Rugby league key dates for 2025 season including Super League fixtures and Challenge Cup draws
The 2024 rugby league season finished last weekend, but preparations are already getting underway for next year.
Pre-season for Leeds Rhinos is due to begin on Monday, November 18, with some players back for testing the previous week. And they won’t have to wait long to discover their opening Betfred Super League opponents, with the full fixture list set to be revealed in two weeks’ time.
Championship and League One fixtures will also be released this month and dates for Cup draws and the two major finals have been confirmed. Here’s all the important dates so far announced for the 2025 campaign.
Betfred Super League
Fixtures will be released at 8am on Thursday, November 21. Clubs will reveal their first home game the previous evening. The competition is set to kick-off on the weekend beginning Thursday, February 13. The Grand Final is confirmed for Saturday, October 11.
Betfred Championship and League One fixtures
These will be released at 6pm on Tuesday, November 26. Clubs can announce their first home fixture from 8am that day.
Betfred Women’s Super League fixtures
Will be released at 2pm on Wednesday, December 4. Clubs will be able to announce their first home fixture from 8am that day.
Betfred Challenge Cup
The first and second round draws will take place in Goole on the evening of Monday, December 2. The 34 teams involved in the first round will be confirmed this week. First Round ties will be played on the weekend of January 11/12.
All UK-based Betfred Championship and League One clubs will join the competition in the second round, played on the weekend of January 25/26. The 12 Betfred Super League teams will join the competition at the third round stage on the weekend of February 8/9. The third round draw will be held in mid-January and all top-flight sides will be given an away tie.
The fourth round will be played in March, quarter-finals in April and semi-finals on the weekend of May 10/11. The men’s and women’s Challenge Cup finals, along with the 1895 Cup decider, will be played at Wembley on Saturday, June 7.
Ashes Test series
That is expected to take place in England next October and November, but dates and venues have yet to be confirmed.