# 2025 RFL League One

The 2025 RFL League One is 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 are the bookmakers, Betfred and the league continues to be known as the Betfred League One.
Eleven teams will compete in the league playing 20 matches each over 22 rounds in the regular season.

## Team changes

The league had increased in size from 2024 with 11 teams competing, up from nine in 2024. At the end of the 2024 season Dewsbury Rams, Swinton Lions and Whitehaven were relegated from the Championship replacing Oldham and Hunslet who won promotion. Goole Vikings were admitted to the league, the first new team since Cornwall in 2022.

## Structure changes

Until 2023 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.
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. Following the 2-up, 3-down system in 2024, 2025 will see the return of the Super 8s format with the top four teams in League One meeting the bottom four teams in the Championship to decide which division those clubs will play in for 2026. The Super 8s will comprise four rounds with each League One club playing the four clubs from the Championship, two at home and two away. After the four rounds have been completed, the top two teams will automatically qualify to play in the 2026 Championship. The teams finishing third and fourth will play each other to decide which teams gets the final place in the Championship. The losers of this match and the teams finishing fifth to eighth will play in League One in 2026.

## Rule changes

Three rule changes are brought in for 2025:
* Kick chasers will only be offside if they are influencing the play rather than automatically being offside for being within 10 metres.
* Drop-outs that fail to travel 10 metres or go out on the full result in a play-the-ball rather than a penalty.
* Attacking players as well as defending players can be green-carded if play has to be stopped due to an injury. Previously only defending players could be green-carded.

## Clubs
### Stadiums and locations

| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Cornwall | Penryn | The Memorial Ground | 4,000 |
| Dewsbury Rams | Dewsbury | Crown Flatt | 5,100 |
| Goole Vikings | Goole | Victoria Pleasure Gardens | 3,000 |
| Keighley Cougars | Keighley | Cougar Park | 7,800 |
| Midlands Hurricanes | Birmingham | Alexander Stadium | 18,000 |
| Newcastle Thunder | Swalwell | Crow Trees Ground | 2,000 |
| North Wales Crusaders | Colwyn Bay | Eirias Stadium | 5,500 |
| Rochdale Hornets | Rochdale | Spotland Stadium | 10,249 |
| Swinton Lions | Sale | Heywood Road | 3,387 |
| Whitehaven | Whitehaven | Recreation Ground | 7,500 |
| Workington Town | Workington | Derwent Park | 10,000 |

## Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Rochdale Hornets | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | +44 | 2 | Advance to Super 8s |
| 2 | North Wales Crusaders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 2 | Advance to Super 8s |
| 3 | Swinton Lions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 10 | +6 | 2 | Advance to Super 8s |
| 4 | Midlands Hurricanes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 2 | Advance to Super 8s |
| 5 | Cornwall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Newcastle Thunder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Workington Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Goole Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 0 | |
| 9 | Whitehaven | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 0 | |
| 10 | Dewsbury Rams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 0 | |
| 11 | Keighley Cougars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | −44 | 0 | |