45-726: The Rugby Football League Championship , (known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second highest division of rugby league in Britain (with one team in the league also being based in France) after the Super League . Introduced in 2003 as National League One , it replaced the existing Second Division . It was rebranded as the Championship in 2009. The league consists of 14 teams, with
90-456: A High Court case against Andrew Green from Lincolnshire who had won £1.7 million in a Jackpot Game. Betfred had denied payments due to faulty software but High Court ruled against Betfred. The company are the brand owners of Thesportsman.com (The Sportsman Communications Limited), an online sports news and broadcaster established in 2017. Betfred chairman, Fred Done is a major shareholder of The Sportsman Communications Limited. Starting as
135-409: A club game at this level of competition was set in 2017 at KCOM Craven Park for the opening fixture of the season between Hull Kingston Rovers and Bradford Bulls with Rovers winning 54–24 in front of a crowd of 8,817. The crowd record for regular season attendance was also broken in 2008 with an average of 2,205 spectators at each game. In 2013, Super League clubs agreed to reduce the number of clubs in
180-505: A continuing basis (which may serve the same purpose as the intended Tote racing development board)." The deal gave Betfred exclusive control over the on course betting system for seven years. In 2018, the exclusive licence taken out by Betfred officially ran out. In June 2016 the Gambling Commission required Betfred to pay more than £800,000 in compensation and in contribution towards socially responsible causes as part of
225-640: A jackpot of £212,000, having mistakenly written "Bailarico", a losing horse, on the betting slip, rather than "Bialco", a winner. The betting arbitrator IBAS ruled against him. Betfred is one of the largest sponsors of horse racing in the United Kingdom, with races spread across racecourses in the country, including the Midlands National run at Uttoxeter Racecourse , the Dante Stakes and Ebor Handicap both at York Racecourse , and
270-672: A play-off series where they split into 3 divisions of 8 based upon league position: On 14 September 2018, an EGM was called to discuss the future of the sport and a change in structure, as the clubs were in favour of scrapping the Super 8s in favour of a more conventional structure. Two proposals were put forward: one by Super League and one by the Championship and League 1; Super League proposal: The Super League proposed staying with 12 teams who play each other home and away plus Magic Weekend and 6 loop fixtures (29 games). They also proposed
315-427: A regulatory settlement. This was in response to Betfred's failure to adhere to its anti money laundering and social responsibility policies. The Gambling Commission's investigation followed a court case that resulted in one customer of Betfred being jailed for three years and four months, after admitting to stealing from his employer. A significant proportion of the stolen money was spent with Betfred. In April 2019
360-475: A return to a top-5 playoff and the 12th placed team being relegated. Championship & League 1 proposal: The alternative proposal was that Super League would expand to 14 clubs playing 29 games ending with a top-5 playoff. The team finishing 14th would be relegated and 13th would play 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship in a relegation playoff. After a vote, the Super League proposal was voted through
405-625: A sport news website, the company stepped forward into live sport broadcasting when it signed a deal with the Rugby Football League to show a number of matches from the 2021 Challenge Cup . This was followed with a 2022 deal to show rugby league games from the Challenge Cup , League 1 , the Women's Super League and Wheelchair rugby league. RFL Championship League Leaders Too Many Requests If you report this error to
450-552: A system of promotion and relegation with the new competition. In 1999, the second-tier competition below the Super League was renamed the Northern Ford Premiership (NFP) when Northern Ford Dealers acquired the naming rights. In 2003, the NFP was re-organised into National Leagues One and Two. Teams that finished in the top ten league positions of the 2002 Northern Ford Premiership joined National League One and
495-538: A three-year period as the main sponsor of rugby league's Super League , the northern hemisphere's top-level professional rugby league with ten teams spread across England, and one in France. In October 2021, Betfred signed a renewed agreement with the rugby Super League Europe Betfred sponsored the World Snooker Championships from 2009 to 2012, before losing the sponsorship rights. In 2015, it
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#1732779964849540-547: A win, one for a draw and none for a loss. Teams are ranked by competition points, points difference (points scored less points conceded), points scored. The team finishing top after 26 games is awarded the League Leaders Shield while the two bottom teams are relegated to the League One The play-offs have had various formats. Currently once every club has played 26 games, the top six teams qualify for
585-653: Is in Birchwood , Warrington , and also has offices in Media City , Salford Quays , Salford . Betfred.com, the company's online gambling site, is based in Gibraltar and registered as Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited. Done Bookmakers was first established as a single shop in Ordsall , Salford in 1967. Fred Done financed the first Done Bookmakers shop with capital made from a winning bet he placed on England to win
630-460: Is intended to complement the existing player loan system. Dual registration refers to an arrangement between clubs whereby a player continues to be registered to his current Super League club and is also registered to play for a club in the Championship. The system is aimed at young Super League players who are thought to be not quite ready to make the step up to ‘week in, week out’ Super League first team duties but for whom first team match experience
675-627: Is likely to be beneficial for their development. All rugby league matches are governed by the laws set out by the RFL; these laws are enforced by match officials. Former Super League and International Referee Steve Ganson is the current Head of the Match Officials Department and Technical Director. Betfred Betfred Group Holdings Limited is a bookmaker based in the United Kingdom , founded by Fred Done . It
720-675: The 1966 World Cup . In 1997, Done Bookmakers acquired the Robert Walker chain of bookmakers, taking their total to one hundred shops. A mixture of organic and acquisition growth has resulted in Betfred being the largest independent retail bookmaker in the UK. By 2000, the total number of shops nationwide had risen to two hundred, and in 2002, Done Bookmakers opened their first shop in the Greater London area. The current name Betfred
765-564: The 2011–12 Premier League title, only for Manchester City to beat them on goal difference. It was widely reported in April 2010 that Fred Done formed part of the "Red Knights" consortium that were looking to buy English Premier League club Manchester United from the Glazer Family . The reports proved to be incorrect, but Done remained a season ticket holder at Old Trafford. As of July 2017, Betfred operated over 1,650 shops throughout
810-740: The Colorado Rockies of the MLB and Loudoun United FC of the USL Championship , which includes a jersey sponsorship. On 3 June 2011, Betfred won the auction to purchase The Tote , the government-owned betting operation, in a deal worth £265m. The counter bid was lodged by the SIP (Sports Investment Partners) consortium headed by former city banker and British Airways chairman Sir Martin Broughton . Betfred pledged £155m into racing over
855-603: The Premier League , only for Arsenal to pip United by one point. During the 2004–05 FA Premier League season , Done lost £1m to fellow bookmaker Victor Chandler after staking that amount that Manchester United would finish higher than Chelsea . The bet was offered to other high profile bookmakers yet only Chandler took him up on the offer. Chelsea finished 18 points clear of third placed Manchester United and won their first Premiership title under José Mourinho . Betfred also paid out early on Manchester United to win
900-447: The 2009 season. Championship 1 was later rebranded to League 1 . During this period, a system of licensing was put in place which meant there was no automatic system of promotion and relegation between the Championship and Super League, although promotion and relegation continued between the Championship and League 1. Widnes Vikings were promoted to Super League from the Championship via the licensing system in 2011. The record crowd for
945-615: The 2022 event that they had renewed the sponsorship deal, which will see them become sponsors of the tournament until 2025. In August, 2024, Betfred was the title sponsor of the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo . Betfredsports.com, Betfred's digital and retail presence in the USA, has official partnerships with NFL teams, the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals , whilst they are partners of
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#1732779964849990-699: The Betfred Cesarewitch Handicap on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket Racecourse . In 2005, Betfred became sponsors of the Group One Sprint Cup at Haydock Park . The race is run over the minimum distance of five furlongs. The sponsorship ended in 2016. Betfred also sponsored the most prestigious jumps race the Cheltenham Gold Cup between the years of 2012 and 2015. In October 2016, Betfred began
1035-572: The Betfred Cup. In June 2017, Betfred was confirmed as the new official shirt sponsors of Championship side Bolton Wanderers , in an agreement which will initially last for two years. In June 2019, Betfred took over the shirt sponsorship rights for RCD Mallorca for the next two years. In July 2019, Betfred announced that it had been installed as the official sponsor for the PDC 's World Matchplay tournament until 2022. Betfred announced before
1080-582: The Championship including The Summer Bash , Championship Shield and The Qualifiers in a seven-year deal. A two-year broadcast deal with Premier Sports for 2022 and 2023 was signed at the end of 2021. Premier show a live match every Monday as well as all seven matches from the Summer Bash. The deal also includes the broadcasting rights to play-off matches and the Million Pound Game. Premier Sports became part of Viaplay late in 2022 and
1125-529: The Commission ordered Betfred and Paddy Power to terminate new betting products. This followed the introduction of reduced maximum stakes on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTS) from £100 to £2. The Commission was "concerned that the new products undermine the changes made". The Guardian accused the companies of trying to circumvent the government's enforced FOBTs £2 reduction, with their new games. Betfred's "Virtual Cycling" product offered customers
1170-469: The United Kingdom, after the purchase of 322 shops due to the merger between fellow bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral in October 2016. Betfred also operates shops on fifty one racecourses around the country, including Newmarket , Epsom and Cheltenham . In August 2017, Betfred appointed former Nottingham Forest and England footballer Stuart Pearce as its brand ambassador. The company believed Pearce to be
1215-573: The United Kingdom. Betfred's five-hundredth shop opened in Cardiff in 2005. In 2013, the company established Betfred TV, an in-house channel that is available in all shops both on the high street and on the racecourse. This was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Fred Done was the first bookmaker to pay out early (i.e., before the result was guaranteed), when in March 1998 it paid out to gamblers who had bet that Manchester United F.C. would win
1260-493: The bottom eight joined National League Two. They were joined by London Skolars from the Rugby League Conference , who entered National League Two, and York City Knights , who replaced the defunct York Wasps (who had folded mid-season in 2002) and also joined National League Two in 2003, creating two ten-team leagues which operated a system of promotion and relegation between themselves while also maintaining
1305-404: The case for all but the four seasons of the Super 8s era where the league leaders were declared Champions and promotion was determined by The Qualifiers . The Championship has been sponsored four times since its inception in 2003. Betfred are the current title sponsor. The title sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. There have been seven different title sponsors since
1350-470: The chance to wager up to £500 per stake. Both Paddy Power and Betfred withdrew their games. The Gambling Commission said it was investigating the matter and that both bookmakers could "still face regulatory action", as it investigated "key senior staff at bookmakers who are responsible for bringing those products to market". In October 2019 the Commission ordered Petfre, Betfred's parent, to pay £322,000 for money laundering failures. An investigation revealed
1395-424: The competition to 12 and return to an amended system of promotion and relegation with a 12-club Championship competition. These changes came into effect for the 2015 season . Under the amended structure, the 12 Super League and 12 Championship clubs play a regular season of 23 rounds, including a Magic Weekend for both divisions. Following the conclusion of their regular league seasons, the 24 clubs then compete in
RFL Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
1440-499: The epitome of Betfred: uncomplicated. In September 2017, Betfred celebrated their 50th year of business. A documentary film about the history of the company was released on the official channel of Betfred on YouTube . In July 2018, Betfred won a court case against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The ruling states that Betfred overpaid Value-Added Tax (VAT), and could see a £100 million refund. In November 2018, punter David Smith took Betfred to court after he claimed to have won
1485-492: The first teams to propose the return of the reserve league where players could move from the under 19s and play with professional players before playing in the 1st team. A reserve league was set up in 2016 with a mixture of Super League, Championship and League 1 teams. Clubs in both the Super League and the Championships benefit from the new dual registration system which was introduced for the 2013 season. The new system
1530-450: The league's formation: The official rugby ball supplier is Steeden . Sky Sports and Premier Sports shared the TV rights to the Championship between 2008 and 2012. After Sky only showed the Championship and Championship 1 Grand Finals while games were broadcast on Premier Sports until 2013. There was no TV coverage on the Championship in 2014. In 2015 Sky Sports won the rights to show
1575-556: The next seven years, as well as creating the Tote Racing Development Board, giving greater say to industry figures. In September 2016, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport "In terms of the Tote Racing Development Board, I can confirm that as a stand alone concept it has not been set up to date. Betfred has confirmed that Totepool work with race course owners and management on
1620-509: The operator had failed to carry out adequate "source of funds" checks on a customer who deposited £210,000, and lost £140,000, of stolen money over one twelve-day period in November 2017. The Commission said that one customer who was able to deposit and lose such significant amounts in such a short period of time clearly indicated failings in the effectiveness of Petfre's anti money laundering policies and procedures. In April 2021, Betfred lost
1665-559: The playoffs. Round one sees 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th. The winners then progress to the semi finals where the teams finishing 1st and 2nd enter. The two winners of the semi-finals meet in the Grand Final . The champions of the Championship are determined by a playoff series at the end of the regular season. The team at the top of the league table at the end of regular season is awarded the League Leaders’ Shield . This has been
1710-555: The promotion and relegation between National League One and Super League. At the same time, National League Three was created with teams from the Rugby League Conference and from the British Amateur Rugby League Association amateur leagues. It was intended that there would be promotion and relegation between National League Two and National League Three when League Three became more established, however this never eventuated. In 2009 Super League
1755-498: The winner decided by a playoff and relegation to League One . The current champions are Wakefield Trinity , winners of the 2024 season after beating Toulouse Olympique in the Championship Grand Final . Second division rugby league competitions have been played at various times since 1902, and have been in place annually since 1973. When Super League began in 1996, the second division continued to operate
1800-494: Was announced that Betfred were to become the sponsors of the tournament once again, and increase the winner's prize money to £375,000. Betfred was the official betting partner of Manchester United from 2006 to 2013. This partnership was renewed ahead of the 2022/2023 football season In May 2016, it was announced that Betfred would take over sponsorship of the Scottish League Cup for three years, rebranding it
1845-495: Was expanded to 14 teams, with two additional teams being promoted from National League One. In turn, two additional teams were promoted from National League Two to National League One at the end of the 2008 season , reducing the number of teams in National League Two to 10. National Leagues One and Two were then rebranded as the Championship and Championship 1 respectively, with the change being implemented in time for
RFL Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
1890-460: Was first established as a single betting shop in Ordsall , Salford , in 1967. Its turnover in 2004 was reported to be more than £3.5 billion, having risen from £550 million in 2003 and has continued to grow to over £10 billion in 2018-2019. Following a drop in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid pandemic, published turnover for the year to September 2022 was £8.8 billion. It has its head office
1935-473: Was first used in 2004. In 2004, Betfred also launched their digital platform Betfred.com and offer sports betting, online casino, online games, bingo, lotto, online poker and virtual sports as well as pool betting. In November 2004, a Betfred customer became the first betting shop millionaire; a customer known only as Ken selected six winners on the totescoop6 and pocketed £1,132,657 in a Salford shop. Betfred's retail expansion continued with shops opening around
1980-419: Was implemented for the 2019 season. The Championship clubs then voted for a top 5 playoff being used to decide which team will be promoted to Super League. There are 14 clubs in the Championship. During the course of the season (usually from February to September) each club plays the other twice, once at their home stadium and once at their opponents. Altogether clubs play 26 games. Teams receive two points for
2025-536: Was marketed as Viaplay Sports for the 2023 season. Regional radio stations have coverage of the Championship clubs but mostly only cover Super League clubs in the same area and give updates of Championship scores and results. In 2014 and 2015 Super League clubs were unhappy with the Dual registration system and wanted to form an Under 23 reserve leagues between the Under 19s and 1st team. Wigan, Warrington and St Helens were
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