Championship clubs to learn Featherstone compensation plan at key RFL meeting

The Championship clubs who were due to play Featherstone Rovers in 2026 will find out this week how they will be compensated – and how much money they will each receive.

Featherstone were pulled from the fixtures last week, just seven days out from the start of the new campaign and nine days shy of the club’s first scheduled game against Batley Bulldogs.

Following a revamp of the Championship and its calendar, not every team was in line to play Rovers in 2026. The ones that were slated for games against them are Batley Bulldogs, Hunslet, London Broncos, Salford Red Devils, Goole Vikings, Oldham, Swinton Lions, Widnes Vikings, Halifax Panthers, Doncaster, North Wales Crusaders, Barrow Raiders.

And it is those 12 teams who are pushing to find out what the impact of one less home game against a team that typically travel well support-wise will mean for their finances – with an RFL board meeting earlier this week drilling into a concrete plan to remunerate clubs, Love Rugby League has been told.

With finances in the Championship tighter than ever, there is a push for clubs to be told sooner, rather than later. One CEO, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Love Rugby League: “At a time when our finances are being scrutinised more than ever with IMG, we have the right to know how a big chunk of our budget is going to be replaced.

“We set strict financial budgets for players and other areas of the club based on projected income. Losing one home game, especially against a team like Featherstone, has to be replaced otherwise it will leave a hole.”

The RFL are yet to fully devise how they will compensate clubs, but it appears not all of them will be rewarded equally. Interim CEO Abi Ekoku hinted this week that clubs who have bigger costs attached to their home games – Salford would be a prime example, as they rent the CorpAcq Stadium – may get more money than clubs who own their ground.

He said: “We’re acutely aware of that impact on the clubs if you’ve budgeted for a game against Featherstone. It’s not equal; for example if you’re a club and you know you’re paying for stadium hire, there are big costs that go with that.”

The distribution Featherstone were due to receive – a five-figure sum – will be circulated between those clubs but it has been stressed that will be nowhere near enough to cover the projected losses by several CEOs in the Championship.

Ekoku continued: “Batley are unfortunate as they were first up in a big local derby so that as a financial impact. Featherstone would have had a distribution this season as part of competing and once that’s netted down, we will seek to compensate clubs.”