Whitehaven RL has provided an update on the 2024 season following a meeting last month. 

The RFL Board has confirmed the structure for the 2024 season – including a new, expanded format for the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup.

A spokesperson said: "The Betfred Championship will continue as a 14-team competition, with the top six teams qualifying for a Play-Off series culminating in a Grand Final to determine the champions.

"This will be played at the home ground of the team ranked highest during the regular season.

"Betfred League One will be a nine-club competition, with each side playing 20 matches – 10 at home, and 10 away.

"This will involve four loop fixtures for each team, to be determined by seedings based on 2023 finishing positions (a contingency model has also been devised for an eight-team competition, which would see each team play the other three times in a 21-round programme).

"The League One Grand Final will be played on October 6 at home ground of the team ranked highest during the regular season.

"Importantly, clubs in both leagues have been invited to join a forum to consider the best structure below Super League for 2025 and beyond, the intention being to announce decisions before the start of the 2024 league competitions to provide clarity around promotion and relegation between any divisions.

"And, in response to representations from League One clubs that they would benefit from being able to offer more fixtures to their supporters, a new structure has been devised for the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup – the competition introduced in 2019 to provide a second and more realistic chance for clubs outside the Betfred Super League to reach Challenge Cup Finals Day at Wembley Stadium.

"In 2024 the 13 England-based Championship clubs will join eight League One clubs (Cornwall will not be taking part) in seven groups of three.

"Groups will be seeded and regionalised, with League One clubs awarded home advantage in any fixtures against Championship opposition.

"The top team in each group will qualify for Quarter Finals, joined by the best-performing second-placed team – the latter to be determined by competition points initially and then, if necessary, by points difference."