BARROW Raiders will kick off the 2019 Betfred Championship season on the road with a trip to Batley Bulldogs.

The fixtures for next year's Championship, which has been expanded to 14 teams, were revealed this evening at 6pm and saw Paul Crarey's side handed a trip to Yorkshire on the opening weekend of the campaign.

Barrow's first home match of the season is against familiar opponents Sheffield Eagles, who they faced four times in all competitions during 2018 with each team winning two matches apiece, one week later on February 10.

Indeed, they are down to meet three times in the Championship in 2019, with the Raiders and Eagles pitted against each other in the Summer Bash at Blackpool, which is being held over the weekend of May 18 and 19, for the second year running.

The first meeting with one of the promoted sides comes in the third game of the season on February 17, when the Raiders head to League One champions York City Knights.

The first meeting of the year with League One play-off winners Bradford Bulls forms the second part of a tough Easter weekend double-header for Barrow.

That starts with a match at home to expected promotion contenders Toronto Wolfpack in the afternoon on Good Friday, followed by the trip to Odsal for the clash with the Bulls on Easter Monday.

Widnes Vikings, relegated from Super League this year, pay their first visit to Craven Park in the league since 2011 on March 10 and the return fixture comes on June 9.

The campaign concludes with the trip to Canada to play Toronto on August 31 followed by the visit of Batley on September 8.

Barrow Raiders

2019 Betfred Championship fixtures

(3pm unless stated)

Sun Feb 3: Batley Bulldogs (A)

Sun Feb 10: Sheffield Eagles (H)

Sun Feb 17: York City Knights (A)

Sun Feb 24: Dewsbury Rams (H)

Sun Mar 3: Rochdale Hornets (A)

Sun Mar 10: Widnes Vikings (H)

Sat Mar 16 (3.30pm): Toulouse Olympique (A)

Sun Mar 24: Swinton Lions (H)

Mar 30-31: Challenge Cup round four

Sun Apr 7: Leigh Centurions (A)

Apr 13-14: Challenge Cup round five

Fri Apr 19: Toronto Wolfpack (H)

Mon Apr 22: Bradford Bulls (A)

Sun Apr 28: Featherstone Rovers (H)

Sun May 5: Halifax (A)

May 11-12: Challenge Cup round six

Sun May 19 (TBC): Sheffield Eagles (Summer Bash, Blackpool)

Sun May 25: Rochdale Hornets (H)

Jun 1-2: Challenge Cup quarter-finals

Sun Jun 9: Widnes Vikings (A)

Sun Jun 16: Halifax (H)

Sun Jun 23: Featherstone Rovers (A)

Sun Jun 30: Toulouse Olympique (H)

Sun Jul 7: Dewsbury Rams (A)

Sun Jul 14: Leigh Centurions (H)

Sun Jul 21 Swinton Lions (A)

Jul 27-28: Challenge Cup semi-finals

Sun Aug 4: York City Knights (H)

Sun Aug 11: Bradford Bulls (H)

Sun Aug 18: Sheffield Eagles (A)

Sat Aug 24: Challenge Cup final

Sat Aug 31 (1pm): Toronto Wolfpack (A)

Sun Sep 8: Batley Bulldogs (H)