BWSL: Round 2 Preview

Leeds Rhinos and Featherstone Rovers will open Round 2 of the Betfred Women’s Super League with an exciting local derby, as the visitors look to make a statement against their West Yorkshire rivals (KO 2pm).

Lois Forsell’s side are unbeaten against Rovers since the sides first met in 2018 and look to continue their winning streak in their first home game of the 2026 season. 

Hoping Rovers can get their first win under their belt is former Rhinos player Beth MacMillan who joined the side earlier this year:

“It’s always good going up against a harder team, it shows how much you’ve improved over the pre-season.

“We’ve set our expectations and our goals for that game so as long as we stick to what we’ve agreed on we’ll be happy with the outcome regardless.”

MacMillan wasn’t with the squad last season as they topped the Northern Championship but has always been keen to get involved with the tight-knit Rovers side: 

“I wasn’t part of the team last year but I’ve seen how they’ve grown and they’ve been a squad who have been together for years now.

“It’s always a team that I’ve wanted to be a part of because they’ve stuck together through every single high and every low, it’s been great to be an addition to that sort of team environment, they’ve been amazing.”

Looking at the season ahead, MacMillan is excited for the opportunities to come and to help prove Rovers are worthy of a place in the top flight:

“For this season, as I’ve said, I’ve come in new so any game time that I do get I’ve got to take advantage of to prove my worth and prove why I’m still here playing rugby.

“I want to do well for the team. The team wants to stay in Super League, we don’t want to go backwards and be relegated.

“We want to win at least a few games, we know our goals and we know the teams that we need to beat so that we can stay in Super League and go again next season.” 

Also facing off on Saturday are Leigh Leopards and Huddersfield Giants whose last meeting ended in a thrilling 20-20 draw.

The Leopards will host the Giants at Leigh Miners Rangers as they look to capitalise on their first round form whilst Huddersfield hunt their first win in the competition (KO 2pm).

Rounding out Saturday’s games are York Valkyrie and St Helens in what is expected to be another closely contested clash (KO 5pm).

The pair have had a number of close encounters over the years with the Red V edging each of their last four meets by narrow margins.

Both teams opened their campaigns with victories in Round 1, but only one will carry an unbeaten record into the third week of fixtures.

The weekend’s final game sees Barrow Raiders host defending champions Wigan Warriors at Speed Competitions Stadium on Sunday (KO 12pm).

After opening their season with a victory on home turf, the Warriors will be looking to keep their winning streak alive as they also remain undefeated in the 2026 Betfred Challenge Cup.

BWSL Round 2 fixtures:

Saturday 23 May

Leeds Rhinos v Featherstone Rovers – AMT Headingley Stadium, KO 2pm

Leigh Leopards v Huddersfield Giants – Leigh Miners Rangers, KO 2pm

York Valkyrie v St Helens – LNER Community Stadium, KO 5pm

Sunday 24 May

Barrow Raiders v Wigan Warriors – Speed Competitions Stadium, KO 12pm