The 2020 Rugby Football League Championship is a rugby league football competition played primarily in England but including a team from France. It is the second tier of the three tiers of professional rugby league in England, below Super League and above League 1. Following rule changes agreed at the end of the 2018 season, the Super 8's format was abandoned and the Championship was to have featured a play-off system leading to promotion to Super League for one club while results during the regular season would have led to relegation to League 1 for two teams.
The 2020 Championship comprised 14 teams, which all played one another twice in the regular season, once at home and once away, totalling 26 games. The 2020 season would also have featured the "Summer Bash Weekend" for a sixth time so the regular season totals 27 games for each team.
On 16 March the structure and timing of the competition were 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. The suspension of the season was extended to indefinite.
A discussion between the RFL and club officials in May saw a majority of the Championship clubs reject a suggestion that the season could recommence with games being played behind closed doors. The RFL board met on 20 July and having consulted with the clubs decided to abandon the 2020 season as the majority of clubs did not support playing behind closed doors. The RFL also confirmed that there would be no promotion or relegation between the Championship and Super League in 2020 and the season was declared null and void.
Teams The Championship is made up of 14 teams, 11 of whom featured in the 2019 Championship; one, London Broncos, who were relegated from Super League; and two, Whitehaven and Oldham, who won promotion from League 1 in 2019. At the end of the 2019 season Bradford Bulls moved out of their Odsal ground and for 2020 agreed a ground share deal with Dewsbury Rams at the Rams' Tetley's Stadium.
Team Stadium Capacity Location Batley Bulldogs Fox's Biscuits Stadium 7,500 Batley, West Yorkshire Bradford Bulls Tetley's Stadium 5,800 Dewsbury, West Yorkshire Dewsbury Rams Tetley's Stadium 5,800 Dewsbury, West Yorkshire Featherstone Rovers LD Nutrition Stadium 8,000 Featherstone, West Yorkshire Halifax The MBi Shay 14,000 Halifax, West Yorkshire Leigh Centurions Leigh Sports Village 12,000 Leigh, Greater Manchester London Broncos Trailfinders Sports Ground 4,000 Ealing, London Oldham Bower Fold 6,500 Stalybridge, Greater Manchester Sheffield Eagles Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium 2,500 Sheffield, South Yorkshire Swinton Lions Heywood Road 3,387 Sale, Greater Manchester Toulouse Olympique Stade Ernest-Wallon 19,500 Toulouse, France Whitehaven Recreation Ground 7,500 Whitehaven, Cumbria Widnes Vikings Halton Stadium 13,350 Widnes, Cheshire York City Knights Bootham Crescent 8,256 York, North Yorkshire
Regular season results
Round 1
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (GMT)VenueRefereeAttendance Dewsbury Rams10–36 Leigh Centurions31 January 2020, 19:30Tetley's StadiumCameron Worsley1,723 Toulouse Olympique22–10 York City Knights1 February 2020, 18:00Stade Ernest-ArgelesMarcus Griffiths3,151 Batley Bulldogs18–38 Featherstone Rovers2 February 2020, 15:00The Fox's Biscuit StadiumTom Grant1,795 Bradford Bulls14–18 London BroncosTetley's StadiumAaron Moore2,697 Halifax18–17 Sheffield EaglesThe MBI ShayBilly Pearson1,525 Oldham Roughyeds6–36 Widnes VikingsBower FoldJack Smith1,726 Whitehaven RLFC0–14 Swinton LionsRecreation GroundGareth Hewer803 Source:
Round 2
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (GMT)VenueRefereeAttendance Leigh Centurions58–10 Sheffield Eagles8 February 2020, 15:00Leigh Sports VillageMichael Mannifield3,104 Toulouse Olympique58–6 Oldham Roughyeds8 February 2020, 18:00Stade Ernest-WallonAaron Moore2,318 London Broncos36–20 Whitehaven RLFC9 February 2020, 15:00Trailfinders Sports GroundMatthew Rossleigh735 Widnes Vikings32–12 Batley BulldogsSelect Security StadiumTom Grant3,577 Featherstone Rovers Halifax RLFCTBC Swinton Lions Dewsbury RamsTBC York City Knights Bradford BullsTBC Source:
Round 3
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (GMT)VenueRefereeAttendance Batley Bulldogs20–10 Swinton Lions16 February 2020, 15:00The Fox's Biscuit StadiumBilly Pearson746 Bradford Bulls22–30 Featherstone RoversTetley's StadiumMatthew Rossleigh3,640 Leigh Centurions34–0 York City KnightsLeigh Sports VillageScott Mikalauskua2,942 Sheffield Eagles14–26 Toulouse OlympiqueCastle ParkAaron Moore618 Widnes Vikings12–38 London BroncosSelect Security StadiumJack Smith3,680 Whitehaven RLFC14–16 Oldham Roughyeds16 February 2020, 18:15Recreation GroundMichael Mannifield532 Dewsbury Rams18–16 Swinton Lions18 February 2020, 19:45The MBI ShayCameron Worsley1,151 Source:
Round 4
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (GMT)VenueRefereeAttendance Batley Bulldogs18–19 Sheffield Eagles1 March 2020, 15:00The Fox's Biscuit Stadium Halifax RLFC28–4 York City KnightsThe MBI Shay London Broncos10–34 Featherstone RoversTrailfinders Sports Ground Oldham Roughyeds12–26 Bradford BullsBower Fold Whitehaven RLFC4–40 Toulouse OlympiqueRecreation Ground Dewsbury Rams20–8 Widnes Vikings1 March 2020, 18:15Tetley's Stadium Swinton Lions Leigh CenturionsTBC Source:
Round 5
HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and Time (GMT)VenueRefereeAttendance Toulouse Olympique34–14 Batley Bulldogs7 March 2020, 18:00Stade Ernest-Wallon Featherstone Rovers35–24 Swinton Lions8 March 2020, 15:00LD Nutrition Stadium Leigh Centurions34–20 Halifax RLFCLeigh Sports Village Oldham Roughyeds6–24 Dewsbury RamsBower Fold Widnes Vikings40–16 Whitehaven RLFCSelect Security Stadium York City Knights12–18 London BroncosBootham Crescent1,364 Bradford Bulls28–0 Sheffield Eagles8 March 2020, 18:15 Source:
Standings at time of abandonment
References