The Championship Promotion Final will take place on Sunday 13 October where Swinton Lions will host Hunslet RLFC for the final spot in the 2025 Betfred Championship.
Swinton, who finished 12th place in the regular season, are fighting for survival, while Hunslet, who were crowned Betfred League One Play-Off Final winners last weekend, now find themselves 80 minutes away from promotion to the second tier.
Hunslet will travel to Heywood Road to face the Lions, which will be streamed live on The Sportsman, and will be looking to make it four Play-Off wins on the spin.
Dean Muir’s men had initially lost their Play-Off opener against Rochdale Hornets, before beating Midlands Hurricanes and facing the Hornets again in the semi-finals - and winning.
They then booked their place in the Play-Off Final where they went on to stun favourites Keighley Cougars with an emphatic 6-20 victory away at Cougar Park.
Now on the road again, Sunday’s game is ultimately their biggest test yet, with the prize of promotion the end result.
Arguably the outsiders to win the League One Play-Offs from fourth, Hunslet have shown sheer belief and determination to reach the Promotion Final and will be ready for a bruising contest.
The West Yorkshire side haven’t experienced life in the second tier since 2013 but will be hoping they can change this once and for all and continue their momentum in what has been a lengthy journey to reach the final stage.
The Lions have fluctuated between the second and third tiers in recent years and have struggled with consistency in 2024 - managing nine wins in what has been an incredibly tight Championship competition this year.
Swinton come into this game on the back of two losses but have overall enjoyed some memorable victories against some of the league’s heavyweights, such as Featherstone, Sheffield, Widnes and Toulouse.
The two side last met in 2022 when they both competed in League One, with Swinton running out 38-12 victors at Heywood Road.
Will history repeat itself and the Championship team prove too strong? Or will we see a new side promoted in 2025? It's all to play for with tensions set to be at an all-time high!
With Whitehaven and Dewsbury already relegated to League One and Oldham promoted, there is just one place remaining - as the Championship becomes a 13-team division for one season only in 2025...
Championship Promotion Final:
Swinton Lions v Hunslet RLFC, Sunday 13 October, (K.O. 7:30pm) (live on The Sportsman)
