The Rugby League Super 8s are a feature of the British rugby league system. Between 2015 and 2018 they were played in the top three professional divisions. Following the completion of the regular season home-and-away fixtures in the Super League, the Championship and League One, teams split into smaller divisions of eight based on their finishing positions on the league table; the teams then played an additional fixture against each of the seven other teams in their division to determine the final standings.
The Super 8s were scheduled to return from the 2025 season and determine promotion and relegation between the Championship and League One. However, in August 2025 the Rugby Football League decided to merge the Championship and League One from 2026 and the Super 8s were therefore no longer needed.
Regular season Super League The Super League season sees teams play each other home and away, and one team for a third time at the Magic Weekend. After 23 games, the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 8 will play 7 more games each as they compete in the Super League Super 8 group for a place in the Grand Final. Teams finishing in the bottom four will join the top 4 teams from the Championship in The Qualifiers Super 8 group and also play 7 more games each for a place in the next years Super League competition.
PositionQualification1 Super League Super 8s2 Super League Super 8s3 Super League Super 8s4 Super League Super 8s5 Super League Super 8s6 Super League Super 8s7 Super League Super 8s8 Super League Super 8s9 The Qualifiers10 The Qualifiers11 The Qualifiers12 The Qualifiers
Championship The Championship season sees teams play each other home and away, and one team for a third time at The Summer Bash. After 23 games, the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 4 will play 7 more games each as they compete in the Qualifiers to try and earn a place in next seasons Super League. Teams finishing in the bottom 8 compete in the Championship Shield Super 8 group and also play 7 more games each.
PositionQualification1 The Qualifiers2 The Qualifiers3 The Qualifiers4 The Qualifiers5 Championship Shield6 Championship Shield7 Championship Shield8 Championship Shield9 Championship Shield10 Championship Shield11 Championship Shield12 Championship Shield
Super League Super 8s
After 23 games the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into 2 of the 3 "Super 8s". Teams finishing in the top 8 go on to play 7 more games each, to compete for a place in the play-offs, and all retain a place in Super League for the next season. Teams finishing in the bottom four (9-12) will compete alongside the top 4 teams from the Championship, in "The Qualifiers" Super 8 group. These teams will reset their season standings and also play 7 extra games each, as they attempt to earn a place in the following year's Super League competition.
Super League PositionQualification1League Leaders/Play-off Place2Play-off Place3Play-off Place4Play-off Place5Season Complete6Season Complete7Season Complete8Season Complete
Play-Offs
1st vs 4th 2nd vs 3rd
Grand final
StadiumLocationCountryHighest attendanceAverage attendanceOld TraffordTrafford, Greater ManchesterEngland73,58163,352
The Qualifiers The Qualifiers Super 8s sees the bottom 4 teams from Super League table join the top 4 teams from the Championship. The points totals are reset to 0 and each team plays 7 games each, playing every other team once. After 7 games each the teams finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will gain qualification to the next years Super League season. The teams finishing 4th and 5th will play in the "Million Pound Game" at the home of the 4th place team which will earn the winner a place in the next years Super League; the loser, along with teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, will be relegated to the Championship.
PositionQualification1Super League Place2Super League Place3Super League Place4Million Pound Game5Million Pound Game6Championship Place7Championship Place8Championship Place
Results YearSuper League PlaceChampionship Place2015 Hull Kingston Rovers Widnes Vikings Salford Red Devils Wakefield Trinity Bradford Bulls Sheffield Eagles Halifax Leigh Centurions2016 Leeds Rhinos Leigh Centurions Huddersfield Giants Salford Red Devils Hull Kingston Rovers London Broncos Batley Bulldogs Featherstone Rovers2017 Warrington Wolves Hull Kingston Rovers Widnes Vikings Catalans Dragons London Broncos Featherstone Rovers Halifax Leigh Centurions2018 Leeds Rhinos Hull Kingston Rovers Salford Red Devils London Broncos Toronto Wolfpack Toulouse Olympique Widnes Vikings Halifax Bold Promoted/ Relegated
Million Pound Game
The Million Pound Game is a promotion play-off in the Qualifiers between the teams finishing 4th and 5th. The game is played at the ground of the team finishing 4th and the winner earns a place in the next season's Super League while the loser plays the next season in the Championship.
Winners
WinnersCountYears1 Hull Kingston Rovers120152 Leeds Rhinos120163 Warrington Wolves120174 Salford Red Devils12018
Championship Shield The third of the three "Super 8" groups sees teams finishing 5th to 12th in the regular Championship table. Like the Super League 8s, these teams retain their original points and play 7 extra games, with the teams finishing in the top 4 places after these extra games contesting play-offs similar to Super League, with 1st v 4th and 2nd vs 3rd, with the winners contesting the Championship Shield Grand Final.
The two teams finishing at the bottom of this Super 8s group (7th and 8th) will be relegated to League One and be replaced by two promoted sides.
PositionQualification1Play-off Place2Play-off Place3Play-off Place4Play-off Place5Season Complete6Season Complete7Relegated8Relegated
Winners
YearWinnerScoreRunner upVenueAttendance2015 Featherstone Rovers36–4 London BroncosHalton Stadium4,1792016 Bradford Bulls27–16 Sheffield EaglesOdsal Stadium3,5182017 Toulouse44–14 Sheffield EaglesStade Ernest-Argelès2018 Featherstone Rovers42–10 Leigh CenturionsPost Office Road
See also
Super League Championship (rugby league) League 1 (rugby league)
References
External links