2024 RFL Championship
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
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
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
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 side's match against Warrington Wolves.[6] The RFL stated that the rule will be amended, "emphasising that it applies only to initial contact".[7]
Clubs
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Raiders | Barrow-in-Furness | Northern Competitions 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
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wakefield Trinity | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 486 | 142 | +344 | 26 | League Leaders Shield and qualify for semi-finals |
| 2 | Sheffield Eagles | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 354 | 217 | +137 | 20 | Semi-finals |
| 3 | Toulouse Olympique | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 370 | 190 | +180 | 18 | Eliminators |
| 4 | Bradford Bulls | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 345 | 218 | +127 | 18 | |
| 5 | Widnes Vikings | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 315 | 245 | +70 | 15 | |
| 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 330 | 283 | +47 | 12 | |
| 7 | Batley Bulldogs | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 205 | 286 | −81 | 12 | |
| 8 | Doncaster | 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 237 | 325 | −88 | 11 | |
| 9 | York Knights | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 285 | 297 | −12 | 10 | |
| 10 | Whitehaven | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 266 | 358 | −92 | 10 | |
| 11 | Halifax Panthers | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 270 | 377 | −107 | 10 | |
| 12 | Barrow Raiders | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 219 | 377 | −158 | 10 | Play-off v League 1 play-off winners |
| 13 | Swinton Lions | 13 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 260 | 332 | −72 | 8 | Relegation to League One |
| 14 | Dewsbury Rams | 13 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 164 | 459 | −295 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Competition points; 2) Points difference; 3) Points percentage (points scored/points conceded x 100)
Player statistics
Top 10 try scorers
| Rank | Player (s) | Club | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lachlan Walmsley | Wakefield Trinity | 13 |
| 2 | Kieran Gill | Bradford Bulls | 9 |
| Connor Jones | Featherstone Rovers | ||
| Connor Wynne | |||
| 5 | Zac Fulton | Bradford Bulls | 8 |
| Maxime Stefani | Toulouse Olympique | ||
| 7 | Joe Burton | Batley Bulldogs | 7 |
| Matty Dawson-Jones | Sheffield Eagles | ||
| James Glover | |||
| Rhys Williams | Swinton Lions | ||
| Max Jowitt | Wakefield Trinity | ||
| Jake Maizen | Whitehaven RLFC | ||
| Joe Brown | York Knights |
Top 10 goal scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Jowitt | Wakefield Trinity | 51 |
| 2 | Jordan Lilley | Bradford Bulls | 43 |
| 3 | Tom Gilmore | Widnes Vikings | 42 |
| 4 | Jake Shorrocks | Toulouse Olympique | 41 |
| 5 | Cory Aston | Sheffield Eagles | 40 |
| 6 | Dec Patton | Swinton Lions | 28 |
| 7 | Louis Jouffret | Halifax Panthers | 27 |
| 8 | Jake Carter | Whitehaven RLFC | 26 |
| 9 | Josh Woods | Batley Bulldogs | 24 |
| 10 | Connor Robinson | Doncaster RLFC |
Top 10 point scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Jowitt | Wakefield Trinity | 130 |
| 2 | Jake Shorrocks | Toulouse Olympique | 94 |
| 3 | Tom Gilmore | Widnes Vikings | |
| 4 | Jordan Lilley | Bradford Bulls | 93 |
| 5 | Cory Aston | Sheffield Eagles | 92 |
| 6 | Louis Jouffret | Halifax Panthers | 70 |
| 7 | Connor Robinson | Doncaster RLFC | 61 |
| 8 | Danny Addy | Featherstone Rovers | 58 |
| 9 | Jake Carter | Whitehaven RLFC | |
| 10 | Dec Patton | Swinton Lions | 56 |
- As of 18 June 2024: (Round 8)
Discipline
Red cards
| Rank | Player | Club | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Walker | Barrow Raiders | 1 |
| Eribe Doro | Bradford Bulls | ||
| Gareth Gale | Featherstone Rovers | ||
| Matty Marsh | Sheffield Eagles | ||
| Jordy Gibson | Swinton Lions | ||
| Sitaleki Akauola | Toulouse Olympique | ||
| Harrison Hansen |
Yellow cards
| Rank | Player | Club | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Gledhill | Batley Bulldogs | 2 |
| Dane Manning | |||
| Mitchel Souter | Bradford Bulls | ||
| Dec Patton | Swinton Lions | ||
| Lambert Belmas | Toulouse Olympique | ||
| Edene Gebbie | Whitehaven RLFC | ||
| Ryan King | |||
| Will Dagger | York Knights | ||
| 2 | Ryan Johnston | Barrow Raiders | 1 |
| Ryan Shaw | |||
| Jarrad Stack | |||
| Brad Walker | |||
| John Davies | Bradford Bulls | ||
| Zac Fulton | |||
| Tom Holmes | |||
| Fenton Rogers | |||
| Jorge Taufua | |||
| Ronan Dixon | Dewsbury Rams | ||
| Jacob Hookem | |||
| Kieran Rush | |||
| Marcus Walker | |||
| Yusuf Aydin | Featherstone Rovers | ||
| Brad England | |||
| Josh Hardcastle | |||
| Ben Reynolds | |||
| Jacob Fairbank | Halifax Panthers | ||
| Kevin Larroyer | |||
| Matty Dawson-Jones | Sheffield Eagles | ||
| James Glover | |||
| Bayley Liu | |||
| Joshua Eaves | Swinton Lions | ||
| Richard Lepori | |||
| George Roby | |||
| Gavin Rodden | |||
| Robin Brochon | Toulouse Olympique | ||
| Éloi Pélissier | |||
| Dominique Peyroux | |||
| Reubenn Rennie | |||
| Luke Bain | Wakefield Trinity | ||
| Max Jowitt | |||
| Mason Lino | |||
| Derrell Olpherts | |||
| Lucas Castle | Whitehaven RLFC | ||
| James Newton | |||
| Matty Fleming | Widnes Vikings | ||
| Ryan Ince | |||
| Danny Langtree |
- As of 18 June 2024: (Round 8)
Broadcasting
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
- "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.