MORE than 14 months since our last fixture at the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium, we finally got on the field with a double-header with both our ladies' and men’s team defeating Keighley.
Of course we were still behind closed doors, but we managed to stream both games – and everyone we have talked to was very complimentary about our production and commentators.
As a club we are big believers in getting our product out there, and the more people that can see what’s on offer at Ladies Championship and Men’s League One level the more chance we have of turning them into attending spectators.
It is criminal that so few games have made the TV in recent years, but for me there is an exciting, marketable product beneath Super League.
It is for this reason that we have paid for the Ourleague production costs for our visit to Hunslet. This means that our season ticket holders will again be able to access the game for free and we will once again be streaming to our marquee.
Sunday promises to be a treat for local rugby league followers with the very first post lockdown game with crowds is our Barrow Raiders Ladies team versus Leigh Ladies kicking off at 2pm.
We have tried our best to promote the team and make them feel as professional as possible and we hope that we have created enough buzz about the team to entice a decent sized crowd.
We are hoping that we can put some League One crowds to shame and for us to brag to the RFL about all the good things happening for the Raiders Ladies.
The admission cost is only £3, and you will not be disappointed if you attend. If you simply want to come to our marquee to watch the men’s game or simply for a drink, we will allow free admission from half time onwards.
The following weekend sees the first crowd for our men’s team, and we are hoping for a bumper crowd for the visit of North Wales Crusaders.
We have worked closely with our council and have worked out our Covid capacity based on the surface area of the terracing. The restrictions have eased somewhat this week so people can stand in bubbles of up to 30 people which helps the capacity further.
We are delighted that we have agreed a figure around the 3,000 mark which allows us to fully promote the game as our average attendance was half that mark for our last full season.
There is a determination to grow the crowds and even for the two games with restrictions we can market the games strongly. We obviously ask that our fans are sensible with the Covid protocols still in place.
This is the reason we have online ticketing so that all 'track and trace' information is obtained upfront to eliminate queues and allow people in quickly.
The latest guidance has an exemption for sports grounds in terms of mandating table service for food and drink, so while queuing is allowed, we ask that people show respect to other bubbles. Our stewards will be there to remind you of your responsibilities.
After the game we are hoping that the Super Sunday attracts more numbers to our marquee and pitch and there will be a swift operation to turn ourselves into a beer garden.
It would be great if most of the people in the ground were our fans and they stayed with us for the evening.
We are incredibly busy but busy is good – and I can’t thank all of our staff and volunteers enough for all their efforts.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here