2025 RFL League One
| 2025 Betfred League One | |
|---|---|
| League | League One |
| Duration | 23 February – 12 October 2025 |
| Teams | 11 (10 from 2 April) |
| 2025 | |
| Withdrew | Cornwall |
The 2025 RFL League One is a professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom and the third tier of the sport for Rugby Football League (RFL) affiliated clubs. The sponsors for the league are the bookmakers, Betfred and the league continues to be known as the Betfred League One.
Eleven teams were due to compete in the league playing 20 matches each over 22 rounds in the regular season. On 2 April, after four rounds had been played, Cornwall announced that the club were withdrawing from the league with immediate effect and would not be fulfilling their remaining fixtures.[1]
Cornwall's membership of the RFL was terminated on 2 May and the club's three results for 2025 expunged.[2] The competition will continue as a 10 club league with each team playing 18 games.[3]
Team changes
The league had increased in size from 2024 with 11 teams competing, up from nine in 2024. At the end of the 2024 season Dewsbury Rams, Swinton Lions and Whitehaven were relegated from the Championship replacing Oldham and Hunslet who won promotion. Goole Vikings were admitted to the league, the first new team since Cornwall in 2022.
Structure changes
Until 2023 promotion and relegation was on a 2-up, 2-down basis between the Championship and League One but was subject to a review of the league structure.[4]
In March 2024 the RFL completed the review and announced that the first steps will be taken to equalise the number of teams in the Championship and League One at 12 each by the start of the 2026 season. Following the 2-up, 3-down system in 2024, 2025 will see the return of the Super 8s format with the top four teams in League One meeting the bottom four teams in the Championship to decide which division those clubs will play in for 2026.[5] The Super 8s will comprise four rounds with each League One club playing the four clubs from the Championship, two at home and two away. After the four rounds have been completed, the top two teams will automatically qualify to play in the 2026 Championship. The teams finishing third and fourth will play each other to decide which teams gets the final place in the Championship. The losers of this match and the teams finishing fifth to eighth will play in League One in 2026.[6]
Rule changes
Three rule changes are brought in for 2025:[7]
- Kick chasers will only be offside if they are influencing the play rather than automatically being offside for being within 10 metres.
- Drop-outs that fail to travel 10 metres or go out on the full result in a play-the-ball rather than a penalty.
- Attacking players as well as defending players can be green-carded if play has to be stopped due to an injury. Previously only defending players could be green-carded.
Clubs
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall (until 2 April) | Penryn | The Memorial Ground | 4,000 |
| Dewsbury Rams | Dewsbury | Crown Flatt | 5,100 |
| Goole Vikings | Goole | Victoria Pleasure Gardens | 3,000 |
| Keighley Cougars | Keighley | Cougar Park | 7,800 |
| Midlands Hurricanes | Birmingham | Alexander Stadium | 18,000 |
| Newcastle Thunder | Swalwell | Crow Trees Ground | 2,000 |
| North Wales Crusaders | Colwyn Bay | Eirias Stadium | 5,500 |
| Rochdale Hornets | Rochdale | Spotland Stadium | 10,249 |
| Swinton Lions | Sale | Heywood Road | 3,387 |
| Whitehaven | Whitehaven | Recreation Ground | 7,500 |
| Workington Town | Workington | Derwent Park | 10,000 |
Results
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Wales Crusaders | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 363 | 130 | +233 | 20 | Advance to Super 8s |
| 2 | Midlands Hurricanes | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 312 | 194 | +118 | 17 | |
| 3 | Swinton Lions | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 265 | 232 | +33 | 16 | |
| 4 | Workington Town | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 342 | 198 | +144 | 15 | |
| 5 | Dewsbury Rams | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 272 | 234 | +38 | 13 | |
| 6 | Rochdale Hornets | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 315 | 197 | +118 | 10 | |
| 7 | Whitehaven | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 242 | 230 | +12 | 9 | |
| 8 | Goole Vikings | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 201 | 272 | −71 | 8 | |
| 9 | Keighley Cougars | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 206 | 305 | −99 | 6 | |
| 10 | Newcastle Thunder | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 46 | 572 | −526 | 0 |
References
- ^ "Cornwall RLFC | Club Statement". Cornwall RLFC. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ "Betfred League One - Update". RFL. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ "RFL League 1 structure updated after Cornwall's withdrawal from sport". Love Rugby League. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Walker, Callum (21 November 2024). "Championship Summer Bash set to be scrapped as clubs learn structure fate". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Super 8s to return as part of overhaul of Championship rugby league plans". Love Rugby League. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Walker, Callum (26 November 2024). "Championship and League One 2025 fixtures released as key dates revealed and Super 8s play-off format introduced". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ "Captain's Challenge headlines four major law changes announced by RFL ahead of 2025". Love Rugby League. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.