The Betfred Championship returns for Round 11, with arguably the standout tie of the round being a tasty top of the table clash between Widnes Vikings and Wakefield Trinity on Sunday.
It’s 1st v 2nd as table toppers Wakefield Trinity travel across the Pennines to face the Vikings at the DCBL Stadium. Trinity remain unbeaten in the Championship competition and will be boosted by their emphatic Wembley win in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final last weekend, ending their 61-year wait for silverware at the famous venue.
Second placed Widnes, however, will be looking to register back-to-back wins and are undefeated at home in the Championship this season.
The side’s last met in 2019 in a Challenge Cup match, with their last league meeting being in a regular round of Super League in 2018. Trinity have won the last six meetings against the Vikings, but this will be their first ‘modern era’ meeting in the second tier.
But first, Saturday will see Doncaster make their first trip to Toulouse since 2016. The French side are aiming for a fifth successive win, while the Dons will be hoping to back up their gutsy draw against Whitehaven in Round 10 and put pressure on the teams above as they push for a Play-Off place.
It is Toulouse who have won all previous five meetings against the South Yorkshire side.
On Sunday, there’s plenty of action taking place in Cumbria, as Bradford travel to Whitehaven and Halifax make the trip to Barrow. Bradford haven’t lost away at Whitehaven since 1971, while Barrow and Halifax’s fixture showcased a series of interesting encounters last season.
It’s 3rd v 4th as Sheffield return home to face Featherstone, after they were unable to maintain their 100% winning streak at Wembley last weekend. The Rovers also enter this match on the back of a defeat, so both teams will be looking to bounce back at the first attempt.
Elsewhere, Swinton and Batley will go head-to-head in an exciting encounter at Heywood Road. The Bulldogs will look to make it three wins on the spin after a recent resurgence, and the Lions will also be boosted by their incredible win over Featherstone in Round 10.
Over in West Yorkshire, Dewsbury play hosts to York Knights – but who will climb further away from the bottom of the Championship table?
Betfred Championship Round 11 fixtures:
Toulouse Olympique v Doncaster RLFC
Barrow Raiders v Halifax Panthers
Sheffield Eagles v Featherstone Rovers
Whitehaven RLFC v Bradford Bulls
Swinton Lions v Batley Bulldogs
Widnes Vikings v Wakefield Trinity
Dewsbury Rams v York Knights
The full fixture list for the Betfred Championship and all of the relevant information and kick-off times can be found here.
Photo Credit: Swinton Lions
