The Betfred Championship and League One fixtures are finally here, and if last season is anything to go by, then we can certainly expect the new season to provide heaps of entertainment!
The Championship and League One competitions will return with a bang, and with 2025 set to be one of the most exciting campaigns yet, we’ve compiled six standout rounds for fans to watch out for - as we prepare for another rollercoaster ride in the second and third tiers...
ROUND 1 (Opening round)
The season kicks off with a stand-alone match in France with last year’s Grand Finalists Toulouse Olympique hosting Widnes Vikings.
Brian Noble’s second stint as head coach of Bradford Bulls will begin with a home game against London Broncos in Round 1, while Oldham and Hunslet have attractive home opening fixtures following their promotion from Betfred League One.
Oldham will host Mark Applegarth’s high flying York Knights at Boundary Park, with Hunslet kicking off Barrow Raiders, who were last year’s survivors.
Then, there’s plenty of action occurring over in Yorkshire as Sheffield Eagles welcome Halifax Panthers, and Featherstone Rovers take on Doncaster.
In League One, the two relegated sides will face off – Swinton Lions host Whitehaven, and last season’s Play-Off participants Rochdale Hornets and Keighley Cougars will meet at the Crown Oil Stadium.
Meanwhile, Dewsbury begin their campaign at home to North Wales Crusaders and Cornwall will open their fourth League One season by making the 900-mile round trip to face Workington Town.
ROUND 6 (Good Friday Derby Days)
Round 6 is set to be a tasty one, with the return of the Cumbrian Derby as Workington and Whitehaven renew their rivalry in the third tier.
They have faced each other in the league since 2022 and last met in the 2024 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup competition with Whitehaven pipping a 28-22 win away at Workington.
Haven will once again travel to their neighbours on Good Friday, with Halifax host Bradford in a West Yorkshire clash.
And the local rivalry does not stop there with the South Yorkshire Derby between Sheffield and Doncaster once again this year, and Widnes taking on Oldham for the first time ever in the league.
ROUND 12 (The newly promoted clash)
Hunslet and Oldham will go head-to-head in the Championship, following their emphatic promotions to the second tier.
Sean Long’s men were crowned League One Champions back in August after finishing on 19 wins out of a possible 20, while Hunslet finished fourth in the regular season, before going on impressively win the league’s Play-Off competition and defeat Swinton 20-22 in the Promotion Final.
Oldham completed the double over Hunslet in 2024, although it could be a completely different story this time around with both clubs’ huge off-season recruitment drives.
Round 12 is almost halfway into the 2025 campaign, so it will be interesting to see where these two sides are at when they come up against each other in West Yorkshire.
The reverse leg will be played in Round 19 at the Roughyeds' Boundary Park.
ROUND 13 (2023 Championship Grand Final Rematch)
Toulouse and London will meet for the first time since their dramatic 2023 Championship Grand Final, in which London pulled off a shock 18-14 victory to earn promotion into Super League.
There’s been a shake up in squads since, but still a few familiar faces remain on either side who will meet again in Round 13.
While the Broncos were relegated from the Betfred Super League in 2024, Toulouse fell agonisingly short in the Championship Grand Final against Wakefield Trinity. Therefore, both teams will be looking to have successful seasons, in hope of finding their way back to that Final.
ROUND 16 (Goole v Keighley)
Newcomers Goole Vikings will be hoping to make their mark in League One this season, so we’ve picked out their home tie against Keighley Cougars as one to watch out for.
The Vikings, whose application was successfully approved to join the third tier in 2025, have made an eye-catching recruitment drive, including the likes of former Betfred Super League stars Jamie Shaul and Brett Ferres.
The Cougars, who finished second in the table in 2024, were unable to capitalise in the Play-Offs and will be hoping they can go one step further this year…
And with the new "Super Eights" concept to determine promotion and relegation between the second and third tiers, both sides will definitely be fancying their chances, with plenty of incentive offered in 2025.
ROUND 26 (Play-Off Potential)
The battle for the top six went to the final round last season – can we expect a similar story in 2025?
All will be on the line when the regular season reaches its finale – the final round will see a blockbuster contest between Bradford and Featherstone at Odsal – two of the Championship's heavyweights who finished in the Play-Offs last year, before meeting in the Eliminators.
Similarly, there's an encounter between Widnes and London, with last year's other top six teams, Sheffield and York, at home to Barrow and Batley respectively and Toulouse on the road to Hunslet.
Doncaster v Halifax then brings the regular season to its conclusion.
The full fixture lists can be found in the Rugby League Match Centre.
More information on 2025’s format can be found here.
