2020 RFL League 1

The 2020 RFL League 1 is a professional rugby league football competition played in England and Wales and is the third tier of the sport for Rugby Football League (RFL) affiliated clubs. The sponsors for the league are the bookmakers, Betfred and the league will continue to be known as the Betfred League 1.

2020 League 1
LeagueLeague 1
Duration22 rounds + play-offs
Teams11
2020 Season

The league follows the same structure that was in place for the 2019 season and will consist of 22 rounds with each of the 11 teams playing 20 fixtures against each other home and away and two bye rounds. The team finishing top will win automatic promotion to the 2021 Championship and be named league champions for 2020. The teams finishing second to sixth will meet in a series of play-off games culminating in the League 1 Play-Off Final. The winner of this match will also be promoted to the Championship for 2021.

This season sees the introduction of golden point extra time. Extra-time will consist of two periods of five minutes but unlike the version in use in the Super League where winner takes all, in League 1 each team will earn a point for a game where the scores finish level at the end of normal time with a third point awarded to the first team to score during extra-time.[1]

On 16 March the structure and timing of the competition was placed in doubt as all rugby league games were suspended until 3 April at least as part of the United Kingdom's response to the coronavirus pandemic.[2] The suspension of the season was extended to indefinite.[3]

A discussion between the RFL and club officials in May saw seven of the 11 clubs reject a suggestion that the season could recommence with games being played behind closed doors.[4]

Teams
Locations of the 2020 RFL League 1 teams
Colours Club City Stadium Capacity*
Barrow Raiders Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness 7,600
Coventry Bears Coventry, West Midlands Butts Park Arena 4,000
Doncaster Doncaster, South Yorkshire Keepmoat Stadium 15,231
Hunslet Leeds, West Yorkshire South Leeds Stadium 4,000
Keighley Cougars Keighley, West Yorkshire Cougar Park 7,800
London Skolars Haringey, London New River Stadium 2,000
Newcastle Thunder Newcastle, Tyne and Wear Kingston Park 10,200
North Wales Crusaders Wrexham, Wales Queensway Stadium 2,000
Rochdale Hornets Rochdale, Greater Manchester Spotland Stadium 10,249
West Wales Raiders Llanelli, Wales Stebonheath Park 3,700
Workington Town Workington, Cumbria Zebra Claims Stadium 10,000

*capacity for rugby league games may differ from official stadium capacity.

Results
Main article: 2020 RFL League 1 results

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts Qualification
1 Hunslet 2 2 0 0 79 16 +63 0 4 Champions
2 Barrow Raiders 2 2 0 0 82 28 +54 0 4 Play-off semi-final
3 Newcastle Thunder 2 2 0 0 58 30 +28 0 4 Play-off qualifying final
4 Doncaster 2 1 0 1 72 42 +30 0 2
5 Workington Town 2 1 0 1 46 36 +10 0 2 Play-off elimination final
6 Rochdale Hornets 1 1 0 0 29 14 +15 0 2
7 North Wales Crusaders 2 1 0 1 46 45 +1 0 2
8 London Skolars 1 0 0 1 16 40 −24 0 0
9 Keighley Cougars 2 0 0 2 20 53 −33 0 0
10 Coventry Bears 2 0 0 2 14 78 −64 0 0
11 West Wales Raiders 2 0 0 2 20 100 −80 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on 8 March 2020. Source:

Play-offs

The winners of the play-off final will join the season's champions of League 1 in the Championship in 2021.

  Elmination / Qualifying finals Semi-finals Preliminary final Play-off final
                                 
  Semi-final 2:
  2    
                Play-off final:
               
  Qualifying final:           Preliminary final:      
  3              
  4       Semi-final 1:      
         
  Elimination final:        
  5    
  6  
   
Key:           Losing team progressing       Winning team progressing

References
  1. "2020 Betfred Championship & League 1 Fixtures revealed". RFL. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. "Coronavirus: Rugby Football League suspends season until 3 April". BBC Sport. 16 March 2020.
  3. "Rugby League to stand down staff and players". Rugby Leaguer & League Express (3, 219). 30 March 2020. p. 3.
  4. "Championship on the brink of closing for the season". Rugby Leaguer & League Express (3, 226). 18 May 2020. p. 3.
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