Rugby League Super 8s

Last updated
Rugby League Super 8s
Current season or competition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2018 Super 8s
Sport Rugby league
Instituted2015
Ceased2018
Number of teams39
CountryFlag of England.svg  England
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada (RFL)
HoldersSuper League
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
Qualifiers
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves
Championship Shield
ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique
Broadcast partner Sky Sports
BBC Sport (Highlights)

The Rugby League Super 8s are a feature of the British rugby league system. Between 2015 and 2018 they were played in the top three professional divisions. Following the completion of the regular season home-and-away fixtures in the Super League, the Championship and League One, teams split into smaller divisions of eight based on their finishing positions on the league table; the teams then played an additional fixture against each of the seven other teams in their division to determine the final standings.

Contents

The Super 8s were scheduled to return from the 2025 season and determine promotion and relegation between the Championship and League One. [1] However, in August 2025 the Rugby Football League decided to merge the Championship and League One from 2026 and the Super 8s were therefore no longer needed. [2]

Regular season

Super League

The Super League season sees teams play each other home and away, and one team for a third time at the Magic Weekend. After 23 games, the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 8 will play 7 more games each as they compete in the Super League Super 8 group for a place in the Grand Final. Teams finishing in the bottom four will join the top 4 teams from the Championship in The Qualifiers Super 8 group and also play 7 more games each for a place in the next years Super League competition.

PositionQualification
1Super League Super 8s
2Super League Super 8s
3Super League Super 8s
4Super League Super 8s
5Super League Super 8s
6Super League Super 8s
7Super League Super 8s
8Super League Super 8s
9The Qualifiers
10The Qualifiers
11The Qualifiers
12The Qualifiers

Championship

The Championship season sees teams play each other home and away, and one team for a third time at The Summer Bash. After 23 games, the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 4 will play 7 more games each as they compete in the Qualifiers to try and earn a place in next seasons Super League. Teams finishing in the bottom 8 compete in the Championship Shield Super 8 group and also play 7 more games each.

PositionQualification
1The Qualifiers
2The Qualifiers
3The Qualifiers
4The Qualifiers
5Championship Shield
6Championship Shield
7Championship Shield
8Championship Shield
9Championship Shield
10Championship Shield
11Championship Shield
12Championship Shield

Super League Super 8s

After 23 games the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into 2 of the 3 "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 8 go on to play 7 more games each, to compete for a place in the play-offs, and all retain a place in Super League for the next season. Teams finishing in the bottom four (9-12) will compete alongside the top 4 teams from the Championship, in "The Qualifiers" Super 8 group. These teams will reset their season standings and also play 7 extra games each, as they attempt to earn a place in the following year's Super League competition.

Super League

PositionQualification
1League Leaders/
Play-off Place
2Play-off Place
3Play-off Place
4Play-off Place
5Season Complete
6Season Complete
7Season Complete
8Season Complete

Play-Offs

  • 1st vs 4th
  • 2nd vs 3rd

Grand final

StadiumLocationCountryHighest attendanceAverage attendance
Old Trafford Trafford, Greater ManchesterEngland73,58163,352

The Qualifiers

The Qualifiers Super 8s sees the bottom 4 teams from Super League table join the top 4 teams from the Championship. The points totals are reset to 0 and each team plays 7 games each, playing every other team once. After 7 games each the teams finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will gain qualification to the next years Super League season. The teams finishing 4th and 5th will play in the "Million Pound Game" at the home of the 4th place team which will earn the winner a place in the next years Super League; the loser, along with teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, will be relegated to the Championship.

PositionQualification
1Super League Place
2Super League Place
3Super League Place
4 Million Pound Game
5 Million Pound Game
6Championship Place
7Championship Place
8Championship Place

Results

YearSuper League PlaceChampionship Place
2015 HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers
Widnes colours.svg Widnes Vikings
Redscolours.svg Salford Red Devils
Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls
Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles
Faxcolours.svg Halifax
Leigh colours.svg Leigh Centurions
2016 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
Leigh colours.svg Leigh Centurions
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants
Redscolours.svg Salford Red Devils
HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos
Batley colours.svg Batley Bulldogs
Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers
2017 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves
HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers
Widnes colours.svg Widnes Vikings
Catalanscolours.svg Catalans Dragons
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos
Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers
Faxcolours.svg Halifax
Leigh colours.svg Leigh Centurions
2018 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers
Redscolours.svg Salford Red Devils
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos
New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg Toronto Wolfpack
ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique
Widnes colours.svg Widnes Vikings
Faxcolours.svg Halifax

Million Pound Game

The Million Pound Game is a promotion play-off in the Qualifiers between the teams finishing 4th and 5th. The game is played at the ground of the team finishing 4th and the winner earns a place in the next season's Super League while the loser plays the next season in the Championship.

Winners

WinnersCountYears
1 HKRcolours.svg Hull Kingston Rovers 12015
2 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 12016
3 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 12017
4 Redscolours.svg Salford Red Devils 12018

Championship Shield

The third of the three "Super 8" groups sees teams finishing 5th to 12th in the regular Championship table. Like the Super League 8s, these teams retain their original points and play 7 extra games, with the teams finishing in the top 4 places after these extra games contesting play-offs similar to Super League, with 1st v 4th and 2nd vs 3rd, with the winners contesting the Championship Shield Grand Final.

The two teams finishing at the bottom of this Super 8s group (7th and 8th) will be relegated to League One and be replaced by two promoted sides.

PositionQualification
1Play-off Place
2Play-off Place
3Play-off Place
4Play-off Place
5Season Complete
6Season Complete
7Relegated
8Relegated

Winners

YearWinnerScoreRunner upVenueAttendance
2015 Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 36–4 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos Halton Stadium 4,179
2016 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 27–16 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles Odsal Stadium 3,518
2017 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse 44–14 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles Stade Ernest-Argelès
2018 Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 42–10 Leigh colours.svg Leigh Centurions Post Office Road

See also

References

  1. "RFL confirms Championship and League One to contain 12 teams from 2026". BBC Sport. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  2. "RFL: Championship and League One to merge into one league for 2026". BBC Sport. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.