2024 RFL League One

2024 Betfred League One
LeagueLeague One
DurationMarch – October 2024
Teams9
Matches played96
Points scored5,090
Highest attendance2,681 Oldham v Workington (1 September 2024)
2024
ChampionsOldham
Top point-scorer(s)Jack Miller (Keighley) (190 points)
Top try-scorer(s)Cian Tyrer (Oldham) (30 tries)

The 2024 RFL League One was a professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom and the third tier of the sport for Rugby Football League (RFL) affiliated clubs. The sponsors for the league were the bookmakers, Betfred and the league continued to be known as the Betfred League One.

Nine teams competed in the league playing 20 matches each over 23 rounds in the regular season with the team finishing first being declared the champions and the teams finishing second to fifth taking part in the play-offs.

Oldham won the title and automatic promotion to the 2025 Championship with two matches to spare.[1] The play-off final was won by Hunslet earning the club a chance to travel to Swinton Lions in the Championship play-off match, where the Yorkshire club also won promotion.

Team changes

The league had decreased in size from 2023 with nine teams competing, down from 10 in 2023. At the end of the 2023 season London Skolars announced that the club was reverting to amateur status and was resigning from the professional ranks. Dewsbury Rams and Doncaster were promoted to the Championship and were replaced by Keighley Cougars and Newcastle Thunder who finished bottom of the Championship. When the fixture list was issued on 3 December 2023 there remained some doubt about Newcastle's participation as that club also announced they were withdrawing from the league at the end of the 2023 season. However an attempt to revive the club started in October 2023 and an application to rejoin the league made.[2] Newcastle's application to rejoin the RFL was approved on 22 December when it was also confirmed that the club will continue to play at Kingston Park.[3] In May 2024 Newcastle announced that the club would be playing all remaining games at Gateshead International Stadium.[4]

Structure changes

Until this season promotion and relegation was on a 2-up, 2-down basis between the Championship and League One but was subject to a review of the league structure.[5]

In March 2024 the RFL completed the review and announced that the first steps will be taken to equalise the number of teams in the Championship and League One at 12 each by the start of the 2026 season. At the end of 2024 the Championship would reduce in size to 13 for 2025 while League One would increase to 10 in 2025. This means that at the end of the 2024 season, only the League 1 champions would automatically be promoted to the Championship while the bottom two teams in the Championship would be relegated. The team that won the League One play-offs would play the team finishing third-bottom in the Championship for the 13th place in the 2025 Championship.[6]

As there were only nine teams in the division for 2024, playing the other clubs home and away only would give each team just 16 fixtures. To increase the number of fixtures for each team and make the season more financially sustainable, each club had four additional fixtures, known as loop fixtures, two home and two away.[7]

Rule changes

A number of changes have been introduced for 2024.[8]

The "six again" rule was amended so that set restarts would only be awarded if the ball is in the defending team's half of the field. Infringements in the attacking team's half resulted in a penalty to the attacking team.

The use of the 18th man was allowed after two players (reduced from three) had failed head impact assessments or a player was 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 was discontinued.

A team awarded a penalty at a scrum had the option to reset the scrum instead of taking the penalty.

For disciplinary processes a category of "reckless tackle" was introduced.[9]

Clubs

Stadiums and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2024 RFL League One teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Cornwall Penryn The Memorial Ground 4,000
Hunslet Leeds South Leeds Stadium 4,000
Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougar Park 7,800
Midlands Hurricanes Birmingham Alexander Stadium 2,000
Newcastle Thunder Newcastle upon Tyne Kingston Park 10,200
Gateshead International Stadium 11,800
North Wales Crusaders Colwyn Bay Eirias Stadium 5,500
Oldham Oldham Boundary Park 13,513
Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Spotland Stadium 10,249
Workington Town Workington Derwent Park 10,000

Results

Main article: 2024 RFL League One results

Table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Oldham 20 19 0 1 885 144 +741 38 Champions
2 Keighley Cougars 20 15 1 4 694 352 +342 31 Advance to qualifying semi-final
3 Rochdale Hornets 20 13 1 6 687 432 +255 27 Advance to qualifying play-off
4 Hunslet 20 13 0 7 522 534 −12 26
5 Midlands Hurricanes 20 9 0 11 566 424 +142 18 Advance to elimination play-off
6 Workington Town 20 9 0 11 504 549 −45 18
7 North Wales Crusaders 20 8 0 12 464 472 −8 16
8 Cornwall 20 3 0 17 306 787 −481 6
9 Newcastle Thunder 20 0 0 20 190 1124 −934 0
Source: [1]

Play-offs

Team bracket

Week 1: Qualifying and elimination play-offs

Qualifying play-off
15 September 2024
15:00
Rochdale Hornets 30–18 Hunslet
Tries: Juma, Else (2), Andrade, Forber, Harrop
Goals: Harman (3)
 [10]
 Tries: Ferreira, Goddard, Render (2)
Goals: Beharrell
Spotland Stadium
Attendance: 826
Referee: K. Moore
Elimination play-off
15 September 2024
15:00
Midlands Hurricanes 24–22 Workington Town
Tries: Hewitt, Luke-Kirby, Chrimes
Goals: Sweeting (6)
 [11]
 Tries: Burns (2), Brennan, Bickerdike
Goals: Forber (3)
Alexander Stadium
Referee: M. Lynn

Week 2: Semi-finals

Qualifying semi-final
22 September 2024
15:00
Keighley Cougars 26–22 Rochdale Hornets
Tries: Lanskey, Lynam, Miller, Ioane
Goals: Miller (5/6)
 [12]
 Tries: Roberts, Andrade, Forber, Harrop
Goals: Harman (3/4)
Cougar Park
Attendance: 1,037
Referee: B. Thaler
Elimination semi-final
22 September 2024
15:00
Hunslet 18–14 Midlands Hurricanes
Tries: Ferreira, Delaney, Render
Goals: Beharrell (3/4)
 [13]
 Tries: Clavering, Barcoe
Goals: Sweeting (3/3)
South Leeds Stadium
Attendance: 474
Referee: R. Cox

Week 3: Preliminary final

Played between the losing team of the qualifying semi-final and the winning team of the elimination semi-final. The match was played at the ground of the team that finished higher during the regular season.

Preliminary final
29 September 2024
15:00
Rochdale Hornets 26–46 Hunslet
Tries: Derbyshire, Nelmes, Andrade, Taulapapa, Forber
Goals: Harman (3/5)
 [14]
 Tries: Flanagan (2), Berry, Turner, Render (2), Ferreira, Wood
Goals: Beharrell (7/8)
Spotland Stadium
Attendance: 428
Referee: S. Mikalauskas

Week 4: Play-off final

Played between the winning team of the qualifying semi-final and the winning team of the preliminary final. The match was played at the ground of the team that finished higher during the regular season.

Play-off final
6 October 2024
15:00
Keighley Cougars 6–20 Hunslet
Tries: Flanagan
Goals: Miller (1/1)
 [15]
 Tries: Wood, Turner, Render
Goals: Beharrell (4/6)
Cougar Park
Attendance: 1,057
Referee: C. Worsley

Promotion play-off

The Championship promotion play-off match between the winners of the play-off final and the team finishing 12th in the Championship was played on 13 October 2024.

Championship play-off
13 October 2024
19:30
Swinton Lions 20–22 Hunslet
Tries: Williams, Cox, Wood, Vaughan
Goals: Abram (2/4)
 [16]
 Tries: Turner, Berry, Flanagan, Render
Goals: Beharrell (3/4)
Heywood Road
Attendance: 885
Referee: J. Vella


References

  1. ^ Cook, Sam (18 August 2024). "Oldham defeat Keighley Cougars to secure League One title". Serious About Rugby League. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  2. ^ Walker, Callum (3 December 2023). "Newcastle Thunder still not accepted by RFL for 2024 despite inclusion in 1895 Cup and League One fixtures". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ "RFL approve change of ownership at Newcastle Thunder". Rugby Football League. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Newcastle Thunder return to Gateshead International Stadium". BBC Sport. 16 May 2024.
  5. ^ Walker, Callum (3 November 2023). "Championship Summer Bash set to be scrapped as clubs learn structure fate". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Super 8s to return as part of overhaul of Championship rugby league plans". Love Rugby League. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  7. ^ "2024 League 1 fixtures: Every one of the 90 games listed including newly-introduced 'loop' matches". Love Rugby League. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Five law changes approved by the RFL ahead of 2024 season including 'Six Again' rule, 18th man, 'Reckless' tackles". LoveRugbyLeague. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Head injury assessment laws among RFL board tweaks". BBC Sport. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Tempers flare as Hornets prevail". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3448. 16 September 2024. p. 13.
  11. ^ "Sweeting puts boot into Town". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3448. 16 September 2024. p. 13.
  12. ^ "Cougars hold on in a thriller". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3449. 23 September 2024. p. 13.
  13. ^ "Hunslet snatch a late victory". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3449. 23 September 2024. p. 13.
  14. ^ "Hunslet roar into play-off final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3450. 30 September 2024. p. 21.
  15. ^ "Hunslet shock the Cougars". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3451. 7 October 2024. p. 21.
  16. ^ "Hunslet on the up amid late drama". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3453. 21 October 2024. p. 19.