{{short description|British rugby league}} {{about|the British rugby league league|other leagues|League One (disambiguation)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox sports league | title = League One | current_season = | logo = Betfred League One logo.png | logo_size = 250px | sport = Rugby league | country = {{unbulleted list|{{ENG}}|{{WAL}}|{{FRA}}|{{CAN}} }} | founded = {{ubl|{{Start date and age|df=y|2003}} (as National League 2)|{{Start date and age|df=yes|2009}} as (Championship 1)|{{Start date and age|df=yes|2015}} (as League 1)|{{Start date and age|df=yes|2022}} (as League One)}} | folded = 2025 (merged with Betfred Championship) | teams = 10 | promotion = Championship | relegation = | levels = 3 | domestic_cup = Challenge Cup<br />1895 Cup | confed_cup = | champions = {{leagueicon|north wales|16}} North Wales Crusaders (2nd title) | most_champs = {{leagueicon|dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury Rams (3 titles) | tv = | website = [https://www.rugby-league.com/competitions/pro-national/betfred-league-one League One] }}
The Rugby Football League's '''League One''' (known as the '''Betfred League One''') was the third-highest division of rugby league in Britain. It was also the lowest level of professional rugby league in Britain.
Introduced in 2003 as '''National League 2''' it was the first time British rugby league had a third tier since the old Third and Second Divisions merged in 1998. The league was rebranded as '''Championship 1''' in 2009, then '''League 1''' in 2015, and '''League One''' in 2022.
The league was disbanded at the conclusion of 2025 due to the merger of the Championship and League One for the 2026 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=RFL: Championship and League One to merge into one league for 2026 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/articles/cx29z5yz7y6o |access-date=28 August 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=27 August 2025}}</ref>
==History==
===1991–2003: Foundation and regular competition=== Third-division rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom have existed periodically since 1991. The current incarnation was created in 2003 when the second-division competition below Super League, the Northern Ford Premiership, was split into National Leagues One and Two. Teams that finished in the top ten league positions of the Northern Ford Premiership at the end of the 2002 season formed National League One, while the remaining eight formed National League Two where they were joined by two additional clubs, London Skolars from the Rugby League Conference and York City Knights, who replaced the defunct York Wasps and also joined National League Two for the inaugural season in 2003.
===2004–2009: National Leagues=== At the end of the 2005 Super League season, an extra team was relegated to National League One in order to accommodate French side Catalans Dragons' entry to the competition. In turn, an additional team was relegated from National League One to League Two, while Blackpool Panthers were elected to National League Two for the 2005 season to replace the defunct Chorley Lynx, leaving 11 teams in League Two. In order to even up the numbers, the Welsh team Celtic Crusaders were admitted to the competition in 2005, first playing in the 2006 season and increasing the division to twelve teams.
===2010–2014: Championship 1=== In 2009 Super League was expanded to 14 teams, with two additional teams being promoted from National League One. In turn, two additional teams were promoted from National League Two to National League One at the end of the 2008 season, reducing the number of teams in National League Two to 10. National Leagues One and Two were then rebranded as Championship and Championship 1 respectively, with the change being implemented in time for the 2009 season.
South Wales Scorpions were admitted to Championship 1 for the 2010 season, increasing the number of teams in the league to 11. Blackpool Panthers left the league in 2011, once again reducing the number of teams to 10. In 2013, three new teams were admitted to the league; Hemel Stags, Gloucestershire All Golds and Oxford Rugby League. To facilitate this expansion, in 2012 four teams were promoted to the Championship from Championship 1 and no teams were relegated from the Championship, meaning that the 2013 Championship 1 season was contested by 9 teams.
===2015–2025: League 1=== [[File:Cougars 2022 with trophy (0I1A3960).jpg|thumb|Keighley Cougars celebrating winning the competition in 2022]] In 2014 expansion and restructure took place with 5 teams relegated from the Championship and Coventry Bears added to expand the league to 14 teams, which was then renamed League 1. A new playoff structure was also introduced with two teams being promoted to the Championship. In 2015 the League 1 Cup was introduced as an additional competition for League 1 clubs. In 2016 Toulouse Olympique joined the league, bringing the total number of teams to 15. Toronto Wolfpack joined the league in 2017, bringing the total number of teams to 16.
In 2016, the Super 8s format that had been used in the Super League and Championship was introduced to League 1.
Under the amended structure, the 16 League 1 clubs played a regular season of 15 rounds, playing each other once either home or away. Following the conclusion of their regular league seasons, the 16 clubs then compete in a playoff series where they split into 2 divisions of 8 based upon league position:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.therfl.co.uk/docs/Policy%20Review%20-%20September%202013.pdf |title=RFL CHIEF EXECUTIVE POLICY REVIEW |publisher=Rugby Football League |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630050554/http://media.therfl.co.uk/docs/Policy%20Review%20-%20September%202013.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/25780498|title=Super League: Competition restructures confirmed|date=17 January 2014|website=BBC Sport}}</ref> * The top eight League 1 clubs compete in the League 1 Super 8s. They play each other once (either home or away) to determine the champion and the four clubs that will compete in the playoffs for the second promotion place. * The remaining clubs compete for the League 1 Shield.
This format remained in use for the 2017 season but on 26 October 2017, it was confirmed that Oxford Rugby League and Gloucestershire All Golds would not compete for the 2018 season, in favour of creating a merged club in Bristol for 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/article/51296/oxford-and-gloucester-to-join-forces |title=Oxford and Gloucester to join forces |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=26 October 2017}}</ref> This reduced the number of clubs to 14 and for 2018 the Super 8 format has been discarded and instead the teams will play a 26-game season; with home and away fixtures against all the other teams. The club top of the table after 26 games will automatically be promoted to the Championship and those finishing second to fifth will play off for the other promotion spot.
The format was modified for 2019 following an RFL extraordinary general meeting in September 2018. The number of clubs in the division was reduced to 12 and the top six teams competed for two promotion places to the Championship. However, on 23 October 2018, Hemel Stags announced that the club was withdrawing from the league for 2019 reducing the number of teams to 11; the RFL indicated that no replacement team was to be sought.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/championship__league_1/article/53826/stags-to-switch-focus-in- |title=Stags to switch focus in 2019 |publisher=RFL |date=23 October 2018 |access-date=23 October 2018}}</ref> The team finishing top of the 11-team league after the 20-game regular season was automatically be promoted then a series of six further matches will decide the second promotion spot.
Following the aborted 2020 season, the number of clubs was reduced to 10 as Newcastle Thunder were appointed to the Championship and the planned entry of Ottawa Aces was deferred to 2022. Over the close season of 2021–2022 Ottawa Aces decided to relocate to Cornwall and Cornwall R.L.F.C. became the division's eleventh team for 2022.
A reduction to ten teams happened for 2023 as West Wales Raiders withdrew from the league in December 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Callum |title=West Wales Raiders owners release heartfelt statement following withdrawal of club from League One |url=https://www.totalrl.com/west-wales-raiders-owners-release-heartfelt-statement-following-withdrawal-of-club-from-league-one/ |access-date=22 December 2022 |work=TotalRL.com |date=22 December 2022}}</ref>
Further reductions to the number of teams initially saw the league go from ten to eight teams for the 2024 season, following London Skolars withdrawal from the league in September 2023 and Newcastle Thunders' withdrawal in October 2023. However the league was restored to nine when Newcastle were re-admitted in December 2023. The addition of Goole Vikings for the start of the 2025 season brought the league back to ten teams. The league did reduce to nine teams as Cornwall RLFC withdrew from the league with immediate effect midseason.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornwall RLFC – Statement |url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/63628/cornwall-rlfc---statement |website=www.rugby-league.com |publisher=RFL |access-date=8 September 2025 |language=en |date=2 April 2025}}</ref>
==Clubs== In the 22 years of the league, 29 different clubs played in the league at some point. {|class="wikitable" ! Name !! Count !!Seasons |- | {{leagueicon|Barrow|16}} Barrow Raiders ||11|| 2003–2004, 2006–2008, 2012, 2015–2017, 2020–2021 |- | {{leagueicon|Blackpool|16}} ''Blackpool Panthers'' § ||6|| 2005–2010 |- | {{leagueicon|Bradford|16}} Bradford Bulls || 1|| 2018 |- | {{leagueicon|Crusaders|16}} ''Celtic Crusaders'' § ||2|| 2006–2007 |- | {{leagueicon|Blackpool|16}} ''Chorley Lynx'' § ||2|| 2003–2004 |- | {{leagueicon|Cornwall|16}} ''Cornwall'' § || 4||2022–25 |- | {{leagueicon|Dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury Rams || 6||2004–2006, 2009, 2023, 2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Doncaster|16}} Doncaster || 12||2008, 2010–2012, 2016–2023 |- | {{leagueicon|Featherstone|16}} Featherstone Rovers || 2||2006–2007 |- | {{leagueicon|Gloucestershire|16}} Gloucestershire All Golds || 5||2013–2017 |- | {{leagueicon|Goole|16}} Goole Vikings ||1|| 2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Hemel|16}} Hemel Stags ||6|| 2013–2018 |- | {{leagueicon|Hunslet|16}} Hunslet ||18|| 2003–2010, 2014, 2016–2024 |- | {{leagueicon|Keighley|16}} Keighley Cougars || 17||2003, 2005–2009, 2011, 2015–2022, 2024–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|London Skolars|16}} London Skolars || 21||2002–2023 |- | {{leagueicon|Midlands|16}} Midlands Hurricanes<br/><small>(as Coventry Bears 1998–2021)</small>|| 11||2015–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle Thunder <br/><small>(as Gateshead Thunder 1999–2014)</small>|| 13||2003–2008, 2010–2020, 2024–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|North Wales|16}} North Wales Crusaders ||13|| 2012–2013, 2015–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Oldham|16}} Oldham || 14||2007–2015, 2018–2019, 2022–2024 |- | {{leagueicon|Oxford|16}} ''Oxford'' § || 5||2013–2017 |- | {{leagueicon|Rochdale|16}} Rochdale Hornets || 14||2008–2013, 2015–2016, 2020–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Sheffield|16}} Sheffield Eagles ||4|| 2003–2006 |- | {{leagueicon|Swinton|16}} Swinton Lions || 12||2003–2011, 2015, 2022, 2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Toronto|16}} Toronto Wolfpack || 1||2017 |- | {{leagueicon|Toulouse|16}} Toulouse Olympique || 1||2016 |- | {{leagueicon|Canberra|16}} ''West Wales Raiders'' § <br/><small>(as South Wales Scorpions 2010–2016<br/>and South Wales Ironmen 2017)</small> || 13||2010–22 |- | {{leagueicon|Whitehaven|16}} Whitehaven || 6||2011–2012, 2017–2019, 2025 |- | {{leagueicon|Workington|16}} Workington Town || 18||2003–2012, 2017–2021, 2023–2025 |- | {{leagueicon|York RLFC|16}} York Knights<br/><small>(as York City Knights)</small> || 12||2003–2005, 2007–2010, 2014–2018 |}
==Structure== Teams play each other once home and away in a round robin system. There is no relegation from League 1. At the end of the season the team finishing first was promoted to the Championship. Various systems have been used to decide the second team to promote, the most recent system – in use between 2019 and 2024 – is for the teams finishing between 2nd and 6th compete in a playoff competition to decide the second promotion spot.
In the play-offs first round there are two matches; the Elimination Final (EF) between the clubs finishing fifth and sixth, and the Qualifying Final (QF) between the clubs finishing third and fourth. For the losing team of the Elimination Final the season is over but the other three play in the semi-finals of the play-offs. In the semi-finals the 1st semi-final was between the winning team in the EF and the losing team in the QF; while the 2nd semi-final was between the team who finished second in the regular season (and had a bye in the first round of the play-offs) and the winning team of the QF. The team winning the 2nd semi-final had home advantage in the Grand Final while the losing team had home advantage in the Preliminary Final.<ref>{{cite news |title=RFL amend format for Championship and League One play-offs |url=https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/sport/18156335.rfl-amend-format-championship-league-one-play-offs/ |access-date=13 January 2020 |work=Keighley News |date=13 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The team losing the 1st semi-final were out of the competition while the winning team played the team losing the 2nd semi-final in the Preliminary Final. The winner of the Preliminary Final played the winner of the 2nd semi-final in the League 1 Grand Final where the victorious team took the second promotion spot to the Championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/2019_structure |title=2019 Structure |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=15 September 2019 |access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref> thumb|upright=3|center|Play-off structure 2019 to 2024
==Results== {{for|winners of the old Third Division|Rugby Football League Championship Third Division}} {{See also|RFL League 1 Promotion Play-off Final}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !width=1%|Year !width=10%|Champions<ref>{{cite web|title=Third Tier Champions|url=http://www.rugbyleaguehonours.co.uk/third.html|date=13 July 2009}}</ref> !width=10%| Also Promoted !width=10%|Bottom place |- |2003 |{{leagueicon|Keighley|16}} Keighley |{{N/A|''none''}} |{{leagueicon|london skolars|16}} London Skolars |- |2004 |{{leagueicon|Barrow|16}} Barrow |{{N/A|''none''}} |{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle |- |2005 |{{leagueicon|york city|16}} York |{{N/A|''none''}} |{{leagueicon|blackpool|16}} Blackpool |- |2006 |{{leagueicon|Dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury |{{leagueicon|Sheffield|16}} Sheffield |{{leagueicon|blackpool|16}} Blackpool |- |2007 |{{leagueicon|Crusaders|16}} Crusaders |{{leagueicon|Featherstone|16}} Featherstone |{{leagueicon|blackpool|16}} Blackpool |- |2008 |{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle |{{leagueicon|Barrow|16}} Barrow<br />{{leagueicon|Doncaster|16}} Doncaster |{{leagueicon|hunslet|16}} Hunslet |- |2009 |{{leagueicon|Dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury |{{leagueicon|Keighley|16}} Keighley |{{leagueicon|london skolars|16}} London Skolars |- |2010 |{{leagueicon|Hunslet|16}} Hunslet |{{leagueicon|york city|16}} York |{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle |- |2011 |{{leagueicon|Swinton|16}} Swinton |{{leagueicon|Keighley|16}} Keighley |{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle |- |2012 |{{leagueicon|Doncaster|16}} Doncaster |{{leagueicon|Barrow|16}} Barrow<br />{{leagueicon|Whitehaven|16}} Whitehaven<br />{{leagueicon|Workington|16}} Workington |{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle |- |2013 |{{leagueicon|North Wales Crusaders|16}} North Wales |{{leagueicon|Rochdale|16}} Rochdale |{{leagueicon|gloucestershire|16}} Gloucestershire |- |2014 |{{leagueicon|Hunslet|16}} Hunslet |{{N/A|''none''}} |{{leagueicon|South Wales Scorpions|16}} South Wales |- |2015 |{{leagueicon|Oldham|16}} Oldham |{{leagueicon|Swinton|16}} Swinton |{{leagueicon|South Wales Scorpions|16}} South Wales |- |2016 |{{leagueicon|rochdale|16}} Rochdale |{{leagueicon|toulouse|16}} Toulouse |{{leagueicon|hemel|16}} Hemel |- |2017 |{{leagueicon|Toronto|16}} Toronto |{{league icon|Barrow|16}} Barrow |{{leagueicon|hemel|16}} Hemel |- |2018 |{{leagueicon|york rlfc|16}} York |{{leagueicon|Bradford|16}} Bradford |{{leagueicon|canberra|16}} West Wales |- |2019 |{{leagueicon|Whitehaven|16}} Whitehaven |{{leagueicon|oldham|16}} Oldham |{{leagueicon|canberra|16}} West Wales |- |2020 |colspan=3{{N/A|Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic}}. {{leagueicon|gateshead|16}} Newcastle elevated to Championship |- |2021 | {{leagueicon|barrow|16}} Barrow |{{leagueicon|Workington|16}} Workington |{{leagueicon|canberra|16}} West Wales |- |2022 | {{leagueicon|keighley|16}} Keighley |{{leagueicon|Swinton|16}} Swinton |{{leagueicon|canberra|16}} West Wales |- |2023 | {{leagueicon|dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury | {{leagueicon|Doncaster|16}} Doncaster |{{leagueicon|london skolars|16}} London Skolars |- |2024 | {{leagueicon|oldham|16}} Oldham |{{leagueicon|hunslet|16}} Hunslet<br/> | {{leagueicon|gateshead|16}} Newcastle |- |2025 | {{leagueicon|north wales|16}} North Wales |{{N/A|''Championship & League One merged''}} | {{leagueicon|gateshead|16}} Newcastle |}
===Winners===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! !Club !Wins !Winning years |- |1||{{leagueicon|Dewsbury|16}} Dewsbury Rams||3|| 2006, 2009, 2023 |- |2||{{leagueicon|hunslet|16}} Hunslet||2|| 2010, 2014 |- |3||{{leagueicon|york rlfc|16}} York Knights||2|| 2005, 2018 |- |4||{{leagueicon|Barrow|16}} Barrow Raiders||2|| 2004, 2021 |- |5||{{leagueicon|Keighley|16}} Keighley Cougars||2|| 2003, 2022 |- |6||{{leagueicon|oldham|16}} Oldham||2|| 2015, 2024 |- |7||{{leagueicon|north wales crusaders|16}} North Wales Crusaders||2|| 2013, 2025 |- |8||{{leagueicon|Crusaders|16}} Celtic Crusaders||1|| 2007 |- |9||{{leagueicon|Gateshead|16}} Newcastle Thunder||1|| 2008 |- |10||{{leagueicon|swinton|16}} Swinton Lions||1|| 2011 |- |11||{{leagueicon|Doncaster|16}} Doncaster||1|| 2012 |- |12||{{leagueicon|rochdale|16}} Rochdale Hornets||1|| 2016 |- |13||{{leagueicon|Toronto|16}} Toronto Wolfpack||1|| 2017 |- |14||{{leagueicon|whitehaven|16}} Whitehaven||1|| 2019 |}
==Match officials== {{Main|RFL Match officials}} All rugby league matches are governed by the laws set out by the RFL; these laws are enforced by match officials.
==Sponsor==
League One had four different sponsors since 2003.
The official rugby ball supplier was Steeden.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54111/steeden-become-official-match-ball-partner|title = Steeden become Official Match Ball Partner}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:center" |- !Period !Sponsor !Name |- | 2003–2008 | Nuffield | LHF Healthplan National League 2 |- | 2009–2012 | Co-operative | Co-operative Championship 1 |- | 2013–2014 |rowspan=2| Kingstone Press Cider | Kingstone Press Championship 1 |- |2015–2017 | Kingstone Press League 1 |- |2018–2021 |rowspan=2|Betfred | Betfred League 1 |- | 2022–2025 |Betfred League One |}
==Expansion== {{Main|British rugby league expansion}} RFL policy was to add expansion teams to the professional structure via entry to League One. In 2011, the RFL invited expressions of interest for four additional British teams to join the competition starting in 2013. Of the 16 interested parties, three teams, University of Gloucestershire All Golds, Hemel Stags and Oxford Rugby League were accepted to join the league and began play in 2013, a fourth, the Northampton Town F.C.-linked Northampton Rebels were also accepted, but ultimately decided not to proceed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Northampton Town FC to run rugby league team from 2013|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/15985725|access-date=29 August 2012|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=1 December 2011}}</ref><ref name=Hemel>{{cite web|title=Hemel Join Rugby League Championship 1|url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/24438/hemel-join-rugby-league-championship|work=RFL|access-date=29 August 2012}}</ref><ref name=Gloucester>{{cite web|title=All Golds to join Championship One|url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/25053/all-golds-to-join-championship|work=RFL|access-date=29 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Gloucestershire All Golds to join Championship One in 2013|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/18023958|access-date=29 August 2012|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=10 May 2012}}</ref><ref name=Oxford>{{cite news|title=Oxford to be admitted to Championship One|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/19637094|access-date=19 September 2012|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=18 September 2012}}</ref> An additional team, Coventry Bears (now the Midlands Hurricanes), were also accepted in September 2012, however it was decided that they would join from the 2014 season to give them additional time to prepare.<ref name=Coventry>{{cite news|title=Coventry Bears: Midlands amateur side targeted as semi-pro club|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/19679815|access-date=22 September 2012|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=21 September 2012}}</ref> Coventry again deferred their membership in 2014, eventually joining the league for the 2015 season.
In 2015 it was announced that Toulouse Olympique, after talks with the RFL, had accepted the proposal to rejoin the English league structure in League 1 for the 2016 season, airing their aims for promotion in their maiden League 1 season in a bid to eventually achieve Super League status.<ref name=Toulouse>{{cite news|title=Toulouse Olympique XIII en route to England and League One|url=http://www.to13.com/le-to-en-route-vers-langleterre/|access-date=24 August 2015|newspaper=Toulouse Official Website}}</ref> They currently play in the Championship, having earned promotion at their first opportunity in 2016.
In 2016, it was announced that Toronto Wolfpack would be joining the league from the 2017 season, becoming the first team to compete in the RFL structure from outside of the UK or France.<ref name=espn>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15314099/canadian-team-join-english-rugby-league-setup|title=Canadian team to join English rugby league setup|date=24 April 2016|access-date=26 April 2016|publisher=ESPN}}</ref> The Wolfpack won the League 1 title in their inaugural season and went on to play in the Super League.
In October 2017 it was announced that Gloucestershire All Golds and Oxford would withdraw from the league, merge and relocate the new club to Bristol with the intention of rejoining the league for the 2019 season, however this did not eventuate and in 2019 the All Golds entered the relaunched Conference League South.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.totalrl.com/greenwood-leave-golds-post/ |title=Greenwood leaves Golds post |publisher=TotalRL |date=8 October 2017 |access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/kingstone_press_leagues/article/51296/oxford-and-gloucester-to-join-forces |title=Oxford and Gloucester to join forces |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=26 October 2017 |access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref> In addition Hemel Stags announced their withdrawal from League 1 at the end of the 2018 season in order to rejoin the Conference League South.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/hemel-stags-withdraw-from-league-1/ |title=Hemel Stags withdraw from League 1 |publisher=Love Rugby League |date=23 October 2018 |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref> In March 2019 it was announced that Hemel's RFL membership had been bought by a consortium including Toronto Wolfpack founder Eric Perez, with the intention of relocating the club to Ottawa, Canada.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/wolfpack-founder-eric-perez-part-of-consortium-that-has-bought-hemel-stags |title=Wolfpack founder Eric Perez part of consortium that has bought Hemel Stags |work=National Post |date=19 March 2019 |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5080093/toronto-wolfpack-founder-looking-to-bring-rugby-league-team-to-ottawa/ |title=Toronto Wolfpack founder looking to bring rugby league team to Ottawa |work=Global News |date=21 March 2019 |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref> The club would ultimately be based in Cornwall and be called Cornwall R.L.F.C. A bid to establish a team in New York was also formally considered by the RFL in March 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/new-york-rugby-league-hemel-2658729 |title=New York rugby league club moves step closer to fruition as RFL give latest update |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=18 March 2019 |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref> There were also expressions of interest in joining the RFL system from Spain and Serbia through Valencia Huracanes and Red Star Belgrade RL.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/red-star-belgrade-confirm-their-intention-to-enter-league-1/|title=Red Star Belgrade confirm their intention to enter League 1|last=Darbyshire|first=Drew|date=10 January 2020|website=Love Rugby League|language=en-GB|access-date=10 January 2020}}</ref>
==Media== ===TV=== League 1 games have been televised only rarely and sporadically. Before the 2017 season, new members of the league, Toronto Wolfpack, announced that their games would be shown live on Canadian channel GameTV,<ref>{{cite news|title=Wolfpack Secure Canadian Broadcast Partner|url=https://www.torontowolfpack.com/2017/03/01/wolfpack-secure-canadian-broadcast-partner/|website=Torontowolfpack.com|access-date=1 March 2017|date=1 March 2017}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> as well as digitally on CBC Sports.<ref>{{cite news|title=CBC Sports, Toronto Wolfpack announce broadcast agreement|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/cbc-sports-toronto-wolfpack-broadcast-agreement-1.4027597|website=Cbc.ca|access-date=1 March 2017|date=16 March 2017}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:center" |- !Period !Broadcaster |- | 2008–2011 | Sky Sports<br />Premier Sports |- | 2012–2013 | Premier Sports |- | 2014 | Sky Sports<br />(Grand Final Only) |}
==See also== {{Portal|Sports}} * British rugby league system * Super League * National Conference League * Northern Ford Premiership * National League Cup * Rugby Football League Championship Third Division
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|RFL League 1}} * {{official website|https://www.rugby-league.com/competitions/pro-national/betfred-league-one}}
{{Championship 1}} {{British and Irish Rugby League links}}
Category:RFL League One Category:Sports leagues established in 2003 Category:2003 establishments in England Category:Rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom Category:Professional sports leagues in the United Kingdom Category:Professional sports leagues in France Category:Professional sports leagues in Canada Category:Multi-national sports leagues Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 2025 Category:2025 disestablishments in England Category:Defunct rugby league competitions