The 2010 Championship 1 was a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom, the third tier of the sport in the country. The winner of this league, Hunslet Hawks, were promoted to the Co-operative Championship along with play-off winners, York City Knights. There was no relegation from this league as it is the lowest tier of professional rugby league in the UK.

2010 Championship 1
Championship 1 logo
LeagueChampionship 1
Duration20 games each
Teams11
Attendance2,896
Broadcast partnersSKY Sports
2010 Season
Playoff WinnersYork York City Knights
League Leaders Hunslet Hawks
Runners-up Oldham

All of the teams competed in the 2010 Challenge Cup but South Wales did not compete in the 2010 National League Cup.[1]

2010 structure

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The competition features mainly the same teams as it did in 2009. The exceptions being that the Dewsbury Rams and the Keighley Cougars were both promoted to compete in the 2010 RFL Championship. Originally, Doncaster and the Leigh Centurions were supposed to be relegated. However, Gateshead Thunder breached the insolvency laws which meant that it was they, instead of Leigh, who were relegated.[2]

The competition was going to contain 10 teams but one more was added when the Super League team the Crusaders left their home base at Bridgend and moved to Wrexham. This resulted in a new club being formed in Neath, South Wales, called the South Wales Scorpions who will play at the Gnoll.

Championship 1
Team 2009 Season Stadium Capacity City/Area
  Blackpool Panthers 5th Woodlands Memorial Ground N/A Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
  Doncaster 11th
(Championship)
Keepmoat Stadium 15,231 Doncaster, South Yorkshire
  Gateshead Thunder 7th
(Championship)
Thunderdome 11,800 Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
  Hunslet Hawks 6th South Leeds Stadium N/A Leeds, West Yorkshire
  London Skolars 10th New River Stadium 5,000 Haringey, London
  Oldham 4th Park Lane (Season Start to May)
Whitebank Stadium (May onwards)
N/A
1050
Whitefield, Greater Manchester
Oldham, Greater Manchester
  Rochdale Hornets 8th Spotland Stadium 10,249 Rochdale, Greater Manchester
  South Wales Scorpions
(2010 Season)
N/A The Gnoll 6,000 Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales
  Swinton Lions 7th Park Lane N/A Swinton, Greater Manchester
  Workington Town 9th Derwent Park 10,000 Workington, Cumbria
  York City Knights 3rd Huntington Stadium 3,428 York, North Yorkshire

Table

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Position Club Played Won Drawn Lost Pts for Pts agst Pts Diff B.P. Points
1   Hunslet Hawks 20 18 0 2 828 305 523 1 55
2   Oldham 20 17 0 3 694 438 256 1 52
3   York City Knights 20 12 0 8 617 524 83 3 39
4   Blackpool Panthers 20 15 0 5 805 370 435 3 38[a]
5   Rochdale Hornets 20 10 0 10 630 498 132 7 37
6   South Wales Scorpions 20 9 0 11 576 468 108 7 34
7   Workington Town 20 8 1 11 494 498 −4 7 33
8   Swinton Lions 20 9 1 10 570 581 −11 4 33
9   Doncaster 20 8 0 12 518 588 −70 4 28
10   London Skolars 20 2 0 18 444 900 −456 4 10
11   Gateshead Thunder 20 1 0 19 236 1232 −996 1 -2[b]
  1. ^ Blackpool were docked 10 points for an operational rules breach
  2. ^ Gateshead were docked 6 points for entering administration

2010 Playoffs

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Elimination play-offsQualifying/Elimination semifinalElimination finalGrand Final
12 September 201026 September 2010, Halliwell Jones Stadium
1  Oldham41  Oldham4
2  York City Knights3219 September 2010  York City Knights25
5 September 2010
  York City Knights38
3  Blackpool Panthers36
12 September 2010  Blackpool Panthers18
6  Workington Town26
  Blackpool Panthers34
5 September 2010
  Rochdale Hornets26
4  Rochdale Hornets60
5  South Wales Scorpions26

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hadfield, Dave (8 December 2009). "New Welsh club formed as Crusaders move north". London: The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  2. ^ "RFL accepts Thunder business plan". BBC Sport. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
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