2025 RFL League One

Last updated

2025 Betfred League One
League League One
Duration23 February – 6 September 2025
Teams11 (10 from 2 April)
2025
Champions North Wales Crusaders
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.

Contents

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]

The season was the 22nd and final season of the third-tier competition as League One and the Championship merged at the end of the season.

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]

However, following the decision to expand Super League from 12 to 14 clubs from 2026, the decision was taken on 27 August 2025 to merge the Championship and League One competitions for 2026. The Super 8s therefore became redundant and were cancelled. [6]

Rule changes

Three rule changes are brought in for 2025: [7]

Clubs

Stadiums and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Cornwallrlfccolours.png Cornwall (until 2 April) Penryn The Memorial Ground4,000
Ramscolours.svg Dewsbury Rams Dewsbury Crown Flatt 5,100
Goolevikingscolours.png Goole Vikings Goole Victoria Pleasure Gardens3,000
Cougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougar Park 7,800
Midlandshurricanescolours.png Midlands Hurricanes Birmingham Alexander Stadium 18,000
Gthundercolours.svg Newcastle Thunder Swalwell Crow Trees Ground2,000
NWCrucolours.png North Wales Crusaders Colwyn Bay Eirias Stadium 5,500
Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Spotland Stadium 10,249
Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Lions Sale Heywood Road 3,387
Haven colours.svg Whitehaven Whitehaven Recreation Ground 7,500
Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Town Workington Derwent Park 10,000

Results

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1 NWCrucolours.png North Wales Crusaders 161303514192+32226Champions
2 Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Lions 181206385328+5724
3 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Town 161114454260+19423
4 Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets 16907493263+23018
5 Ramscolours.svg Dewsbury Rams 16817388306+8217
6 Midlandshurricanescolours.png Midlands Hurricanes 16817370289+8117
7 Goolevikingscolours.png Goole Vikings 167093173755814
8 Haven colours.svg Whitehaven 1761103563964013
9 Cougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars 1760113463924612
10 Gthundercolours.svg Newcastle Thunder 160016829048220
Updated to match(es) played on 24 August 2025. Source:

References

  1. "Cornwall RLFC | Club Statement". Cornwall RLFC. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  2. "Betfred League One - Update". RFL. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  3. "RFL League 1 structure updated after Cornwall's withdrawal from sport". Love Rugby League. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  4. Walker, Callum (21 November 2024). "Championship Summer Bash set to be scrapped as clubs learn structure fate". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. "Super 8s to return as part of overhaul of Championship rugby league plans". Love Rugby League. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  6. "RFL: Championship and League One to merge into one league for 2026". BBC Sport. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  7. "Captain's Challenge headlines four major law changes announced by RFL ahead of 2025". Love Rugby League. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.