2023 Betfred Championship
Duration4 February – 15 October 2023
Teams14
Matches played194
Points scored8,875
Highest attendance4,879
Bradford Bulls v Keighley Cougars (2 July 2023)
Lowest attendance684
Newcastle Thunder v Keighley Cougars (18 June 2023)
Average attendance2,012
Attendance380,375
Broadcast partnersViaplay Sports
2023 season
Promoted to Super LeagueLondon Broncos
League Leaders' ShieldFeatherstone Rovers
Relegated to League OneNewcastle Thunder
Keighley Cougars
Biggest home winFeatherstone Rovers 76–4 Whitehaven (19 February 2023)
Biggest away winWhitehaven 0–60 Featherstone Rovers (2 July 2023)
Top point-scorer(s)Cory Aston Sheffield Eagles (182)
Top try-scorer(s)Lachlan Walmsley Halifax Panthers (30)

The 2023 RFL Championship, (officially known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons), was a professional rugby league club competition. Fourteen clubs – thirteen from England and one from France – competed to gain promotion to the 2024 Super League, while avoiding relegation to the 2024 League One season.

The seasons comprised 27 rounds in the regular season with the top six teams taking part in the play-offs.

The champions were London Broncos who after finishing fifth in the regular season, won the play-off grand final against Toulouse Olympique.

Featherstone Rovers won the League Leader's Shield finishing the regular season 12 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Toulouse.

Newcastle Thunder and Keighley Cougars were relegated to League One.

Teams

Team changes

The following teams changed division since the 2022 season:

To Championship

Promoted from League One

Relegated from the Super League

From Championship

Promoted to the Super League

Relegated to League One

Clubs

Locations of teams competing in the 2023 Championship.
Locations of the 2023 RFL Championship teams in West Yorkshire
Locations of 2023 RFL Championship teams in France
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
Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Millennium Stadium 8,000
Halifax Panthers Halifax The Shay 10,401
Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougar Park 7,800
London Broncos Wimbledon Plough Lane 9,215
Newcastle Thunder Newcastle upon Tyne Kingston Park 10,200
Sheffield Eagles Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park 1,320
Swinton Lions Sale Heywood Road 3,387
Toulouse Olympique Toulouse Stade Ernest-Wallon 19,500
Whitehaven Whitehaven Recreation Ground 7,500
Widnes Vikings Widnes DCBL Stadium 13,350
York Knights York York Community Stadium 8,005

Rule changes

Changes in the operational rules were announced on 1 February 2023.[1]

On-field, the main change is that teams awarded a penalty for an offence at a scrum can now kick for goal. Previously such penalties were differential precluding the team from kicking for goal. The green card process has been clarified so that if the referee calls "time off" for a player to receive medical attention, the player must leave the pitch for two minutes. Teams will be allowed to name an 18th player (fifth interchange player) in the squad who can play if three or more players are withdrawn due to failing a head injury assessment (HIA).

Off-field the graduated return to play process that applies after a player has suffered a concussion will be a minimum of 12 days (up from 11 in 2022).

Changes have also been made to the disciplinary process where the periods of suspension for the various grade of offences have been reduced but the use of fines increased.[2]

Results

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Featherstone Rovers 27 25 0 2 1079 295 +784 50 League Leaders Shield and qualify for semi-finals
2 Toulouse Olympique 27 19 0 8 834 385 +449 38 Semi-finals
3 Bradford Bulls 27 16 1 10 677 572 +105 33 Eliminators
4 Sheffield Eagles 27 16 0 11 780 560 +220 32
5 London Broncos 27 16 0 11 600 552 +48 32
6 York Knights 27 15 0 12 557 557 0 30
7 Batley Bulldogs 27 15 0 12 506 519 −13 30
8 Halifax Panthers 27 14 1 12 690 572 +118 29
9 Widnes Vikings 27 13 0 14 619 654 −35 26
10 Swinton Lions 27 9 0 18 426 739 −313 18
11 Barrow Raiders 27 8 1 18 471 672 −201 17
12 Whitehaven 27 8 0 19 481 809 −328 16
13 Keighley Cougars 27 8 0 19 506 837 −331 16 Relegation to League One
14 Newcastle Thunder 27 5 1 21 415 918 −503 11
Source: RFL
Rules for classification: 1) Competition points; 2) Points difference; 3) Points percentage (points scored/points conceded x 100)

Play-offs

Team bracket

Eliminators Semi-finals Grand Final
1 Featherstone Rovers 26
4 Sheffield Eagles 0 5 London Broncos 36
5 London Broncos 42 2 Toulouse Olympique 14
5 London Broncos 18
2 Toulouse Olympique 38
3 Bradford Bulls 22 3 Bradford Bulls 20
6 York Knights 8

Week 1: Eliminators

1 October 2023
20:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Sheffield Eagles 0–42 London Broncos
Report
 Tries: Grant 6', 72', Bassett 11', 19', Lovell 65', Walker 43',Williams 39'
Goals: Norman (7/7) 7', 12, 20', 40',44', 66', 73'
Olympic Legacy Park
Attendance: 648[3]
Referee: James Vella
1 October 2023
18:30 BST (UTC+01:00)
Bradford Bulls 22–8 York Knights
Tries: Rogers 35', Appo 37', Holmes 44'
Goals: Lilley (5/5) 36', 38', 45', 62', 67'
 Report
 Tries: Dee 28'
Goals: Harris (2/2) 14', 29'
Odsal Stadium
Attendance: 2,738[4]
Referee: Tom Grant

Week 2: Semi-finals

7 October 2023
17:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Toulouse Olympique 38–20 Bradford Bulls
Tries: Santo, Stefani, Armitage, Laguerre (2), Ralph, Marcon
Goals: Santo, Brochon (4/6)
 Report
 Tries: Gaskell (2), Appo
Goals: Lilley (4/4)
Stade Ernest Wallon
Attendance: 4,352[5]
Referee: James Vella
8 October 2023
18:30 BST (UTC+01:00)
Featherstone Rovers 26–36 London Broncos
Tries: Hankinson (2), Leilua (2), Briscoe
Goals: Kheirallah (3/5)
 Report
 Tries: Walker (2), Whare, Macani, Grant, Raiwalui
Goals: Norman (6/6)
Post Office Road
Referee: Tom Grant

Week 3: Grand Final

See also: Championship Grand Final
15 October 2023
14:30 BST (UTC+01:00)
Toulouse Olympique 14–18 London Broncos
Tries: Jussaume, Ralph
Goals: Shorrocks (3/3)
 Report
 Tries: Whare, Walker, Macani (2)
Goals: Norman (1/4)
Stade Ernest Wallon
Referee: Jack Smith
Player of the Match: Alex Walker (London)

Broadcasting

The 2023 Championship season was the second of two seasons televised under a broadcasting deal between the Rugby Football League and Premier Media Broadcasting agreed in October 2021.[6][7] In late 2022, Viaplay Group acquired Premier Media Broadcasting for £30 million, and subsequently took over operations of Premier Media Broadcasting's channels and rebranded them to Viaplay Sports.[8] Viaplay Group broadcast the Championship's Monday evening games, along with two Summer Bash games and all five play-off games, via their Viaplay Sports channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[6][7] All matches broadcast on Viaplay Sports, including the Championship Grand Final, were broadcast on Fox League in Australia throughout the season.

References

  1. ↑ "Law changes, new faces and ref-cams – what's new in Rugby League in 2023". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. ↑ Gordon, James (1 February 2023). "Former Super League ref, GB Lioness & France prop join RFL disciplinary". LoveRugbyLeague. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "Sheffield Eagles 0-42 London Broncos - 01.10.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Bradford Bulls 22-8 York Knights - 01.10.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  5. ↑ "RL Records - Toulouse Olympique 0-0 Bradford Bulls - 07.10.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 Walker, Callum (6 October 2021). "Monday night rugby league set for return from 2022". Serious About Rugby League. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 Darbyshire, Drew (6 October 2021). "Championship set for Monday night TV slot". Love Rugby League. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Whittock, Jesse; Tartaglione, Nancy (18 October 2022). "Viaplay Sets UK Launch Date; Cambodia Oscars Entry; 'Agatha Christie's Hjerson' Drama Sells; Fifth Season Format; 'That's My Jam' Spreads; Antenna Studios Drama — Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
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