Championship play-off semi-finals schedule confirmed including dates, kick-off times

Aaron Bower

21 Sep 2025 10:45 AM

Championship semi-finalists head coaches — The Championship semi-finals have now been confirmed, with just four teams left in the competition.

The full schedule for next weekend’s Championship semi-finals have been confirmed by the clubs hosting the ties – with one to be held on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Bradford Bulls and Halifax Panthers progressed through the first weekend of the end-of-season series, with the Bulls comfortably moving past Featherstone Rovers and the Panthers stunning Oldham in a major upset, with Kyle Eastmond’s side winning 40-4 at Boundary Park.

They have now moved to within two wins of becoming champions of the second tier – and crucially, for the three clubs left who have applied for Super League in 2026, a bonus 0.25 IMG points in the gradings system.

And the dates and times for both games have now officially been confirmed by the hosting clubs.

Mark Applegarth’s all-conquering Knights – currently on a 19-game winning run across all competitions – will take on the Panthers at the LNER Community Stadium next Saturday evening at 6pm, with the winners progressing to the final.

Should York win, it will be they who host the Championship Grand Final the following week.

But if the Panthers cause another monumental upset, the winners of the second semi-final will stage the Grand Final.

That game is between second-placed Toulouse and third-placed Bradford, and will take place at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan on Sunday, September 28 with a 4pm kick-off in the UK, and a 5pm kick-off in France.

That game promises to be a thriller and is the latest instalment in a rivalry that has seen the two sides meet in the play-offs for three consecutive years.

But this time, with a possible spot in Super League on the line through the gradings system, the stakes are arguably much higher.