Featherstone Rovers Denied Championship Place for 2026 After RFL Decision

Financially troubled Featherstone Rovers will not compete in the Championship in 2026 after the Rugby Football League rejected the club’s application for membership.

The West Yorkshire side entered administration in December and submitted a takeover bid as part of efforts to secure their place in the second tier. However, the RFL confirmed that the proposal failed to meet the league’s required criteria, meaning Featherstone will be excluded from next season’s competition.

Rovers had been facing a winding-up petition over unpaid debts and previously acknowledged they had “no choice” but to enter administration, admitting the club was unable to trade its way out of its financial position because of the scale of its liabilities.

Before the decision, Featherstone had been scheduled to begin their 2026 Championship campaign with an away fixture against Batley Bulldogs on 18 January, followed by the start of their Challenge Cup involvement a week later. Those fixtures will now be removed from the calendar.

The RFL said results involving Featherstone will instead be resolved using a win-percentage system, similar to the approach used during the Covid-19 pandemic, to ensure league standings can still be fairly determined.

In a statement, the governing body said it would continue to engage with the club’s administrators and stressed its commitment to helping rugby league return sustainably to Featherstone in the future. The RFL also acknowledged the financial impact on other clubs losing a scheduled home game and confirmed compensation would be made available where appropriate.