Championship and League 1 round-up: York’s dominance continues as Swinton make waves

Ben Olawumi 27 Jul 2025 5:25 PM

In both the Championship and League 1, the races at the bottom and top of the divisions are heating up: and we were treated to another pulsating weekend of action.

Here’s our round-up…

Championship

It’s pretty much as you were at the top of the tree in the second tier, with each of the top five recording another victory this weekend.

That includes table-toppers York and second-placed Toulouse Olympique, who are separated only by points difference at this stage of the season.

In York‘s case, they are now on a winning run which spans 13 successive games across all competitions having beaten Halifax Panthers 19-12 in a game held at Odsal on Friday evening.

That run includes 11 Championship games, and next weekend, the Knights take on fourth-placed Oldham.

Elsewhere, Doncaster took advantage of that slip-up from Fax to move up into sixth following a big 42-16 success over strugglers Batley on Sunday.

At the bottom end of the table, Widnes remain in 9th despite their defeat at home to Bradford Bulls.

The Vikings are four points clear of 10th-placed London, and crucially, the Broncos would be involved in the Super 8s with the top four from League 1 if that remains the case come autumn.

This weekend’s Championship results:

Halifax Panthers 12-19 York
Barrow Raiders 14-34 Toulouse Olympique
Doncaster 42-16 Batley Bulldogs
Widnes Vikings 16-28 Bradford Bulls
Featherstone Rovers 36-18 London Broncos
Oldham 48-16 Hunslet

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League 1

North Wales Crusaders have now won seven games in a row following Sunday’s thumping 72-6 win away against League 1‘s bottom club Newcastle Thunder.

The Crusaders are sitting pretty at the top of the third tier, and are four competition points clear with two games in hand on second place, which now belongs to Swinton.

Paul Wood’s Lions – who have now won six of their last eight games – beat Midlands 16-8 on home soil, moving three competition points clear of the Hurricanes in fourth.

Fifth-placed Dewsbury weren’t in action this weekend, but trail the Hurricanes by two competition points.

Rochdale are a further point back in sixth, but laid a marker down of their intentions for the remainder of the year with a pummelling of Goole Vikings in their own backyard on Sunday.

The Hornets had been level on points with the Vikings ahead of kick-off, but now have a two-point buffer and have their eyes set on challenging for a top-four finish in the weeks to come.

This weekend’s League 1 results: