2022 RFL League 1

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2022 Betfred League 1
The 2022 season was won by Keighley Cougars
LeagueLeague 1
Duration26 March 2022 – 2 October 2022
Teams11
Matches played114
Points scored6,807
Highest attendance2,712
Keighley Cougars v North Wales Crusaders
(28 August 2022)
Lowest attendance168
Midlands Hurricanes v West Wales Raiders
(5 June 2022)
Average attendance718
Attendance81,919
ChampionsKeighley Cougars
League LeadersKeighley Cougars
Also promotedSwinton Lions
Biggest home win102–4
Rochdale Hornets v West Wales Raiders
(28 August 2022)
Biggest away win6–94
West Wales Raiders v Swinton Lions
(13 August 2022)
Top point-scorer(s)Jack Miller (Keighley Cougars) (338)
Top try-scorer(s)Mo Agoro (Keighley Cougars) (28)
Expansion teamCornwall

The 2022 RFL League 1 is a professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom and is the third tier of the sport for Rugby Football League (RFL) affiliated clubs. The sponsors for the league are the bookmakers, Betfred and the league will continue to be known as the Betfred League 1.

The league was won by the Keighley Cougars who clinched the title after round 20 having won all 18 of their games to that point.[1] The Cougars went on to win all 20 matches and become only the fourth team in the European game to complete a perfect season.[2][a] Cougars' players also topped all the regular season point scoring totals with Mo Agoro being the divisions top try-scorer with 28 and Jack Miller topping the goal-scoring table with 133 goals as well as heading the points-scoring table with 338 points.[4] Overall Swinton's Dan Abram was the leading goal-scorer with 139 goals in the regular season and the play-offs.[5]

The Swinton Lions won the promotion play off final 16–10, to earn an immediate return to the Championship, after being relegated last season.[6]

Total attendances for the season were 81,919 while the average attendance for regular season games was 711. The average attendance was an increase of 79 per game compared to the 2019 season (the last full season with no restrictions due to COVID-19).[7]

Rule changes[edit]

The RFL approved three rules changes for 2022. On 20 January 2022, The RFL confirmed that scrums would return to all competitions, having been suspended as part of the game's COVID-19 response in 2020 and 2021.[8] Scrums are only being reintroduced for errors (knock-on, forward pass or accidental offside) in the first four tackles of a set. Other cases, where previously a scrum would have been awarded, for example - ball into touch on the full, ball kicked or passed into touch, incorrect play the ball; will result in a handover.[9]

The ball steal law will revert to the 2020 rule where the ball can only be stolen in a one-on-one tackle and not during a multi-person tackle where the additional tacklers have peeled off the tackle before the steal. Finally, injured players will be required to leave the pitch for treatment, if possible, following complaints that stoppages for injury spoil the speed and flow of the game.[10]

Teams[edit]

2022 was due to see the second professional rugby league team in Canada, Ottawa Aces, join League 1 and increase the number of teams in the division to 11. However, in October 2021 the company behind the Ottawa club announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club would relocate to the United Kingdom.[11] The following month, the club's new home and name were announced with the team to be called Cornwall RLFC and be based in Penryn, Cornwall.[12]

Also in October 2021, Coventry Bears was rebranded as Midlands Hurricanes and would for 2022 be leaving Butts Park Arena in Coventry to play at Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C.'s Portway ground south of Birmingham.[13]

Oldham, who were relegated from the Championship, relocated to the Vestacare Stadium for 2022.[14]

Stadiums and locations[edit]

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Locations of the 2022 RFL League 1 teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Cornwall RLFC Penryn, Cornwall The Memorial Ground 4,000
Doncaster Doncaster Eco-Power Stadium 15,231
Hunslet Leeds South Leeds Stadium 4,000
Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougar Park 7,800
London Skolars Haringey, London New River Stadium 2,000
Midlands Hurricanes Birmingham Portway Stadium 2,000
North Wales Crusaders Colwyn Bay Eirias Stadium 5,500
Oldham Oldham Whitebank Stadium 1,500
Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Spotland Stadium 10,249
Swinton Lions Sale, Greater Manchester Heywood Road 3,387
West Wales Raiders Llanelli Stebonheath Park 3,700

Fixtures and results[edit]

Main article: 2022 RFL League 1 results

The season comprised 22 rounds with each of the 11 teams playing each other home and away. Each team had 20 fixtures and byes in two rounds. The fixture list was released on 13 November 2021.[15] Promotion was confirmed with two clubs to be promoted to the 2023 Championship.[16]

The round 5 fixture between West Wales and Doncaster was forfeited by West Wales when the Welsh club failed to arrange the necessary medical cover. Under RFL operational rules the match was awarded to Doncaster as a 48–0 win.[17] For the same reason, London Skolars forfeited the round 14 match against Keighley Cougars; the match being recorded as a 48–0 win for Keighley.[18]

The 108 fixtures played saw a total of 6,413 points scored and attendance was 77,814 (average 721 per game).[19] The six play-off matches added 298 points and 3,882 to the attendances.

Regular season table[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Keighley Cougars 20 20 0 0 989 194 +795 40 Champions & promoted to Championship
2 Swinton Lions 20 16 0 4 834 317 +517 32 Advance to qualifying semi-final
3 North Wales Crusaders 20 15 0 5 708 420 +288 30 Advance to qualifying play-off
4 Doncaster 20 15 0 5 720 434 +286 30
5 Rochdale Hornets 20 13 0 7 772 511 +261 26 Advance to elimination play-off
6 Oldham 20 8 1 11 571 526 +45 17
7 Hunslet 20 8 1 11 513 524 −11 17
8 Midlands Hurricanes 20 6 0 14 546 696 −150 12
9 London Skolars 20 6 0 14 440 827 −387 12
10 Cornwall 20 1 0 19 276 864 −588 2
11 West Wales Raiders 20 1 0 19 140 1196 −1056 2
Source: [1]

Play-offs[edit]

Main article: 2022 RFL League 1 results § Play-offs

The play-offs used the same structure used since 2019 with the team finishing first gaining automatic promotion and the teams finishing second to sixth competing in a four-round play-off series with one other team gaining promotion.

Team bracket[edit]

Qualifying & elimination play-offsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalPromotion play-off final
2 Swinton Lions32 Swinton Lions16
Doncaster12 Doncaster10
3 North Wales Crusaders12 Doncaster52
4 Doncaster26 Rochdale Hornets20
North Wales Crusaders20
Rochdale Hornets36
5 Rochdale Hornets38
6 Oldham24

Summary[edit]

Elimination & Qualifying play-offs
Match Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
QPO North Wales Crusaders 12–26 Doncaster 11 September 2022, 14:30 Eirias Stadium N. Bennett 345
EPO Rochdale Hornets 38–24 Oldham 11 September 2022, 13:00 Spotland Stadium A. Moore 735
Source:[20]
Semi-finals
Match Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
QSF Swinton Lions 32–12 Doncaster 18 September 2022; 15:00 Heywood Road A. Moore 781
ESF North Wales Crusaders 20–36 Rochdale Hornets 17 September 2022, 17:30 Eirias Stadium J. Vella 307
Source:[21]
Preliminary Final
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Doncaster 52–20 Rochdale Hornets 25 September 2022, 15:00 Eco-Power Stadium T. Grant 628
Source:[22]
Play-off Final
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Swinton Lions 16–10 Doncaster 2 October 2022, 15:00 Heywood Road J. Vella 1,086
Source:[23]

End of season awards[edit]

The League One awards were made on 26 September. Four awards were made:[24]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The first club to register a perfect season were Hull F.C. in the 1978–79 season. The feat was repeated by Dewsbury Rams in 2009 and Toulouse Olympique in 2021.[3]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ "Keighley Cougars promoted as League 1 champions". Rombalds Radio. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Cougars register a full house". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3343. 5 September 2022. p. 28.
  3. ^ Gordon, James (2 December 2022). "The Invincibles: Perfect seasons in rugby league". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Leading Scorers". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3344. 5 September 2022. p. 4.
  5. ^ "Final 2022 leading try, goal and points scorers in Super League, Championship and League One". TotalRL.com. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  6. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (2 October 2022). "Swinton Lions secure promotion back to the Championship". LoveRugbyLeague. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. ^ Butcher, Tim; Spencer, Daniel, eds. (2022). Rugby League Yearbook 20022-2023. p. 317. ISBN 978 190134741 8.
  8. ^ "Scrums to return in all competitions for 2022". rugby-league.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  9. ^ Rule Changes for the 2022 season. Rugby Football League. 10 February 2021.
  10. ^ "RFL board approves law changes for 2022". www.superleague.co.uk. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Ottawa to relocate back to England". BBC Sport. 22 October 2021.
  12. ^ Willacy, Gavin (11 November 2021). "The rugby league club that swapped Canada's capital for a Cornish town". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  13. ^ "League 1 club Coventry Bears rebrand to Midlands Hurricanes". LoveRugbyLeague. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  14. ^ Gordon, James (21 December 2021). "Oldham move back to town in stadium switch". LoveRugbyLeague. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Betfred League 1 Fixtures 2022". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3303. 15 November 2021. p. 16.
  16. ^ Kilbride, Jacob (9 December 2021). "Promotion and relegation confirmed by RFL for 2022 season". York Press. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  17. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (22 April 2022). "West Wales Raiders forfeit League 1 clash with Doncaster". LoveRugbyLeague. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  18. ^ "RFL Board decision: London Skolars versus Keighley Cougars". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Rugby League RKC - Games in a Season". stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com. Rugy League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Scoreboard: Betfred League One". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3345. 12 September 2022. p. 31.
  21. ^ "Scoreboard: Betfred League One". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3346. 12 September 2022. p. 35.
  22. ^ "Doncaster surge home". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3347. 26 September 2022. p. 14.
  23. ^ "Hansen cements Lions' success". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3348. 3 October 2022. p. 14.
  24. ^ "Ipape and Miller named Players of the Year". RFL. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
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