The 2024 RFL Championship, (officially known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons), is a professional rugby league club competition. The second tier of the British rugby league system comprises 14 clubs – 13 from England and one from France.
| 2024 Betfred Championship | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 14 |
| 2024 season | |
The season comprises 26 rounds in the regular season with the top six teams taking part in the play-offs to determine the champions.
Team changes edit
London Broncos won promotion to the Super League at the end of 2023 and are replaced by Wakefield Trinity who were relegated from Super League. Promoted from League 1 in 2023 are Dewsbury Rams and Doncaster who replace the 2023 relegated teams, Keighley Cougars and Newcastle Thunder.
Structure changes edit
There is no automatic promotion from the Championship to Super League at the end of the season. This is due to the introduction of the grading scheme where clubs are graded by a number of factors, not all based on on-field performance.[1]
The Summer Bash round which sees all the fixtures played at one location over a weekend has been dropped for 2024 following disappointing attendance figures for the 2022 and 2023 events which were played in Leeds and York respectively.[2]
Following a review of the league structure below Super League, the RFL announced that by the start of the 2026 season, the Championship and League 1 would be equalised in size at 12 teams each. The first step will be to reduce the Championship from 14 clubs to 13 at the end of the 2024 season. This will be achieved by the bottom two clubs being relegated to League 1 but only the League 1 champions being promoted. The team finishing third-bottom this season will play the team winning the League 1 play-offs for the 13th spot in the 2025 Championship.[3]
Rule changes edit
A number of changes have been introduced for 2024.[4]
The "six again" rule has been amended so that set restarts will only be awarded if the ball is in the defending team's half of the field. Infringements in the attacking team's half will result in a penalty to the attacking team.
The use of the 18th man will be allowed after two players (reduced from three) have failed head impact assessments or a player is unable to continue through injury (not just a head injury) resulting from foul play where the opposing player was sin-binned or sent-off. The use of the green card by the referee ordering injured players off the field for treatment will be discontinued in the Championship.
A team awarded a penalty at a scrum will have the option to reset the scrum instead of taking the penalty.
For disciplinary processes a category of "reckless tackle" has been introduced.[5]
On 26 February 2024, the RFL announced that changes would be made to the 'head on head contact' rule that was previously implemented to start the season. This came after Nu Brown of Super League club Hull FC was controversially shown a red card for a tackle during his sides match against Warrington Wolves.[6] The RFL stated that the rule will be amended, "emphasising that it applies only to initial contact".[7]
Clubs edit
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
 Barrow Raiders
|
Barrow-in-Furness | Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium | 6,000 |
 Batley Bulldogs
|
Batley | Mount Pleasant | 7,500 |
 Bradford Bulls
|
Bradford | Odsal Stadium | 22,000 |
 Dewsbury Rams
|
Dewsbury | Crown Flatt | 5,100 |
 Doncaster
|
Doncaster | Eco-Power Stadium | 15,231 |
 Featherstone Rovers
|
Featherstone | Millennium Stadium | 8,000 |
 Halifax Panthers
|
Halifax | The Shay | 10,401 |
 Sheffield Eagles
|
Sheffield | Olympic Legacy Park | 1,320 |
 Swinton Lions
|
Sale | Heywood Road | 3,387 |
 Toulouse Olympique
|
Toulouse | Stade Ernest-Wallon | 19,500 |
 Wakefield Trinity
|
Wakefield | DIY Kitchens Stadium | 9,333 |
 Whitehaven
|
Whitehaven | Recreation Ground | 7,500 |
 Widnes Vikings
|
Widnes | DCBL Stadium | 13,350 |
 York Knights
|
York | York Community Stadium | 8,005 |
Results edit
Table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wakefield Trinity
|
7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 252 | 72 | +180 | 14 | League Leaders Shield and qualify for semi-finals |
| 2 | Sheffield Eagles
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 224 | 98 | +126 | 12 | Semi-finals |
| 3 | Widnes Vikings
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 190 | 97 | +93 | 12 | Eliminators |
| 4 | Featherstone Rovers
|
7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 192 | 132 | +60 | 10 | |
| 5 | Bradford Bulls
|
7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 149 | 129 | +20 | 8 | |
| 6 | Toulouse Olympique
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 158 | 130 | +28 | 6 | |
| 7 | Swinton Lions
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 140 | 154 | −14 | 6 | |
| 8 | Doncaster
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 156 | 168 | −12 | 6 | |
| 9 | Whitehaven
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 133 | 189 | −56 | 6 | |
| 10 | Barrow Raiders
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 102 | 207 | −105 | 6 | |
| 11 | Batley Bulldogs
|
7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 109 | 154 | −45 | 4 | |
| 12 | Halifax Panthers
|
7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 94 | 199 | −105 | 4 | Play-off v League 1 play-off winners |
| 13 | York Knights
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 113 | 193 | −80 | 2 | Relegation to League One |
| 14 | Dewsbury Rams
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 115 | 205 | −90 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Competition points; 2) Points difference; 3) Points percentage (points scored/points conceded x 100)
Player statistics edit
Top 10 try scorers edit
| Rank | Player (s) | Club | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lachlan Walmsley
|
Wakefield Trinity
|
11 |
| 2 |  Connor Wynne
|
Featherstone Rovers
|
8 |
| 3 | Max Jowitt
|
Wakefield Trinity
|
7 |
| 4 | Kieran Gill
|
Bradford Bulls
|
6 |
 Maxime Stefani
|
Toulouse Olympique
| ||
| Josh Griffin
|
Wakefield Trinity
| ||
| Ryan Ince
|
Widnes Vikings
| ||
| 8 | Dale Morton
|
Batley Bulldogs
|
5 |
| James Glover
|
Sheffield Eagles
| ||
 Rhys Williams
|
Swinton Lions
| ||
| Luke Gale
|
Wakefield Trinity
|
Top 10 goal scorers edit
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Jowitt
|
Wakefield Trinity
|
37 |
| 2 | Cory Aston
|
Sheffield Eagles
|
32 |
| 3 | Tom Gilmore
|
Widnes Vikings
|
28 |
| 4 | Jordan Lilley
|
Bradford Bulls
|
23 |
| 5 | Connor Robinson
|
Doncaster RLFC
|
21 |
| 6 | Jake Carter
|
Whitehaven RLFC
|
18 |
| 7 | Jake Shorrocks
|
Toulouse Olympique
|
17 |
| 8 | Dec Patton
|
Swinton Lions
|
16 |
| 9 | Ryan Shaw
|
Barrow Raiders
|
14 |
| Callum Turner
|
Dewsbury Rams
| ||
| Louis Jouffret
|
Halifax Panthers
|
Top 10 point scorers edit
| Rank | Player | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Jowitt
|
Wakefield Trinity
|
102 |
| 2 | Cory Aston
|
Sheffield Eagles
|
76 |
| 3 | Tom Gilmore
|
Widnes Vikings
|
66 |
| 4 | Connor Robinson
|
Doncaster RLFC
|
54 |
| 5 | Jordan Lilley
|
Bradford Bulls
|
53 |
| 6 | Louis Jouffret
|
Halifax Panthers
|
44 |
| Lachlan Walmsley
|
Wakefield Trinity
| ||
| 8 | Jake Shorrocks
|
Toulouse Olympique
|
42 |
| 9 | Jake Carter
|
Whitehaven RLFC
|
41 |
| 10 | Ryan Shaw
|
Barrow Raiders
|
36 |
- As of 7 May 2024: (Round 7)
Discipline edit
Red Cards edit
| Rank | Player | Club |  Cards
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Walker
|
Barrow Raiders
|
1 |
| Gareth Gale
|
Featherstone Rovers
| ||
 Sitaleki Akauola
|
Toulouse Olympique
| ||
 Harrison Hansen
|
Yellow Cards edit
| Rank | Player | Club |  Cards
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Gledhill
|
Batley Bulldogs
|
2 |
 Mitchel Souter
|
Bradford Bulls
| ||
| Dec Patton
|
Swinton Lions
| ||
 Ryan King
|
Whitehaven RLFC
| ||
| 2 | Ryan Johnston
|
Barrow Raiders
|
1 |
| Ryan Shaw
| |||
| Jarrad Stack
| |||
| Dane Manning
|
Batley Bulldogs
| ||
| Brad Walker
| |||
| Tom Holmes
|
Bradford Bulls
| ||
| Jorge Taufua
| |||
| Ronan Dixon
|
Dewsbury Rams
| ||
 Kieran Rush
| |||
| Marcus Walker
| |||
 Yusuf Aydin
|
Featherstone Rovers
| ||
| Brad England
| |||
| Josh Hardcastle
| |||
| Ben Reynolds
| |||
| Jacob Fairbank
|
Halifax Panthers
| ||
| Kevin Larroyer
| |||
| Joshua Eaves
|
Swinton Lions
| ||
| Richard Lepori
| |||
| George Roby
| |||
| Gavin Rodden
| |||
| Lambert Belmas
|
Toulouse Olympique
| ||
| Robin Brochon
| |||
| Éloi Pélissier
| |||
| Dominique Peyroux
| |||
| Max Jowitt
|
Wakefield Trinity
| ||
| Mason Lino
| |||
| Derrell Olpherts
| |||
 Edene Gebbie
|
Whitehaven RLFC
| ||
| James Newton
| |||
| Matty Fleming
|
Widnes Vikings
| ||
| Ryan Ince
| |||
| Danny Langtree
| |||
| Will Dagger
|
York Knights |
- As of 30 April 2024: (Round 6)
Broadcasting edit
The two-year deal with Viaplay expired at the end of the 2023 season. As of November 2023 no new deal has been arranged with any provider.
References edit
- ^ "First IMG gradings revealed as clubs learn fate; Leeds Rhinos lead the way, Super League outfit appeal verdict". LoveRugbyLeague. 25 October 2023.
- ^ Walker, Callum (3 November 2023). "Championship Summer Bash set to be scrapped as clubs learn structure fate". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Bower, Aaron (13 March 2024). "Super 8s to return as part of overhaul of Championship rugby league plans". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Five law changes approved by the RFL ahead of 2024 season including 'Six Again' rule, 18th man, 'Reckless' tackles". LoveRugbyLeague. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Head injury assessment laws among RFL board tweaks". BBC Sport. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Cook, Sam (24 February 2024). "Nu Brown releases statement after shocking red card". Serious About Rugby League. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "RFL changes Super League tackle rules after controversial Nu Brown red card". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 April 2024.