Contentious play-off system returns as Championship and League One calendar locked in

The return of a contentious play-off system has been confirmed as the promotion and relegation method between the Championship and League One.

After last week’s Super League fixture launch and news this morning of the Round One and Round Two fixtures for both competitions, we’ve now had all the Championship and League One fixtures confirmed.

Atop that, we’ve also had confirmation of how promotion and relegation between the two divisions will work with a major change being implemented.

Whilst IMG grading dictates the composition of the Super League, promotion and relegation still exist between the Championship and League One, as evidenced last year when Swinton Lions lost to Hunslet in a play-off game that saw the Lions slip into League One.

It’s now been confirmed which play-off system they will have to go through if they’re to gain promotion.

The RFL have confirmed that promotion from League One and relegation from the Championship will be determined by a “Super Eight” competition where the bottom four of the second tier and top four of the third tier face off.

Currently, the Championship is a 13-team competition whilst League One boasts 11 teams but the ‘Super Eight’ system will rebalance that so that both divisions will align with Super League as 12-team competitions.

Championship and League One adopt new play-off structure

As the fixture launch was confirmed for the full season, so were the key dates for the calendar and that included confirmation of this ‘Super Eight’ competition.

An RFL statement confirmed: “Promotion and relegation between the Championship and League One will be determined by a “Super Eight” competition including the bottom four teams from the Championship, and the top four from League One.

“Each of the eight teams involved will play the four teams from the other competition – two at home, two away – over four weekends from September 21 to October 12, with the top two in the final table securing places in the 2026 Betfred Championship, and the bottom four confirmed to play in Betfred League One.

“The teams finishing third and fourth in the Super Eight table will play off for the 12th and last place in the 2026 Betfred Championship at the home ground of the third-placed team on the weekend of October 19.”

It’s very similar to the Super 8s system that Super League employed between 2015 and 2018. The top eight in Super League would comprise the play-offs whilst the bottom four would join the top four of the Championship to form a mini-league.

The difference in that instance was that all teams would face each other once, four against the team from the other division and three against those from your own division. This new ‘Super Eight’ concept limits teams to playing against those in the opposing competition i.e. the bottom four Championship sides face the top four League One sides and vice versa.

It was under the Super 8s system that Hull KR suffered their relegation with the teams in 4th and 5th at the end of the seven games facing off in the Million Pound Game. This time around, teams in third and fourth will do battle for the 12th and final place in the Championship.

Key dates for the 2025 season

Another key point to note from the Championship and League One fixture list is that the format for the 1895 Cup has not been confirmed yet meaning those fixtures will have to be added at a later date. The below dates were confirmed by the RFL.

January 25-26 – Betfred Challenge Cup Second Round (Championship and League One clubs enter)
February 8-9 – Betfred Challenge Cup Third Round (Super League clubs enter)
March 15-16 – Betfred Challenge Cup Fourth Round (no Championship or League One fixtures)
September 20-21 – Betfred Championship Elimination Play-Offs; first round of Super Eights
September 27-28 – Betfred Championship Semi Finals; second round of Super Eights
October 4-5 – Betfred Championship Grand Final; third round of Super Eights
October 11-12 – Fourth round of Super Eights
October 18-19 – Super Eights 3^rd v 4^th Play-Off