Championship and League One fixtures revealed

The Championship and League One fixtures have been announced, as well as a big rule change.

The second and third tiers will be introducing Golden Point in 2020, but in a different way to Super League, as both teams would take a point if it was a draw after 80 minutes. The team that then wins in Golden Point is given an extra point.

Championship

The fixtures themselves see the Championship season start on Friday January 31 as Dewsbury Rams welcome Leigh Centurions to Tetley’s Stadium for an 7.30pm kick off.

Toulouse will then play their first game at the Stade Ernest Walton on the Saturday, as they welcome York City Knights, in a repeat of last years 2nd versus third clash.

Bradford are at home first, as they start their groundshare with Dewsbury with a home match against recently relegated London Broncos.

Newly-promoted sides Whitehaven and Oldham both start the season at home as they face Swinton Lions and Widnes Vikings respectively.

The round finishes with a West-South Yorkshire derby as Halifax welcome Sheffield Eagles.

Good Friday sees all 14 sides in action, most are repeats of the Summer Bash fixtures, with the exception of Bradford against Halifax, Featherstone against Sheffield and York against Whitehaven.

However, unlike the Super League, they will still play two games in a week, but it is a bit more spread out.

On Easter Monday, Whitehaven take on Leigh and Widnes welcome Bradford. There is then one game on the Tuesday as Swinton welcome London.

Most games in that round are then on the Wednesday as Dewsbury welcome York, Halifax welcome Batley, Toulouse welcome Featherstone and Sheffield entertain Oldham. All are evening kick offs.

There will also be another double header at Leeds Rhinos as Bradford will take on Dewsbury prior to Leeds’ game against Wakefield Trinity.

The final weekend starts on September 7 with Featherstone hosting Toulouse at the LD Nutrition Stadium, then on the Sunday, Bradford welcome Widnes,  Leigh welcome Dewsbury, Oldham welcome London, Sheffield welcome Whitehaven, Swinton welcome Halifax, and York welcome Batley.

League One

The League One season starts a little later on February 15 as Newcastle Thunder welcome West Wales Raiders. Then the following day, North Wales Crusaders welcome Doncaster, Coventry Bears welcome recently relegated Rochdale Hornets, Keighley Cougars welcome Hunslet and Workington Town face off against London Skolars.

The other side relegated from the Championship, have a bye week, but play their first game in week two against Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium.

This season, League One will adopt the same Easter schedule as the Super League, as they will only play one round that weekend.

There are some mouth-watering fixtures as well on Good Friday. Barrow welcome Workington in a Cumbria derby, Doncaster welcome Hunslet in a Yorkshire derby, then its North West England against North Wales as Rochdale welcome the Crusaders and two southern teams go head-to-head as Coventry welcome London.

The round finishes on the Sunday as Newcastle welcome Keighley with West Wales getting the bye.