Featherstone Rovers have released a statement addressing their “financial problems” after being confirmed as part of the 2026 Championship season.
Rovers and fellow financial strugglers Salford Red Devils have both been included in the Championship fixture list for 2026 with the second tier set to amalgamate into an expanded 21-team division.
That means each team will play 12 fixtures home and away for a total of 24 games, 20 of those being based on previous league position and a further four based on more local games, aimed at creating rivalries. For the Cumbrian sides in the division, that works really well, but for Featherstone, it’s left them with Hunslet RLFC and Goole Vikings.
They’ll open the season up away to Batley Bulldogs and conclude it at home to Hunslet with the season running from 18th January to 29th August, before a ten-team play-off commences.
Featherstone have now released a statement offering an update to supporters, many of whom will have feared that Rovers may not even compete in 2026.
Featherstone Rovers react to 2026 Championship fixture list inclusion
Taking to X shortly after the Championship fixtures were announced, Featherstone posted their update that read: “Rovers can confirm that the club has been included in the Betfred Championship fixtures for 2026, although the club is still currently in the process of working through it’s financial problems.
“We had hoped to have been able to provide an update before now but the process is taking longer than we had hoped as we continue to work with our professional advisors.
“The club is hoping this process can be concluded shortly and will provide more information as soon as it is able to.
“In the meantime, we can again confirm that we are aiming to have a team competing in the league and hope that fans will be eagerly looking at both home and away fixtures.”
The transparency in communication is something that will encourage fans though there’s little else to cling onto, bar the fact the club have been accounted for in the fixture list.
In mid-November, key figure Mark Campbell registered a new company with Companies House called Rovers 2026 LTD, possibly hinting that the current company will dissolve and reform in another guise.
— Featherstone Rovers (@FevRoversRLFC) December 2, 2025
