Barrow Raiders has joined other rugby league teams across the county in opposing violence against women.

A social media competition is underway for teams to win a new kit, raising awareness of the problem of domestic abuse at the same time.

The competition began in July and is being supported by Cumbria’s Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (DPFCC) Mike Johnson, Deb Royston from Cumbria Family Support,  Cumbria Constabulary and representatives from the Rugby Football League.

Adele Neale, the club's sales and commercials manager, said: "It is extremely important for this narrative to be spoken about more, with most violence taking place out of view in homes.

"We want our players to stand shoulder to shoulder and make it clear that this is no longer acceptable in Cumbria and beyond."

Throughout the season, teams will be encouraged to post photos or videos to their social media channels with their members standing against the issue.

DPFCC Johnson said: "Violence against anyone is unacceptable but women and girls are overwhelmingly more likely to have to deal with some form of abuse at the hands of men – whether it is physical or not.

“This competition is a great opportunity for rugby league teams to get involved in the support of women and girls and use their platforms to call out their male fans, friends and family members who may be acting inappropriately with women that, if not stopped, could lead to violence."

The larger 'Call it Out Cumbria' initiative was kickstarted by the region's Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall in response to the death of Sarah Everard.

Following on from the Raiders' recent posting of a video as part of the campaign, Mrs Neale added that the 'tough guy' personas of the players will help accentuate the point they are making.

"While it is a competition, we as a club aren't getting involved to win the free shirts," she explained.

"In fact, we'd much rather it go to a grassroots club that would benefit from the donation a lot more than us."