Details confirmed for televised Championship and League 1 play-offs
The Championship play-offs will all be televised live on Sky Sports, including the Million Pound Game on Sunday October 10.
The top six in the table, currently led by Toulouse, will battle for promotion to Super League with all games, including the final, to be played at the home ground of the highest ranked team.
As no season was completed last term, Toronto Wolfpack are still the reigning champions having beat Featherstone in the 2019 Grand Final, 12 months after they had suffered a surprise defeat against London Broncos in Canada.
Featherstone, Bradford, Halifax, Batley and London currently occupy the other play-off spots below Toulouse with five rounds left to play.
Meanwhile, all the League 1 play-off games will be broadcast live on Our League. With the champions earning automatic promotion, the teams placed 2nd to 5th will battle out for the second promotion spot to the Championship.
Mark Foster, the RFL’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “It’s fantastic news for Rugby League fans and our Betfred Championship clubs that Sky will be showing all five matches in this year’s Play-offs.
“The return of the Betfred Championship and League 1 has been one of the success stories of 2021 for the sport after the loss of the 2020 season because of Covid-19, with superb entertainment every week on Our League and now for spectators at the grounds.
“The intensity levels are bound to rise as the leading English Championship clubs aim to challenge the current pacesetters Toulouse Olympique for a place in the Betfred Super League in 2022 – and that should mean some great contests on Sky building up to the drama of the Million Pound Game.
“The Betfred League 1 promotion battle is also building to a fascinating climax with the league leaders to go up automatically to the Betfred Championship in 2022, leaving the next five clubs to contest the second promotion spot through the Play-offs – and it’s great that we can capture all the excitement and drama of that series on Our League.”
Betfred Championship Play-offs 2021 – All games live on Sky Sports*
Saturday September 25 – The Eliminators
3rd v 6th (Kick-off 3.15pm or 5.30pm to be confirmed)
4th v 5th (Kick-off 3.15pm or 5.30pm to be confirmed)
Saturday October 2 – Semi-finals
1st v lowest ranked play-off winner (Kick-off 3.15pm or 5.30pm to be confirmed)
2nd v highest ranked play-off winner (Kick-off 3.15pm or 5.30pm to be confirmed)
Sunday October 10 – Million Pound Game (Kick-off 6pm)
*All kick-offs BST
Betfred League 1 Promotion Play-offs – All games live on Our League*
September 17/18
Elimination play-off: 4th v 5th
Qualifying play-off: 2nd v 3rd
September 24/25
Elimination semi-final: Loser of 2nd v 3rd versus winner of 4th v 5th
Qualifying semi-final: 1st versus winner of 2nd v 3rd – winners go straight to grand final
October 2/3
Preliminary Final: Loser of qualifying semi-final versus winner of elimination semi
October 10 (TBC) – Promotion Play-off Final
*Play-off fixtures dates to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
All games will be played at the home ground of the highest-ranked team in the final table.