2023 RFL League 1

The 2023 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.

2023 Betfred League One
LeagueLeague One
Duration18 February 2023 – 27 August 2023
Teams10
2023
ChampionsDewsbury Rams
Biggest home winDewsbury Rams 78–10 Cornwall
(16 April)
Biggest away winLondon Skolars 0–60 Doncaster
(11 August)

The title and the automatic promotion place was won by Dewsbury Rams. Also promoted were Doncaster who won through the play-offs to win the play-off final 18–6 against North Wales Crusaders.

Teams

The number of teams in League One was scheduled to remain at 11, with Keighley and Swinton (who were promoted in 2022), being replaced by Dewsbury Rams and Workington Town, (the teams relegated from the Championship), but on 22 December 2022, the RFL announced that West Wales Raiders had withdrawn from the league, and that the season would proceed with just 10 clubs.[1][2]

In January 2023, Midlands Hurricanes confirmed that the club would be moving from the Portway Stadium, to use the Alexander Stadium in Perry Park, Birmingham.[3]

Towards the end of the season, Oldham announced that the club's planned relocation to Boundary Park would be brought forward from 2024. On 22 August, the club played their penultimate home game of the regular season, at Boundary Park (the club's first match there since 2009).[4]

On 15 September 2023, London Skolars issued a statement to say they would be withdrawing from League One, ahead of the 2024 season.[5]


Stadiums and locations

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Cornwall RLFC Penryn, Cornwall The Memorial Ground 4,000
Dewsbury Rams Dewsbury Crown Flatt 5,100
Doncaster Doncaster Eco-Power Stadium 15,231
Hunslet Leeds South Leeds Stadium 4,000
London Skolars Haringey, London New River Stadium 2,000
Midlands Hurricanes Birmingham Alexander Stadium 2,000
North Wales Crusaders Colwyn Bay Eirias Stadium 5,500
Oldham Oldham Whitebank Stadium (2 matches at Boundary Park) 1,500 (13,513)
Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Spotland Stadium 10,249
Workington Town Workington Derwent Park 10,000

Rule changes

Changes in the operational rules were announced on 1 February 2023.[6]

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.[7]

Fixtures and results

With the withdrawal of West Wales Raiders, consideration was given to adding loop fixture to the season but a meeting of the 10 clubs decided against this and to proceed with an 18-match season with the dates where clubs would have played West Wales as byes.[2]

The round 18 match between Rochdale Hornets and London Skolars was forfeited by the Skolars. Originally scheduled for 23 July, the fixture was postponed due to bad weather. It was subsequently rescheduled again for 23 August, but was further postponed on 21 August, when Skolars informed the RFL they would be unable to fulfil the fixture. On 24 August, the RFL announced that Rochdale had been awarded the fixture as an automatic 48-0 win under the league's operational rules.[8]

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Dewsbury Rams 18 15 1 2 623 215 +408 31 Promoted to the Championship
2 Hunslet 18 14 0 4 572 284 +288 28 Advance to qualifying semi-final
3 Doncaster 18 14 0 4 602 352 +250 28 Advance to qualifying play-off
4 Oldham 18 12 1 5 605 333 +272 25
5 Workington Town 18 11 0 7 516 385 +131 22 Advance to elimination play-off
6 North Wales Crusaders 18 7 0 11 520 437 +83 14
7 Rochdale Hornets 18 6 0 12 425 520 95 12
8 Midlands Hurricanes 18 5 0 13 408 647 239 10
9 Cornwall 18 5 0 13 257 712 455 10
10 London Skolars 18 0 0 18 254 897 643 0
Source:

Play-offs

Team bracket

Week 1: Elimination & qualifying play-offs

Qualifying play-off
3 September 2023
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Doncaster 36–00 Oldham
Report
Eco-Power Stadium
Attendance: 615[9]
Referee: Kevin Moore

Elimination play-off
3 September 2023
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Workington Town 10–26 North Wales Crusaders
Report
Derwent Park
Attendance: 611[10]
Referee: Ryan Cox

Week 2: Semi-finals

Qualifying semi-final
10 September 2023
18:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Hunslet 14–26 Doncaster
Report
South Leeds Stadium
Attendance: 897[11]
Referee: Nick Bennett

Elimination semi-final
10 September 2023
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Oldham 12–13 North Wales Crusaders
Report
Boundary Park
Attendance: 836[12]
Referee: Kevin Moore

Week 3: Preliminary final

17 September 2023
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Hunslet 18–25 North Wales Crusaders
Report
South Leeds Stadium
Attendance: 626[13]
Referee: Matt Rossleigh

Week 4: Promotion play-off final

24 September 2023
15:00 BST (UTC+01:00)
Doncaster 18–6 North Wales Crusaders
Tries: Fonua, Mcconnell, Smeaton
Goals: Robinson (3/4)
Report
Tries: Hughes
Goals: Hayes (1/1)
Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster
Attendance: 2,549[14]
Referee: Nick Bennett

References

  1. Redhead, Paul (12 November 2022). "Championship and League One opening fixtures announced for 2023 season". Rugby League News. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  2. "West Wales Raiders withdraw from RFL competitions". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  3. "Rugby League coming to Alexander Stadium after Midlands Hurricanes agree tenancy partnership with council". www.birmingham.gov.uk. Birmingham City Council.
  4. "A winning return to Boundary Park for Oldham RLFC". The Oldham Times. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. Walker, Callum (15 September 2023). "London Skolars withdraw from League One in rugby league blow". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  6. "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.
  7. Gordon, James (1 February 2023). "Former Super League ref, GB Lioness & France prop join RFL disciplinary". LoveRugbyLeague. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. "RFL Statement – Rochdale v London". RFL. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  9. "Doncaster 36-0 Oldham - 03.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  10. "Workington Town 10-26 North Wales Crusaders - 03.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  11. "Hunslet 14-26 Doncaster - 10.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  12. "Oldham 12-13 North Wales Crusaders - 10.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  13. "Hunslet 18-25 North Wales Crusaders - 17.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
  14. "Doncaster 18-6 North Wales Crusaders - 24.09.2023". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugby League Records.
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