Leeds Rhinos to Begin Wheelchair Super League Title Defense Against Edinburgh Giants

The Leeds Rhinos, current champions of the Wheelchair Super League, are set to commence their title defense in 2025 against the Edinburgh Giants, a new team to the league. The Rhinos secured the 2024 Wheelchair Super League Grand Final victory in October by defeating the Halifax Panthers with a score of 52-32. Last season, the Rhinos overcame a 12-point deficit against the Halifax Panthers to claim the title, marking their first championship win since 2021. The 2025 season will feature an expanded format, introducing Edinburgh and Sheffield Eagles as new participants. Additionally, the Warrington Wolves will join the Championship as part of this revised league structure. The Wheelchair Super League will be contested by the Edinburgh Giants, Halifax Panthers, Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos, London Roosters, Sheffield Eagles, and Wigan Warriors. The Championship division will be split into eastern and western conferences. The Championship West will include the Hereford Harriers, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Salford Red Devils, Warrington Wolves, and Widnes Vikings. Concurrently, the Championship East will feature competition among the Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity, and York Knights. The Wheelchair Super League season is scheduled to commence on the weekend of June 21 and 22, 2025, with the match between Leeds and Edinburgh. Over seven rounds of fixtures, each of the seven participating teams will play every other team once, either at home or away. Starting August 23, the division will be separated into a top-four and a bottom-three competition. The play-offs are slated to occur at a central venue, culminating in the Grand Final at the Manchester Basketball Centre on Sunday, September 28. Chris Godfrey, the RFL’s national inclusion manager, stated, “We’d like to thank all clubs who submitted applications and whilst the competition was high, there were eight applications that were identified as particularly strong who will now compete in the Wheelchair Super League for the 2025-2027 window.” He further commented, “Whilst perennial powerhouses in the sport and previous Super League teams retained their places – once again showing via the applications why they are in the elite division – new entries Sheffield Eagles, Edinburgh Giants and returning Warrington Wolves will no doubt look to add a new edge to the competition.” The Betfred Wheelchair Super League teams are: Edinburgh Giants, Halifax Panthers, Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos, London Roosters, Sheffield Eagles, Wigan Warriors. Championship West participants include: Hereford Harriers, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Salford Red Devils, Warrington Wolves, Widnes Vikings. The Championship East teams are: Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity, York Knights.