THERE will be a single, merged Championship next season – and no ‘super eights’ competition at the end of this year.

The current Championship and League One divisions will be combined to form one league of 21 teams from 2026, below an expanded 14-team Super League.

That change means there is no need for the four teams at the bottom of the second tier and the top of the third tier to settle promotion and relegation through the previously planned post-season matches.

When a decision to merge was taken several weeks ago, clubs were asked to consider options for the semi-professional league which also included a split into two or three conferences.

But the preference was for a single league, with each club playing every other once plus the potential introduction of loop fixtures to complete a full league season.

The exact format of the Championship will not be determined until after the 2025 campaign has finished, because it is not guaranteed that Super League will expand to 14 clubs.

The make-up of the top flight will be determined by club grading, for twelve clubs, and an independent panel who will decide if there are two other sides capable of entry.

RFL chair Nigel Wood said: “Following the decision of the Super League clubs that the elite competition should expand to 14 clubs in 2026, subject to conditions, this is a logical and equally exciting next step.

“The Championship and League One clubs have been extensively consulted and were virtually unanimous that the two divisional structure for the part-time game wasn’t working as well as it ought, particularly League One – and it is a great credit to the Championship clubs that they recognised that position.

“There are so many historic and ambitious clubs outside the Super League, and we believe this will not only enhance their attendances and finances, but also make them more attractive for investment.

“It will provide an attractive and compelling fixture list for all clubs outside Super League – and mean they all kick off the 2026 season with the opportunity to win the Championship, which will remain a key step towards earning promotion to the Super League.”

It’s yet another change to the league structure, before the last – a move towards three divisions of three, agreed in March 2024 – had even been completed.

That was to finish with the final make-up of next season’s Championship determined by a new ‘super eights’ competition similar to that used for the top two tiers between 2015 and 2018.

But the decision for that not to take place has been made less than four weeks before it was due to begin on the weekend of September 20-21.

The Championship regular season ends the previous weekend, but clubs at the bottom end of the table – London Broncos, Batley Bulldogs, Sheffield Eagles and Hunslet currently sit in the last four places – are now safe from any relegation.

The top six sides will still enter play-offs, from which the champions are determined, although promotion is again not on the line.

League One only has two more rounds to play and with no ‘super eights’, all clubs will end their seasons by September 5-6.

North Wales Crusaders are two points clear at the top, although second-placed Swinton Lions have no further fixtures.

Only Workington Town, three points back, can deny them the League One title, which they would have won for finishing first regardless of the ‘super eights’ that were meant to follow.