2026 Super League season

Last updated

2026 Super League season
League Super League
Duration26 rounds
Teams14
Broadcast partners
2026 Season
2027 

The 2026 Super League season, known as the 2026 Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the 31st season of the Super League and 132nd season of rugby league in Great Britain.

Contents

Hull KR are the defending champions, having beaten Wigan Warriors in the Grand Final, to win their first Super League title. [1]

Rule changes

Overseas quota

In July 2025, it was confirmed by the RFL that each Super League team's overseas player quota, limiting a team's maximum amount of registered players not trained by a Rugby League European Federation member club, would increase from seven to ten for the 2026 season. [2]

Structure changes

League expansion

From 2026, the Super League expanded to 14 teams. Teams 1-12 were decided by the current IMG promotion and relegation system, while teams 13 and 14 were chosen from the RFL Championship by an independent panel assessing teams who meet the minimum criteria. [3] At a meeting of all twelve Super League teams at the Headingley Rugby Stadium on 28 July 2025 to vote on the expansion proposal, nine voted to approve expanding the league, with only Hull KR and Hull FC voting against while Wigan Warriors abstained from the vote. [4]

Broadcasting

BBC Sport are broadcasting matches as well as match highlights in the final year of their three-year deal with the Super League, replacing Channel 4 as the league's free-to-air partner from 2024 season. [5] Ten games per season will be shown live on television, with a further five shown on iPlayer, the BBC's streaming platform.

Teams

The league consists of 14 teams, an increase of two from the previous season. The regular season consists of 26 rounds, a reduction of one from the previous season.

Hull KR will be the defending champions after winning the 2025 Grand Final. [1] Salford Red Devils, who finished bottom of the Super League table in 2025 following a season marred by financial difficulties, will be relegated to the 2026 RFL Championship after having not applied to join the Super League for 2026. [6] They will be replaced by 2025 RFL Championship semi-finalists Bradford Bulls, who were promoted to the Super League after achieving the highest IMG Grade B rating for 2025. [7] Bradford will also be joined by fellow Championship teams Toulouse Olympique and York Knights for the 2026 season, each achieving Grade B rankings. [8] [9]

France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Locations of 2026 Super League teams in France
Legend
 Reigning champions
 Previous season runners-up
 Previous season League Leaders
 Promoted
Team2025 positionGradingStadiumCapacityCity/Town
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 3rd in Championship (Promoted)B [8] Odsal Stadium 26,019 [10] Bradford, West Yorkshire
Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 11thB [8] Wheldon Road 12,000 [11] Castleford, West Yorkshire
Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons 9thA [8] Stade Gilbert Brutus 13,000 [12] Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants 10thB [8] Kirklees Stadium 24,121 [13] Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hullcolours.svg Hull FC 7thA [8] MKM Stadium 25,400 [14] Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
  HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers 1st (Champions)A [8] Sewell Group Craven Park 11,000 [15] Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 4th (Eliminated in Elim final)A [8] Headingley Rugby Stadium 21,062 [16] Leeds, West Yorkshire
Leigh colours.svg Leigh Leopards 3rd (Eliminated in SF)A [8] Leigh Sports Village 12,000 [17] Leigh, Greater Manchester
Saintscolours.svg St Helens 5th (Eliminated in SF)A [8] Totally Wicked Stadium 18,000 [18] St Helens, Merseyside
ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique 2nd in Championship (Promoted)B [8] Stade Ernest-Wallon 19,500 [19] Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France
Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 6th (Eliminated in Elim final)A [8] Belle Vue 9,333 [20] Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 8thA [8] Halliwell Jones Stadium 15,200 [21] Warrington, Cheshire
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 2nd (Grand Final runners up)A [8] Brick Community Stadium 25,133 [22] Wigan, Greater Manchester
YorkRLFCcolours.png York Knights 1st in Championship (Promoted)B [8] York Community Stadium 8,500 [23] York, North Yorkshire

Fixtures and results

Matches decided by golden point

If a match ends in a draw after 80 minutes, then a further 10 minutes of golden point extra time is played, to determine a winner (five minutes each way). The first team to score either a try, penalty goal or drop goal during this period, will win the match. However, if there are no further scores during the additional 10 minutes period, then the match will end in a draw. [24]

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 00000000Advance to Semi-finals
2 Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 00000000
3 Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons 00000000Advance to Eliminators
4 Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants 00000000
5 Hullcolours.svg Hull F.C. 00000000
6 HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers 00000000
7 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 00000000
8 Leigh colours.svg Leigh Leopards 00000000
9 Saintscolours.svg St Helens 00000000
10 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique 00000000
11 Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 00000000
12 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 00000000
13 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 00000000
14 YorkRLFCcolours.png York Knights 00000000
Source:

Player statistics

Top goal scorers

RankPlayerClubGoalsMissed GoalsDrop GoalsGoal Percentage %
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Top points scorers

RankPlayerClubPoints
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Discipline

Attendances

References

  1. 1 2 Freeman, Jay (11 October 2025). "Hull KR beat Wigan in Grand Final for historic treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  2. Ibbetson, Stephen (8 July 2025). "Super League set for increased overseas quota". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  3. Freeman, Jay (28 July 2025). "Super League to expand to 14 teams from 2026". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  4. Bower, Aaron (28 July 2025). "The three clubs who did not vote for Super League expansion revealed". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  5. "Super League: BBC to show live games for first time after signing three-year broadcast deal". BBC Sport. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  6. McAllister, Josh (15 September 2025). "Salford Red Devils back out of Super League application with candidates confirmed". All Out Rugby League. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  7. Freeman, Jay (16 October 2025). "Bradford replace Salford in Super League for 2026". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Olawumi, Ben (16 October 2025). "Ranking every club's IMG grading as Bradford's Super League return officially confirmed". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  9. Freeman, Jay (17 October 2025). "York and Toulouse to play in expanded Super League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  10. "Odsal Stadium". Worldstadia. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  11. "Contact". Castleford Tigers. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  12. "Gilbert Brutus Stadium". Catalans Dragons. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  13. "Welcome to The John Smith's Stadium". John Smith's Stadium. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  14. "Facilities". Hull FC. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  15. "Stadium". Hull Kingston Rovers. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  16. "The Stadium". Headingley Stadium Events. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  17. "More than just a stadium". Leigh Sports Village. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  18. "Totally Wicked Stadium". St Helens R.F.C. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  19. Gordon, James (13 August 2019). "Toulouse secure groundshare deal at 19,000 capacity Stade Ernest Wallon". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  20. "Events and Conferences". Wakefield Trinity. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  21. "The Halliwell Jones Stadium: home to Warrington's leading conference centre". Halliwell Jones Stadium. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  22. "Stadium Info". Wigan Warriors. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  23. "The Stadium". York Stadium Management Company. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  24. "Match Day Operations Manual" (PDF). Rugby Football League. 2024. p. 49. Retrieved 12 October 2025.