home campaign against another play-off hopeful, Leeds Rhinos, on May 25 (12pm).

The Rhinos inflicted a first home league defeat on the Valkyrie in almost two years when they triumphed 16-10 in May, but York emphatically responded to take the spoils in a 32-6 victory at Headingley in September.

The sides then met in the play-off semi-finals, when converted tries from Kelsey Gentles and Savannah Andrade proved enough as the Valkyrie ran out 12-10 winners to book their place in the Grand Final.

St Helens are the next visitors to the LNER Community Stadium on June 1 in a repeat of this year's Grand Final.

The Valkyrie then head on the road to newly-promoted Leigh Leopards (June 15), Huddersfield Giants (June 22) and Warrington Wolves (June 29).

A run of five consecutive home games then follows, with Anfield's side hosting Leigh (July 13), Barrow Raiders (July 20) and Wigan (August 17) in double-headers with York Knights.

They close out August with a trip to St Helens, before heading on the road to Barrow and closing out their regular season with a mouth-watering clash against Leeds at Headingley.

The 2025 BWSL campaign will have 14 rounds, concluding on the weekend of September 13-14.

The top four sides will the contest the play-offs on September 21 for a place in the Grand Final on Sunday, October 5, which will be hosted at the home ground of the highest-ranked club.

York Valkyrie's 2025 Betfred Women's Super League fixtures:

  • May 16 - Wigan Warriors (A)
  • May 25 - Leeds Rhinos (H)
  • June 1 - St Helens (H)
  • June 15 - Leigh Leopards (A)
  • June 22 - Huddersfield Giants (A)
  • June 29 - Warrington Wolves (A)
  • July 13 - Leigh Leopards (H)
  • July 20 - Barrow Raiders (H)
  • July 27 - Huddersfield Giants (H)
  • August 17 - Warrington Wolves (H)
  • August 24 - Wigan Warriors (H)
  • August 30 - St Helens (A)
  • September 7 - Barrow Raiders (A)
  • September 14 - Leeds Rhinos (A)