Salford Red Devils will play in the opening game of the 2026 Championship season.
Salford Red Devils will face Oldham RLFC in the opening bout as the two teams from the north-west face off on 16 January at Corpteq Stadium, Barton-upon-Irwell.
The Red Devils have faced financial uncertainty in recent times, with a winding-up order set in motion for tomorrow after being previously adjourned four times and will hope to look for the silver lining to kick the league off.
After the club finished bottom of the Super League, and were relegated through the IMG Rankings system for the 2026 campaign, head coach Paul Rowley left to join St Helens, as a succession plan drawn up in more auspicious times crumbled.
The Red Devils will now be competing in the Betfred Championship, where a merger of the Championship and League 1 competitions created at the end of last season will include 21 teams from across the UK. The league will be 24 rounds long, with each club playing 12 home games and 12 away games.
Ten of those fixtures will be determined by league positions from the 2025 season, while two opponents will be based on geographical location to ensure all clubs get to play against their local rivals.
A new four-week 10-team play-off format will be used at the end of the year to determine the teams for the Grand Final, which will be on Sunday, 4th October. All clubs will also compete in the 1895 Cup, with the final to take place at a new venue for 2026.
With a new league and a new season ahead, the Red Devils will be looking on the bright side even with uncertainty for the future.
The Championship fixtures have been released today.
Salford Red Devils will launch the new Championship season against Oldham RLFC with the new look London Broncos hosting the Widnes Vikings.
South and West Yorkshire collide when Doncaster hosts Halifax in a tasty opening game. pic.twitter.com/w9pnrn1uG4
— West Yorkshire Rugby League (@WestYorksRL) December 2, 2025
Recent Comments