Super League will feature 14 teams next year.
12:05, 21 Oct 2025Updated 12:41, 21 Oct 2025
The Super League trophy.(Image: SW Pix)
Hull FC and Hull KR will begin their 2026 Super League campaigns on the weekend of February 14/15, with the competition taking a 14-team format next season for the first time in 12 years.
Super League has been a 12-team competition since 2015. However, two additional teams – Toulouse Olympique and York Knights – will play in the top flight next term, joining Bradford Bulls, who replaced Salford Red Devils in the top 12 IMG gradings. All 14 teams will feature in the opening round, which is expected to get underway on Thursday 12 February – the same weekend as last season.
But the opening round won’t be their first taste of competition action in 2026, with the Challenge Cup set to open the season for top-flight clubs once again. Super League clubs will enter the cup at the third round stage, with games taking place on the weekend of February 7/8.
Like 2025, all top-flight teams will play away from home, taking on teams from the Championship through to the amateur game who have advanced from the earlier rounds. The format saw Hull meet amateur opposition in York Acorn back in February, with Rovers taking on then-Championship outfit York Knights.
As per Hull Live sister title All Out Rugby League, further details are set to be finalised shortly. This year, all clubs had a week off for a mid-season break, with one round taking place over two weekends, though it remains to be seen whether that will remain the case.
Meanwhile, an eight-team play-off system is also expected to be confirmed. Super League has run with a six-team format since 2020 but there has been a push to expand that next year, and it is expected to receive final approval shortly. That will require an extra week in the calendar, as the format lasts for four weeks rather than three.
Of course, the 2026 Super League Grand Final has already been confirmed for Saturday 3 October. It has been brought forward to fall on football’s international break and also ahead of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup Down Under. The Challenge Cup final will take place at Wembley on Saturday 30 May.