The club play home games at Craven Park and compete in the Championship, the second tier of British rugby league.

Traditionally the club's home colours are blue and white and main rivals are fellow semi-professional Cumbrian teams Whitehaven and Workington Town.

Early practice matches games were played in "a field loaned by a local farmer" as well as the Parade Ground and the aforementioned Cavendish Park.

At the 1883 annual general meeting, Cavendish Park got the vote over the Parade Ground as a permanent home on account of its better playing surface.

[citation needed] In 1908, the club nearly doubled their attendance record to 12,000 in a third round Challenge Cup match against Hunslet.

In 1929, it had been realised that rugby league in Barrow was approaching a precarious period, as the attendances at Little Park were gradually decreasing.

The directors made an appeal to the town, and approached the mayor, Alderman John Whinnerah who was to be an ardent supporter.

Their last appearance at Wembley Stadium was in 1967, where they were strongly tipped to win the Challenge Cup final again, but were beaten by Featherstone Rovers 17–12.

He built a side which won the Second Division championship in 1975–76 and reached a John Player Trophy final in 1981 only to lose 5–12 to Warrington.

After the end of the 2007 season, Paul Crarey controversially resigned from Barrow Raiders, after guiding them to a second successive play-off position.

Barrow had initially lined up former Widnes coach Steve McCormack to take over until he received an offer of a position with Super League club Hull KR.

On Thursday 2 November 2007 Barrow Raiders announced that former player Welsh-born Aussie Dave Clarke would take over, with Dean Marwood as his assistant.

On 5 April 2009, a crowd of 6275 watched Barrow play Super League club Wigan in the best attended match in recent years.

On 31 August 2009, after just 6 weeks in charge, Steve Deakin left the club and Dave Clarke reclaimed the head coach role, leading the club to the 2009 Co-Op Championship league leaders trophy and a grand final appearance versus Halifax.

Barrow's application to join the then franchised Super League, after their Championship Grand Final win in 2009, was rejected early in the 2011 season as it was deemed the club did not the meet minimum requirements.

With 6 games to go in July Barrow sacked Nigel Wright and appointed former player Dave Clarke as their manager for the rest of the season.

The on-field problems were matched by off-field difficulties, with the club accused of breaking salary cap rules.

[9] Their chairman, Des Johnston was banned from any involvement with Rugby League for 8 years[10] and 29 points were deducted for the 2011 season, relegating them to the Co-operative Championship 1.

At the end of the 2017 season, Barrow secured promotion back to the Championship with a 10–6 play-off win against 2nd place Cumbrian rivals Whitehaven.

[13] Barrow achieved a better than expected start to the 2018 season with strong results on the field including holding League favourites Toronto to a draw.

For the second time in just over 5 years, chairman David Sharpe announced significant short term cash flow issues.

[10][15] Steve Neale replaced Sharpe as chairman stating that there was a "bright future for the club" after raising short term funds.

[17] After relegation from the Championship in 2019, Barrow started their return to life in League 1 with a 32–22 victory over Doncaster on 1 March 2020.

[18] On 16 March the structure and timing of the competition was placed in doubt as all rugby league games were suspended until 3 April at least as part of the United Kingdom's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

[23] In the 2021 RFL League 1 season, Barrow finished top of the table and were promoted back to the Championship.

After tipping more than 40,000 tons of fill onto the site previously a derelict Jute Works, reservoirs, railway tracks and mission hall the club moved their main stand from Little Park and built a new stand on Clive Street and officially moved in, in August 1931.

In February 1949, storms ripped the entire roof off the main stand and in the early 1950s concrete terracing replaced the old wooden railway sleepers.