League 1 Play-offs

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See also: Championship Grand Final

League 1 Play-off Final
Current season or competition:
2019 RFL League 1
SportRugby league
Instituted2003
Number of teams2
Country United Kingdom (RFL)
HoldersBullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls (1st title)
Most titlesCougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars (3 titles)
Related competitionMillion Pound Game

The League 1 Play-Offs are a series of playoff games that determine the two teams who are promoted to the Championship. The playoffs have included different number of teams since 2009.

History[]

2003: Institution[]

A Third Division was reintroduced in 2003 and was branded as National League Two. It was decided a playoff system would be introduced in both National Leagues One and Two to decide who would be promoted from their respective leagues. A six team playoff was implemented in both divisions.

2004-2005:Promotion/ Relegation Playoff[]

In 2004 promotion and relegation between both National Leagues was restructured. Now the team finishing top of the National League Two would be automatically promoted while teams finishing between 2nd and 6th competed in a five team playoff where the team reaching the final would play the team that finished second from bottom in National League One.

2006-2013: One Up and Five Team Playoff[]

After just two years the promotion/ relegation playoff was scrapped in favour of a more traditional playoff. Under the new system the team finishing first would still be promoted and a six team playoff would be competed by teams finishing 2nd to 7th.

This system was not used in 2012 due to a league restructure, where the top 4 teams were promoted but competed in the Champions Playoff. The teams finishing 5th and 6th also competed in the playoff but were not guaranteed promotion.

2014: Grand Final[]

Due to another league restructure taking place for the 2015 season, the make up of the playoffs was changed again for one season. A top 5 playoff would be used team winning the Grand Final being promoted.

2015-2016: Promotion and Playoff Finals[]

Two new playoff systems were implemented in 2015, the Promotion Final and League 1 Playoffs. The top two teams would play in the Promotion Final with the winner being promoted. The loser would then join 3rd, 4th and 5th in the playoffs with the winner being promoted.

2017-2018: Four Team Playoff[]

Halfway through the 2017 season, it was announced that the Promotion Final would be scrapped in favour of the top team being automatically promoted while 2nd to 5th would playoff for the final promotion spot. The same system was used in 2018 bit the loser of the Playoff Final would have a second chance at promotion by playing 12th in the Championship due to a league restructure.

2019-Present: Return to One Up and Five Team Playoff[]

At an EGM in 2018 the League 1 clubs voted in another restructure of the playoffs and promotion spots. From 2019 onwards they would use the same system used between 2006 and 2013 by having first being promoted automatically and 2nd to 6th competing in a five team playoff.

Results[]

Year Winners Score Runners up Stadium Attendance
2003 Cougscolours.svg Keighley 13–11 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Halton Stadium 9,186
2004 Faxcolours.svg Halifax 34–30 Balmain colours.svg York
2005 Batley colours.svg Batley 28–26 Ramscolours.svg Dewsbury
2006 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield 35–10 Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Halliwell Jones Stadium
2007 Fevcolours.svg Featherstone 24–6 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Headingley
2008 Doncaster colours.svg Doncaster 20–10 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Halton Stadium
2009 Cougscolours.svg Keighley 28–26 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Halliwell Jones Stadium 11,398
2010 Balmain colours.svg York 25–4 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham
2011 Cougscolours.svg Keighley 32–12 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington
2012 Doncaster colours.svg Doncaster 16–13 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow 6,409
2013 Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale 32–18 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Leigh Sports Village 6,800
2014 Hunsletcolours.svg Hunslet 17–16 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Headingley 9,167
2015 Swintoncolours.svg Swinton 29–28 Cougscolours.svg Keighley Halton Stadium 4,179
2016 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse 32–22 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow Stade Ernest-Argeles
2017 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow 10–6 Haven colours.svg Whitehaven Craven Park 3,128
2018 Bullscolours.svg Bradford 27–8 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Odsal 6,011
2019 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham 18–14 Gthundercolours.svg Newcastle Whitebank
2021 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington Doncaster colours.svg Doncaster Derwent Park

Winners[]

Club Wins Winning years
1 Cougscolours.svg Keighley Cougars 3 2003, 2009, 2011
2 Doncaster colours.svg Doncaster 2 2008, 2012
3 Faxcolours.svg Halifax 1 2004
4 Batley colours.svg Batley Bulldogs 1 2005
5 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 1 2006
6 Fevcolours.svg Featherstone Rovers 1 2007
7 Balmain colours.svg York City Knights 1 2010
8 Rochdale colours.svg Rochdale Hornets 1 2013
9 Hunsletcolours.svg Hunslet 1 2014
10 Swintoncolours.svg Swinton Lions 1 2015
11 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique 1 2016
12 Barrowcolours.svg Barrow Raiders 1 2017
13 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 1 2018
14 Workingtoncolours.svg Workington 1 2021

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

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