Date: 20/10/14
2015 Super League fixtures usher in an exciting new era
The most exciting era in the history of Rugby League since the sport switched to summer in 1996 will kick off with six fixtures in a new-look First Utility Super League over the weekend of February 5-8 2015.
The sport’s flagship competition features 12 clubs from next season, when a league structure allowing for the return of promotion and relegation will ensure that every minute of every match in every competition matters.
Super League General Manager Blake Solly said: “2015 is going to be a momentous year, not just for the First Utility Super League but every Rugby League supporter and there is already a huge sense of anticipation ahead of the new season.
“The league structure allows for changes that will bring unprecedented levels of excitement, drama and jeopardy to a game that has an unrivalled ability to deliver world class sporting action.
“Our very own ‘Ryder Cup of Rugby League’, the World Club Series, a fantastic trip to Newcastle for Magic Weekend, the Super 8s, Million Pound Game and, of course, the Grand Final all make for what I am sure will be a compelling year.”
St Helens will begin their defence of the title they famously clinched at Old Trafford last week with a home fixture against Catalans Dragons on Friday February 6 in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Wigan Warriors, the 2014 runners-up, get the new season underway with the opening televised fixture at Widnes Vikings on Thursday February 5 whilst Challenge Cup holders Leeds Rhinos head to Hull Kingston Rovers in one of four fixtures staged on Sunday February 8.
Elsewhere Castleford Tigers entertain local rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Huddersfield Giants host Hull FC and Salford Red Devils travel to Warrington Wolves.
Later in the month, Super League’s three top clubs of 2014, St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves go head to head with NRL sides South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Broncos and St George-Illawarra in the World Club Series.
Other highlights in the domestic fixture schedule include a tasty East Yorkshire derby at Easter for Hull FC versus Hull KR and Wigan meeting St Helens on Good Friday in a repeat of the 2014 Grand Final.
Magic Weekend 2015 will take place at St James’ Park, Newcastle, where six Round 16 fixtures will be played on Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31. Full details of the Magic Weekend matches, including ticket availability will be announced on Monday November 17.
The top eight Super League clubs from 2014 will enter the Challenge Cup at the sixth round stage over the weekend of May 17-18, one round later than in previous years; the clubs that finished last season in ninth to 12th places will enter the Cup in Round 5. The 2015 Challenge Cup final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 29.
After all 23 rounds of the regular season, Super League and the 12-team Kingstone Press Championship will split into three separate leagues, the Super 8s called Super League, the Qualifiers and Championship Shield.
The top eight of Super League will compete for a place in the Grand Final while the bottom four will join the top four from the Championship to make up the Qualifiers. After playing seven matches the top three Qualifiers will gain Super League status in 2016 with the final promotion spot decided by the Million Pound Game between teams four and five.
The pick of the action will once again be screened live on Sky Sports, who will televise around 100 Rugby League games in 2015, including regular Super League matches every Thursday and Friday evening.
Blake Solly said: “The importance of the exposure the sport gets through its partnership with Sky Sports cannot be overstated and I am delighted that our main broadcast partner will be capturing all the drama and excitement of Rugby League’s new era in 2015.
“I am also excited about Thursday Night Super League, which has been extremely successful in delivering a new and bigger television audience to the sport.
“By scheduling all Thursday night regular season matches immediately upon the release of fixtures and working with clubs to promote these matches, we are confident that Super League can increase Thursday night crowds as well.”
2015 KEY DATES – FIRST UTILITY SUPER LEAGUE
February
Weekend of 5-8 – Super League Round One
Weekend of 20-22 – World Club Series
April
Weekend of 11-12 – Challenge Cup 5th round (teams who finished 9th to 12th in 2014 season enter)
May
Weekend of 16-17 – Challenge Cup 6th round (teams who finished 1st to 8th in 2014 season enter)
Weekend of 30-31 – Magic Weekend at St James’ Park, Newcastle
JUNE
Weekend of 27-28 – Challenge Cup quarter-finals
AUGUST
Weekend of 1-2 – Challenge Cup semi-finals
Weekend of 8-9 – Super 8s begin
Saturday 29th – Challenge Cup final at Wembley
OCTOBER
Weekend of 3-4 – Super League Semi-finals and The Million Pound Game
Saturday 10th – 2015 First Utility Grand Final.
Super 8s – In Super League, the points earned during the regular season will stand and each team will play each other once to determine a top four. In the semi-finals, first will play fourth and second will play third with the winners heading to Old Trafford, Manchester to compete in the Grand Final on Saturday October 10.
As they are drawn from two different competitions, all eight teams in the Qualifiers will have their points totals from the season wiped to form a new mini-league. Clubs who finished ninth and tenth in Super League and first and second in the Championship will play four home games and 11th and 12th and third and fourth, respectively will play three home games.
Once all the games have been played, the top three Qualifiers will be automatically promoted whilst the clubs finishing fourth and fifth will contest the ‘Million Pound Game’, a one-off fixture at the home of the fourth-placed club on Saturday October 3 to determine the last place in Super League for 2016.
Fixtures: The 2015 First Utility Super League fixtures in round-by-round format are below.
Round Date Home Away KO Time (Local Time)
1 05 February 2015 Widnes Vikings Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
1 06 February 2015 St Helens Catalans Dragons 8.00pm Sky
1 08 February 2015 Castleford Tigers Wakefield Wildcats 3.30pm
1 08 February 2015 Huddersfield Giants Hull FC 3.00pm
1 08 February 2015 Hull KR Leeds Rhinos 3.00pm
1 08 February 2015 Warrington Wolves Salford Red Devils 3.00pm
2 12 February 2015 Salford Red Devils St Helens 8.00pm Sky
2 13 February 2015 Hull FC Warrington Wolves 8.00pm
2 13 February 2015 Leeds Rhinos Widnes Vikings 8.00pm
2 13 February 2015 Wigan Warriors Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm Sky
2 14 February 2015 Catalans Dragons Castleford Tigers 6.00pm Sky
2 15 February 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Hull KR 3.00pm
3 26 February 2015 Leeds Rhinos Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm Sky
3 27 February 2015 St Helens Castleford Tigers 8.00pm Sky
3 28 February 2015 Catalans Dragons Warrington Wolves 6.00pm Sky
3 01 March 2015 Hull KR Wigan Warriors 3.00pm
3 01 March 2015 Salford Red Devils Hull FC 3.00pm
3 01 March 2015 Widnes Vikings Wakefield Wildcats 3.00pm
4 05 March 2015 Hull FC Leeds Rhinos 8.00pm Sky
4 06 March 2015 Wakefield Wildcats St Helens 8.00pm Sky
4 07 March 2015 Catalans Dragons Salford Red Devils 6.00pm Sky
4 08 March 2015 Castleford Tigers Wigan Warriors 3.30pm
4 08 March 2015 Huddersfield Giants Widnes Vikings 3.00pm
4 08 March 2015 Warrington Wolves Hull KR 3.00pm
5 12 March 2015 Huddersfield Giants Castleford Tigers 8.00pm Sky
5 13 March 2015 Warrington Wolves Leeds Rhinos 8.00pm Sky
5 13 March 2015 Wigan Warriors Hull FC 8.00pm
5 15 March 2015 Hull KR Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
5 15 March 2015 Salford Red Devils Wakefield Wildcats 3.00pm
5 15 March 2015 Widnes Vikings St Helens 3.00pm
6 19 March 2015 St Helens Warrington Wolves 8.00pm Sky
6 20 March 2015 Hull FC Catalans Dragons 8.00pm
6 20 March 2015 Leeds Rhinos Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
6 22 March 2015 Castleford Tigers Salford Red Devils 3.30pm
6 22 March 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Huddersfield Giants 3.00pm
6 22 March 2015 Widnes Vikings Hull KR 3.00pm
7 26 March 2015 Salford Red Devils Widnes Vikings 8.00pm Sky
7 27 March 2015 Castleford Tigers Hull FC 8.00pm
7 27 March 2015 Hull KR St Helens 8.00pm Sky
7 27 March 2015 Warrington Wolves Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm
7 27 March 2015 Wigan Warriors Wakefield Wildcats 8.00pm
7 28 March 2015 Catalans Dragons Leeds Rhinos 6.00pm
Sky
8 02 April 2015 Hull FC Hull KR 8.00pm Sky
8 02 April 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Catalans Dragons 8.00pm
8 02 April 2015 Widnes Vikings Warrington Wolves 8.00pm
8 03 April 2015 Castleford Tigers Leeds Rhinos TBC Sky
8 03 April 2015 Huddersfield Giants Salford Red Devils 6pm
8 03 April 2015 Wigan Warriors St Helens TBC
Sky
9 06 April 2015 Catalans Dragons Widnes Vikings TBC Sky
9 06 April 2015 Hull KR Huddersfield Giants TBC
9 06 April 2015 Leeds Rhinos Wakefield Wildcats 3.00pm
9 06 April 2015 Salford Red Devils Wigan Warriors TBC
9 06 April 2015 St Helens Hull FC TBC
9 06 April 2015 Warrington Wolves Castleford Tigers TBC
Sky
10 10 April 2015 Hull FC Widnes Vikings 8.00pm Sky
10 11 April 2015 Castleford Tigers Hull KR TBC Sky
10 12 April 2015 Huddersfield Giants St Helens 3.00pm
10 12 April 2015 Salford Red Devils Leeds Rhinos 3.00pm
10 12 April 2015 Warrington Wolves Wakefield Wildcats 3.00pm
10 12 April 2015 Wigan Warriors Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
11 16 April 2015 Wigan Warriors Warrington Wolves 8.00pm Sky
11 17 April 2015 St Helens Leeds Rhinos 8.00pm Sky
11 19 April 2015 Huddersfield Giants Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
11 19 April 2015 Hull KR Salford Red Devils 3.00pm
11 19 April 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Hull FC 3.00pm
11 19 April 2015 Widnes Vikings Castleford Tigers 3.00pm
12 23 April 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
12 24 April 2015 Hull FC Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm
12 24 April 2015 Leeds Rhinos Warrington Wolves 8.00pm Sky
12 24 April 2015 St Helens Widnes Vikings 8.00pm
12 25 April 2015 Catalans Dragons Hull KR 6.00pm Sky
12 26 April 2015 Salford Red Devils Castleford Tigers 3.00pm
13 30 April 2015 Huddersfield Giants Leeds Rhinos 8.00pm Sky
13 01 May 2015 Hull FC Salford Red Devils 8.00pm
13 01 May 2015 St Helens Wakefield Wildcats 8.00pm
13 01 May 2015 Wigan Warriors Hull KR 8.00pm
13 03 May 2015 Castleford Tigers Catalans Dragons 3.30pm
13 03 May 2015 Warrington Wolves Widnes Vikings 3.00pm
14 07 May 2015 Hull KR Wakefield Wildcats 8.00pm Sky
14 08 May 2015 Wigan Warriors Castleford Tigers 8.00pm
14 09 May 2015 Catalans Dragons St Helens 6.00pm Sky
14 10 May 2015 Salford Red Devils Huddersfield Giants 3.00pm
14 10 May 2015 Warrington Wolves Hull FC 3.00pm
14 10 May 2015 Widnes Vikings Leeds Rhinos 3.00pm
15 21 May 2015 Castleford Tigers Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm Sky
15 22 May 2015 Hull FC St Helens 8.00pm
15 22 May 2015 Leeds Rhinos Hull KR 8.00pm
15 22 May 2015 Salford Red Devils Warrington Wolves 8.00pm
15 23 May 2015 Catalans Dragons Wigan Warriors 6.00pm Sky
15 24 May 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Widnes Vikings 3.00pm
16 Magic Weekend fixtures at St James’ Park, Newcastle on weekend of May 30-31
17 04 June 2015 Widnes Vikings Hull FC 8.00pm Sky
17 05 June 2015 St Helens Salford Red Devils 8.00pm
17 07 June 2015 Huddersfield Giants Wigan Warriors 3.00pm
17 07 June 2015 Hull KR Castleford Tigers 3.00pm
17 07 June 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Leeds Rhinos 3.00pm
17 07 June 2015 Warrington Wolves Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
18 11 June 2015 Leeds Rhinos Castleford Tigers 8.00pm Sky
18 12 June 2015 St Helens Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
18 13 June 2015 Catalans Dragons Hull FC 6.00pm Sky
18 14 June 2015 Huddersfield Giants Warrington Wolves 3.00pm
18 14 June 2015 Hull KR Widnes Vikings 3.00pm
18 14 June 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Salford Red Devils 3.00pm
19 18 June 2015 Castleford Tigers St Helens 8.00pm Sky
19 19 June 2015 Wigan Warriors Salford Red Devils 8.00pm
19 20 June 2015 Catalans Dragons Wakefield Wildcats 6.00pm Sky
19 21 June 2015 Hull KR Warrington Wolves 3.00pm
19 21 June 2015 Leeds Rhinos Hull FC 3.00pm
19 21 June 2015 Widnes Vikings Huddersfield Giants 3.00pm
20 02 July 2015 Warrington Wolves Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
20 03 July 2015 Hull FC Wakefield Wildcats 8.00pm
20 03 July 2015 Leeds Rhinos St Helens 8.00pm Sky
20 05 July 2015 Castleford Tigers Widnes Vikings 3.30pm
20 05 July 2015 Huddersfield Giants Hull KR 3.00pm
20 05 July 2015 Salford Red Devils Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
21 09 July 2015 Wigan Warriors Leeds Rhinos 8.00pm Sky
21 10 July 2015 Hull FC Castleford Tigers 8.00pm
21 10 July 2015 St Helens Huddersfield Giants 8.00pm
21 12 July 2015 Salford Red Devils Hull KR 3.00pm
21 12 July 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Warrington Wolves 3.00pm
21 12 July 2015 Widnes Vikings Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
22 16 July 2015 Warrington Wolves St Helens 8.00pm Sky
22 17 July 2015 Wigan Warriors Widnes Vikings 8.00pm
22 17 July 2015 Leeds Rhinos Salford Red Devils 8.00pm
22 18 July 2015 Catalans Dragons Huddersfield Giants 6.00pm Sky
22 19 July 2015 Hull KR Hull FC 3.00pm
22 19 July 2015 Wakefield Wildcats Castleford Tigers 3.00pm
23 23 July 2015 Hull FC Wigan Warriors 8.00pm Sky
23 24 July 2015 St Helens Hull KR 8.00pm
23 26 July 2015 Castleford Tigers Warrington Wolves 3.30pm
23 26 July 2015 Huddersfield Giants Wakefield Wildcats 3.00pm
23 26 July 2015 Leeds Rhinos Catalans Dragons 3.00pm
23 26 July 2015 Widnes Vikings Salford Red Devils 3.00pm
Champions Leigh Centurions will usher in an extraordinary new era for the Kingstone Press Championship in 2015 with a home fixture against Bradford Bulls at Leigh Sports Village.
The showdown between two teams with strong promotion ambitions will provide a mouthwatering start to the new season on Sunday February 15 on the most important opening weekend in Championship history.
The 2015 season sees Rugby League embrace an exciting new structure that involves the 12 Super League clubs and 12 Championship clubs splitting into the Super 8s after 23 rounds to determine all the biggest issues of the year: promotion, relegation and Grand Final glory.
Round 1 of the Championship also sees London Broncos welcome Doncaster to The Hive where the team that finished bottom of Super League in 2014 faces the club led by the Championship’s Coach of the Year, Paul Cooke.
Elsewhere, 2014 Championship runners up Featherstone Rovers take on newly-promoted Hunslet Hawks, Sheffield Eagles travel to Dewsbury Rams, Whitehaven host Halifax and Batley Bulldogs are at home to Workington Town.
RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer said: “The new league structure allows for the return of sustainable promotion and relegation across all competitions and with so much at stake for every club, 2015 promises to be the greatest Championship season of all.
“The Super 8s and Summer Bash will each bring their own exciting new dimension to a year where every minute of every match will matter for every club.”
Each team will play 23 games in the regular season: home and away against the other 11 clubs plus, and in an exciting new addition to the Rugby League calendar, one additional fixture in the Summer Bash at Bloomfield Road in Blackpool over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 23 – 24. Details of fixtures and ticket availability for the Summer Bash will be announced in mid-November.
The Summer Bash sees a whole round of Kingstone Press Championship fixtures, three on each day take place over two action-packed days at the world’s most famous seaside resort. As well as the Championship games, Blackpool will also host the final of the new League 1 Cup on the Saturday and feature a fantastic package of activities off the field to keep the whole family entertained.
After all 23 rounds have been played, the top four Championship clubs will join the bottom four of Super League in a Super 8 pool called the Qualifiers. The remaining eight Championship clubs will go on to a Super 8 pool called the Championship Shield.
After playing each other once, the top three Qualifiers will be awarded Super League status in 2016 with the final promotion spot determined by the Million Pound Game involving team four and five.
The Championship Shield will culminate with play-off final at the Kingstone Press Championship Finals Day on October 4, an event which will also feature two other matches: the League 1 play-off final and the Conference Challenge Trophy final.
The teams finishing seventh and eighth in the Championship Shield after seven fixtures will be relegated to League 1 for 2016.
Sky Sports will screen selected matches from the Kingstone Press Championship in 2015, including all six matches from the Summer Bash at Blackpool.
2015 KEY DATES – KINGSTONE PRESS CHAMPIONSHIP
February
Weekend of 12-15 – Championship Round One
March
Weekend of 21-22 – Challenge Cup 4th round (Championship clubs enter)
April
Weekend of 11-19 – Challenge Cup 5th round (bottom four clubs from Super League in 2014 enter)
May
Weekend of 16-17 – Challenge Cup 6th round (top eight Super League clubs from 2014 enter)
Weekend of 23-24 – Summer Bash at Blackpool
June
Weekend of 27-28 – Challenge Cup quarter-finals
August
Weekend of 1-2 – Challenge Cup semi-finals
Weekend of 8-9 – Super 8s begin – Super League, Qualifiers and Championship Shield
Saturday 29th – Challenge Cup final at Wembley
September
Weekend of 26-27 – Championship Shield semi-finals
October
Weekend of 3-4 – The Million Pound Game and Championship Shield Final
Super 8s: As clubs are joining from two competitions, the Qualifiers will have all their points from the regular season wiped to form a new mini-league. Clubs who finished ninth and 10th in Super League and first and second in the Championship will play four home games and 11th and 12th and third and fourth will play three home games.
After seven rounds, the top three in the Qualifiers will be automatically promoted to Super League for 2016 whilst clubs finishing fourth and fifth will go on to play in the ‘Million Pound Game’ on Saturday October 3, at the home of the fourth-placed team, to determine the final promotion place.
The eight clubs in the Championship Shield will carry over their points from the regular season to play seven Super 8s matches: after seven rounds the top four clubs will compete in the Championship Shield play-offs, where first will play fourth and second will play third with the winners meeting in the final at the Kingstone Press Championship Finals Day on October 4.
Fixtures: The 2015 Championship fixtures in round-by-round format are below.
Kingstone Press Championship fixtures 2015
Round Date Home Away KO Time (Local Time)
1 15/02/2015 Batley Bulldogs Workington Town 3pm
1 13/02/2015 Dewsbury Rams Sheffield Eagles 8pm
1 15/02/2015 Featherstone Rovers Hunslet Hawks 3pm
1 15/02/2015 Leigh Centurions Bradford Bulls 3pm
1 15/02/2015 London Broncos Doncaster 3pm
1 15/02/2015 Whitehaven Halifax 3pm
2 22/02/2015 Bradford Bulls Whitehaven 3pm
2 22/02/2015 Doncaster Featherstone Rovers TBC
2 22/02/2015 Halifax Leigh Centurions 3pm
2 22/02/2015 Hunslet Hawks Batley Bulldogs 3pm
2 22/02/2015 Sheffield Eagles London Broncos TBC
2 22/02/2015 Workington Town Dewsbury Rams 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Batley Bulldogs Halifax 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Featherstone Rovers Bradford Bulls 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Hunslet Hawks Dewsbury Rams 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Leigh Centurions London Broncos 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Whitehaven Sheffield Eagles 3pm
3 01/03/2015 Workington Town Doncaster 3pm
4 08/03/2015 Bradford Bulls Hunslet Hawks 3pm
4 08/03/2015 Dewsbury Rams Whitehaven 3pm
4 08/03/2015 Doncaster Leigh Centurions TBC
4 08/03/2015 Halifax Featherstone Rovers 3pm
4 08/03/2015 London Broncos Workington Town 3pm
4 08/03/2015 Sheffield Eagles Batley Bulldogs TBC
5 15/03/2015 Batley Bulldogs Bradford Bulls 3pm
5 15/03/2015 Featherstone Rovers Leigh Centurions 3pm
5 15/03/2015 Halifax Dewsbury Rams 3pm
5 15/03/2015 Hunslet Hawks Doncaster 3pm
5 15/03/2015 Whitehaven London Broncos 3pm
5 15/03/2015 Workington Town Sheffield Eagles 3pm
6 29/03/2015 Bradford Bulls Workington Town 3pm
6 27/03/2015 Dewsbury Rams Featherstone Rovers 8pm
6 29/03/2015 Doncaster Batley Bulldogs TBC
6 29/03/2015 Leigh Centurions Whitehaven 3pm
6 28/03/2015 London Broncos Halifax 3pm
6 29/03/2015 Sheffield Eagles Hunslet Hawks TBC
7 03/04/2015 Batley Bulldogs Dewsbury Rams 7.30pm
7 03/04/2015 Bradford Bulls Halifax 8pm
7 03/04/2015 Doncaster Sheffield Eagles TBC
7 03/04/2015 Featherstone Rovers London Broncos TBC
7 03/04/2015 Hunslet Hawks Leigh Centurions 2pm
7 03/04/2015 Workington Town Whitehaven 3pm
8 06/04/2015 Dewsbury Rams Bradford Bulls 3pm
8 06/04/2015 Featherstone Rovers Sheffield Eagles 3pm
8 06/04/2015 Halifax Hunslet Hawks 3pm
8 06/04/2015 Leigh Centurions Workington Town 3pm
8 06/04/2015 London Broncos Batley Bulldogs 3pm
8 06/04/2015 Whitehaven Doncaster 3pm
9 12/04/2015 Batley Bulldogs Featherstone Rovers 3pm
9 12/04/2015 Bradford Bulls London Broncos 3pm
9 12/04/2015 Doncaster Dewsbury Rams TBC
9 12/04/2015 Halifax Workington Town 3pm
9 12/04/2015 Hunslet Hawks Whitehaven 3pm
9 12/04/2015 Sheffield Eagles Leigh Centurions TBC
10 26/04/2015 Doncaster Bradford Bulls TBC
10 26/04/2015 Leigh Centurions Batley Bulldogs 3pm
10 26/04/2015 London Broncos Dewsbury Rams 3pm
10 26/04/2015 Sheffield Eagles Halifax TBC
10 26/04/2015 Whitehaven Featherstone Rovers 3pm
10 26/04/2015 Workington Town Hunslet Hawks 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Batley Bulldogs Whitehaven 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Bradford Bulls Sheffield Eagles 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Dewsbury Rams Leigh Centurions 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Featherstone Rovers Workington Town 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Halifax Doncaster 3pm
11 03/05/2015 Hunslet Hawks London Broncos 3pm
12 10/05/2015 Dewsbury Rams Hunslet Hawks 3pm
12 10/05/2015 Leigh Centurions Halifax 3pm
12 10/05/2015 London Broncos Featherstone Rovers 3pm
12 10/05/2015 Sheffield Eagles Doncaster TBC
12 10/05/2015 Whitehaven Bradford Bulls 3pm
12 10/05/2015 Workington Town Batley Bulldogs 3pm
13 17/05/2015 Batley Bulldogs London Broncos 3pm
13 17/05/2015 Bradford Bulls Featherstone Rovers 3pm
13 17/05/2015 Doncaster Workington Town TBC
13 17/05/2015 Halifax Whitehaven 3pm
13 17/05/2015 Leigh Centurions Hunslet Hawks 3pm
13 17/05/2015 Sheffield Eagles Dewsbury Rams TBC
14 Summer Bash fixtures at Blackpool on weekend of the 23rd/24th May
15 30/05/2015 Dewsbury Rams Doncaster 3pm
15 30/05/2015 Featherstone Rovers Batley Bulldogs 3pm
15 30/05/2015 Hunslet Hawks Sheffield Eagles 3pm
15 30/05/2015 London Broncos Bradford Bulls 3pm
15 30/05/2015 Whitehaven Leigh Centurions 3pm
15 30/05/2015 Workington Town Halifax 3pm
16 07/06/2015 Batley Bulldogs Sheffield Eagles 3pm
16 07/06/2015 Bradford Bulls Doncaster 3pm
16 07/06/2015 Dewsbury Rams Workington Town 3pm
16 07/06/2015 Featherstone Rovers Halifax 3pm
16 07/06/2015 London Broncos Leigh Centurions 3pm
16 07/06/2015 Whitehaven Hunslet Hawks 3pm
17 14/06/2015 Batley Bulldogs Leigh Centurions 3pm
17 14/06/2015 Bradford Bulls Dewsbury Rams 3pm
17 14/06/2015 Doncaster London Broncos TBC
17 14/06/2015 Hunslet Hawks Halifax 3pm
17 14/06/2015 Sheffield Eagles Whitehaven TBC
17 14/06/2015 Workington Town Featherstone Rovers 3pm
18 21/06/2015 Dewsbury Rams Halifax 3pm
18 21/06/2015 Featherstone Rovers Doncaster 3pm
18 21/06/2015 Leigh Centurions Sheffield Eagles 3pm
18 21/06/2015 London Broncos Hunslet Hawks 3pm
18 21/06/2015 Whitehaven Batley Bulldogs 3pm
18 21/06/2015 Workington Town Bradford Bulls 3pm
19 28/06/2015 Bradford Bulls Batley Bulldogs 3pm
19 28/06/2015 Doncaster Whitehaven TBC
19 28/06/2015 Halifax London Broncos 3pm
19 28/06/2015 Hunslet Hawks Featherstone Rovers 3pm
19 28/06/2015 Leigh Centurions Dewsbury Rams 3pm
19 28/06/2015 Sheffield Eagles Workington Town TBC
20 05/07/2015 Batley Bulldogs Doncaster 3pm
20 05/07/2015 Featherstone Rovers Dewsbury Rams 3pm
20 05/07/2015 Halifax Sheffield Eagles 3pm
20 05/07/2015 Hunslet Hawks Bradford Bulls 3pm
20 05/07/2015 London Broncos Whitehaven 3pm
20 05/07/2015 Workington Town Leigh Centurions 3pm
21 12/07/2015 Dewsbury Rams London Broncos 3pm
21 12/07/2015 Doncaster Hunslet Hawks TBC
21 12/07/2015 Halifax Batley Bulldogs 3pm
21 12/07/2015 Leigh Centurions Featherstone Rovers 3pm
21 12/07/2015 Sheffield Eagles Bradford Bulls TBC
21 12/07/2015 Whitehaven Workington Town 3pm
22 19/07/2015 Batley Bulldogs Hunslet Hawks 3pm
22 19/07/2015 Bradford Bulls Leigh Centurions 3pm
22 19/07/2015 Doncaster Halifax TBC
22 19/07/2015 Sheffield Eagles Featherstone Rovers TBC
22 19/07/2015 Whitehaven Dewsbury Rams 3pm
22 19/07/2015 Workington Town London Broncos 3pm
23 26/07/2015 Dewsbury Rams Batley Bulldogs 3pm
23 26/07/2015 Featherstone Rovers Whitehaven 3pm
23 26/07/2015 Halifax Bradford Bulls 3pm
23 26/07/2015 Hunslet Hawks Workington Town 3pm
23 26/07/2015 Leigh Centurions Doncaster 3pm
23 26/07/2015 London Broncos Sheffield Eagles 3pm
League 1 boldly breaks new ground for Rugby League in 2015
A new name, a new structure, a new knockout tournament and the same trailblazing reputation for expanded horizons will be common themes for Kingstone Press League 1 when Rugby League’s most geographically diverse competition kicks off on the weekend of February 28, 2015.
The 14 League 1 clubs, including newcomers Coventry Bears, will battle it out for two promotion places to the Kingstone Press Championship next summer, as well as competing in a new League Cup competition alongside two teams from the National Conference League.
RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer said: “League 1 has firmly established itself as an exciting competition that pushes the sport’s boundaries, and that will continue in 2015 when all 14 clubs have a key role to play in the new league structure.
“With two promotion places up for grabs and the chance to make history by becoming the first winners of the new League 1 Cup, every minute of every match will matter from the first weekend to the last.”
The League 1 Cup and Challenge Cup action take centre stage throughout March before League 1 itself kicks off over the weekend of April 3-6, when Coventry Bears will start their own exciting new era as a semi-professional club with a home fixture against Oxford.
Last year’s runners up, Oldham, who narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to an extra-time golden point against Hunslet Hawks, start their 2015 campaign with a local derby against Rochdale Hornets.
The 14 League 1 clubs will each play 22 league games: home and away fixtures against nine clubs on a geographical basis and the remaining four clubs either home or away.
The opening weekend also sees newly-relegated Keighley Cougars welcome York City Knights to Cougar Park and Barrow Raiders travel to Gateshead Thunder. London Skolars start with a home fixture against Hemel Stags and both Welsh teams have away fixtures with North Wales Crusaders visiting Swinton Lions and South Wales Scorpions making the trip to University of Gloucestershire All Golds.
The Kingstone Press League 1 clubs enter the Challenge Cup over the weekend of March 7-8, a competition that concludes with the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 29.
The League 1 Cup, which features all 14 League 1 clubs plus 2014 Conference Challenge Trophy winners West Hull and another National Conference League team who are yet to be confirmed, climaxes with the final at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool on Saturday May 23 as part of the Summer Bash, a weekend where each Championship club will play a fixture at the same ground.
At the end of the regular season, the top two teams will play each other for a place in the Championship with the winners being promoted as champions.
The losing side will then enter the play-offs against teams in third, fourth and fifth places as follows – promotion play-off losers v fifth-placed team, third-placed team v fourth-placed team.
The winners of the play-offs will advance to the League 1 Play-Off Final for the second spot in the Championship for 2016 as part of the Kingstone Press Finals Day (venue tbc) which will also feature the Conference Challenge Trophy Final and Championship Shield Final.
2015 KEY DATES – KINGSTONE PRESS LEAGUE 1
February
Weekend of 28-March 1 – League 1 Cup Round One (including all 14 League 1 teams plus West Hull and one other National Conference League club)
March
Weekend of 7-8 – Challenge Cup 3rd round (League 1 clubs enter)
Weekend of 21-22 – Challenge Cup 4th round (Championship clubs enter)
April
Weekend of 3-6 – League 1 Round One
Weekend of 11-12 – Challenge Cup 5th round
May
Weekend of 16-17 – Challenge Cup 6th round
Weekend of 23-24 – League 1 Cup Final (to be held at Summer Bash, Blackpool)
June
Weekend of 27-28 – Challenge Cup quarter-finals
August
Weekend of 1-2 – Challenge Cup semi-finals
Saturday 29th – Challenge Cup final at Wembley
SEPTEMBER
Weekend of 19-20 – League 1 1st v 2nd Play-Off
Weekend of 26-27 – League 1 semi-finals
OCTOBER
Weekend of 3-4 – League 1 Play-Off Final
Kingstone Press League 1 fixtures 2015
Round Date Home Away KO Time
1 03/04/2015 Coventry Bears Oxford 3pm
1 03/04/2015 Gateshead Thunder Barrow Raiders 3pm
1 03/04/2015 Keighley Cougars York City Knights 3pm
1 03/04/2015 London Skolars Hemel Stags 3pm
1 03/04/2015 Rochdale Hornets Oldham 3pm
1 03/04/2015 Swinton Lions North Wales Crusaders 3pm
1 03/04/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds South Wales Scorpions 3pm
2 11/04/2015 Barrow Raiders Swinton Lions 6.30pm
2 12/04/2015 Hemel Stags Keighley Cougars 2.30pm
2 12/04/2015 North Wales Crusaders Gateshead Thunder 2.30pm
2 12/04/2015 Oldham Coventry Bears 3pm
2 12/04/2015 Oxford York City Knights 3pm
2 12/04/2015 South Wales Scorpions London Skolars 3pm
2 12/04/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Rochdale Hornets 3pm
3 18/04/2015 Rochdale Hornets Barrow Raiders 5.30pm
3 19/04/2015 Coventry Bears Hemel Stags 3pm
3 19/04/2015 Gateshead Thunder Keighley Cougars 3pm
3 19/04/2015 London Skolars Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
3 19/04/2015 South Wales Scorpions Oldham 3pm
3 19/04/2015 Swinton Lions Oxford 3pm
3 19/04/2015 York City Knights North Wales Crusaders 3pm
4 25/04/2015 Barrow Raiders South Wales Scorpions 6.30pm
4 26/04/2015 Keighley Cougars North Wales Crusaders 3pm
4 26/04/2015 Oldham London Skolars 3pm
4 26/04/2015 Oxford Hemel Stags 3pm
4 26/04/2015 Rochdale Hornets Gateshead Thunder 3pm
4 26/04/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Swinton Lions 3pm
4 26/04/2015 York City Knights Coventry Bears 3pm
5 03/05/2015 Coventry Bears Rochdale Hornets 3pm
5 03/05/2015 Gateshead Thunder Oxford 3pm
5 03/05/2015 Hemel Stags South Wales Scorpions 2.30pm
5 03/05/2015 London Skolars Keighley Cougars 3pm
5 03/05/2015 North Wales Crusaders Barrow Raiders 2.30pm
5 03/05/2015 Oldham Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
5 03/05/2015 Swinton Lions York City Knights 3pm
6 09/05/2015 Barrow Raiders Oldham 6.30pm
6 09/05/2015 Rochdale Hornets Swinton Lions 5.30pm
6 10/05/2015 Hemel Stags Gateshead Thunder 2.30pm
6 10/05/2015 Keighley Cougars Coventry Bears 3pm
6 10/05/2015 Oxford London Skolars 3pm
6 10/05/2015 South Wales Scorpions North Wales Crusaders 3pm
6 10/05/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds York City Knights 3pm
7 16/05/2015 Rochdale Hornets Oxford 5.30pm
7 17/05/2015 London Skolars Barrow Raiders 3pm
7 17/05/2015 North Wales Crusaders Hemel Stags 2.30pm
7 17/05/2015 Oldham Gateshead Thunder 3pm
7 17/05/2015 Swinton Lions Keighley Cougars 3pm
7 17/05/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Coventry Bears 3pm
7 17/05/2015 York City Knights South Wales Scorpions 3pm
8 31/05/2015 Coventry Bears Barrow Raiders 3pm
8 31/05/2015 Gateshead Thunder York City Knights 3pm
8 31/05/2015 Hemel Stags Swinton Lions 2.30pm
8 31/05/2015 Keighley Cougars Oldham 3pm
8 31/05/2015 North Wales Crusaders London Skolars 2.30pm
8 31/05/2015 Oxford Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
8 31/05/2015 South Wales Scorpions Rochdale Hornets 3pm
9 07/06/2015 Barrow Raiders Keighley Cougars 3pm
9 07/06/2015 London Skolars Coventry Bears 3pm
9 07/06/2015 Oldham North Wales Crusaders 3pm
9 07/06/2015 Oxford South Wales Scorpions 3pm
9 07/06/2015 Swinton Lions Gateshead Thunder 3pm
9 07/06/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Hemel Stags 3pm
9 07/06/2015 York City Knights Rochdale Hornets 3pm
10 14/06/2015 Coventry Bears Swinton Lions 3pm
10 14/06/2015 Gateshead Thunder Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
10 14/06/2015 Hemel Stags Barrow Raiders 2.30pm
10 14/06/2015 Keighley Cougars South Wales Scorpions 3pm
10 14/06/2015 North Wales Crusaders Rochdale Hornets 2.30pm
10 14/06/2015 Oldham Oxford 3pm
10 14/06/2015 York City Knights London Skolars 3pm
11 20/06/2015 Barrow Raiders Univ Gloucs All Golds 6.30pm
11 21/06/2015 Hemel Stags York City Knights 2.30pm
11 21/06/2015 Keighley Cougars Rochdale Hornets 3pm
11 21/06/2015 London Skolars Gateshead Thunder 3pm
11 21/06/2015 Oxford North Wales Crusaders 3pm
11 21/06/2015 South Wales Scorpions Coventry Bears 3pm
11 21/06/2015 Swinton Lions Oldham 3pm
12 27/06/2015 Barrow Raiders Gateshead Thunder 6.30pm
12 27/06/2015 Rochdale Hornets Hemel Stags 5.30pm
12 28/06/2015 London Skolars South Wales Scorpions 3pm
12 28/06/2015 North Wales Crusaders Keighley Cougars 2.30pm
12 28/06/2015 Oxford Coventry Bears 3pm
12 28/06/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Oldham 3pm
12 28/06/2015 York City Knights Swinton Lions 3pm
13 05/07/2015 Coventry Bears North Wales Crusaders 3pm
13 05/07/2015 Gateshead Thunder Rochdale Hornets 3pm
13 05/07/2015 Hemel Stags London Skolars 2.30pm
13 05/07/2015 Keighley Cougars Oxford 3pm
13 05/07/2015 Oldham York City Knights 3pm
13 05/07/2015 South Wales Scorpions Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
13 05/07/2015 Swinton Lions Barrow Raiders 3pm
14 11/07/2015 Barrow Raiders London Skolars 6.30pm
14 12/07/2015 Coventry Bears Keighley Cougars 3pm
14 12/07/2015 Gateshead Thunder Hemel Stags 3pm
14 12/07/2015 North Wales Crusaders South Wales Scorpions 2.30pm
14 12/07/2015 Oldham Rochdale Hornets 3pm
14 12/07/2015 Oxford Swinton Lions 3pm
14 12/07/2015 York City Knights Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
15 18/07/2015 Barrow Raiders North Wales Crusaders 6.30pm
15 19/07/2015 Keighley Cougars Swinton Lions 3pm
15 19/07/2015 London Skolars Oldham 3pm
15 19/07/2015 Rochdale Hornets Coventry Bears 3pm
15 19/07/2015 South Wales Scorpions Hemel Stags 3pm
15 19/07/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Oxford 3pm
15 19/07/2015 York City Knights Gateshead Thunder 3pm
16 26/07/2015 Hemel Stags Coventry Bears 2.30pm
16 26/07/2015 Keighley Cougars Gateshead Thunder 3pm
16 26/07/2015 North Wales Crusaders Oldham 2.30pm
16 26/07/2015 Oxford Barrow Raiders 3pm
16 26/07/2015 South Wales Scorpions York City Knights 3pm
16 26/07/2015 Swinton Lions Rochdale Hornets 3pm
16 26/07/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds London Skolars 3pm
17 01/08/2015 Barrow Raiders Hemel Stags 6.30pm
17 02/08/2015 Coventry Bears York City Knights 3pm
17 02/08/2015 Gateshead Thunder Swinton Lions 3pm
17 02/08/2015 London Skolars Oxford 3pm
17 02/08/2015 North Wales Crusaders Univ Gloucs All Golds 2.30pm
17 02/08/2015 Oldham Keighley Cougars 3pm
17 02/08/2015 Rochdale Hornets South Wales Scorpions 3pm
18 08/08/2015 Barrow Raiders Coventry Bears 6.30pm
18 09/08/2015 Hemel Stags Oldham 2.30pm
18 09/08/2015 Rochdale Hornets North Wales Crusaders 3pm
18 09/08/2015 South Wales Scorpions Keighley Cougars 3pm
18 09/08/2015 Swinton Lions London Skolars 3pm
18 09/08/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Gateshead Thunder 3pm
18 09/08/2015 York City Knights Oxford 3pm
19 16/08/2015 Coventry Bears South Wales Scorpions 3pm
19 16/08/2015 Gateshead Thunder Oldham 3pm
19 16/08/2015 Hemel Stags Univ Gloucs All Golds 2.30pm
19 16/08/2015 Keighley Cougars Barrow Raiders 3pm
19 16/08/2015 London Skolars York City Knights 3pm
19 16/08/2015 North Wales Crusaders Swinton Lions 2.30pm
19 16/08/2015 Oxford Rochdale Hornets 3pm
20 23/08/2015 Gateshead Thunder Coventry Bears 3pm
20 23/08/2015 London Skolars North Wales Crusaders 3pm
20 23/08/2015 Oldham Barrow Raiders 3pm
20 23/08/2015 Rochdale Hornets Keighley Cougars 3pm
20 23/08/2015 South Wales Scorpions Oxford 3pm
20 23/08/2015 Swinton Lions Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
20 23/08/2015 York City Knights Hemel Stags 3pm
21 05/09/2015 Barrow Raiders Rochdale Hornets 6.30pm
21 06/09/2015 Coventry Bears London Skolars 3pm
21 06/09/2015 Hemel Stags Oxford 2.30pm
21 06/09/2015 North Wales Crusaders York City Knights 2.30pm
21 06/09/2015 Oldham Swinton Lions 3pm
21 06/09/2015 South Wales Scorpions Gateshead Thunder 3pm
21 06/09/2015 Univ Gloucs All Golds Keighley Cougars 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Coventry Bears Univ Gloucs All Golds 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Gateshead Thunder North Wales Crusaders 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Keighley Cougars Hemel Stags 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Oxford Oldham 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Rochdale Hornets London Skolars 3pm
22 13/09/2015 Swinton Lions South Wales Scorpions 3pm
22 13/09/2015 York City Knights Barrow Raiders 3pm
