Round 1 fixtures revealed

Round 1 of the 2026 Betfred Super League has been confirmed, with seven standout fixtures spread across the weekend of February 12-15.

In its 30th year, Super League will kick off with the newly promoted York Knights hosting the treble-winning champions Hull KR at the LNER Community Stadium on Thursday night.

Mark Applegarth makes his coaching return to Super League with the Knights in their first crack at the top flight, while Willie Peters’ men will begin their title defence on the road.

This is followed by Warrington Wolves versus St Helens on the Friday – with both sides having had a number of exciting encounters in recent seasons.

The Wolves will be hoping for a much-improved year, while Paul Rowley looks to work his magic as he takes the reigns at the Red V.

Both fixtures are Sky Sports’ exclusive Round 1 picks, and Sky Sports will once again show every game live, including two matches in each round exclusively, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ and SuperLeague+.

The Friday night feast then continues as two of last year’s top six Leigh Leopards and Leeds Rhinos face off under the lights of Leigh Sports Village.

Both teams enjoyed stellar campaigns in 2025 and have been gradually building towards something special.

Having established themselves as genuine contenders, will either side get a taste of silverware in 2026?

Also on Friday, Huddersfield Giants are the first team to make the trip to Perpignan and will face Catalans Dragons in their opening match.

Saturday promises to be a memorable one when Bradford Bulls mark their return to the top with an away day at Hull FC.

‘Bullmania’ is back in the big time following an absence of over a decade, with Kurt Haggerty preparing to lead a revamped side ready for Super League.

Meanwhile, Wakefield Trinity meet Toulouse Olympique on home soil for the first time since the 2024 Betfred Championship Grand Final, in a Saturday night showdown with the third new club in 2026.

Castleford Tigers’ clash with Wigan Warriors sees out the opening round on Sunday afternoon and will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer, as part of the BBC’s continuing rugby league coverage.

The Tigers are fresh-looking under new head coach Ryan Carr, but former champions Wigan will undoubtedly be a dominant force once more.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Magic Weekend will return for 2026, with a new home at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, which recently hosted the Second ABK Beer Ashes Series Test between England and Australia in front of a capacity crowd.

2026 Magic WKND will take place over the weekend of July 4 and 5, with the Hill Dickinson Stadium becoming just the seventh venue to stage Rugby League’s iconic event.

Full details can be found here.

Thursday (27 November) will see the official release of the full 2026 fixture schedule.

Round 1 fixtures:

York Knights v Hull KR – Thursday 12 February (8PM) - Sky Sports

Catalans Dragons v Huddersfield Giants – Friday 13 February (6PM/7PM CET)

Warrington Wolves v St Helens – Friday 13 February (8PM) - Sky Sports

Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos - Friday 13 February (8PM)

Hull FC v Bradford Bulls – Saturday 14 February (5.30PM)

Wakefield Trinity v Toulouse – Saturday 14 February (8PM)

Castleford Tigers v Wigan Warriors – Sunday 15 February (3PM) - BBC iPlayer