The battle for the second promotion place to the Betfred Championship in 2024 will be featured on The Sportsman over the next four weeks — starting with this Sunday’s qualifying clash between Doncaster and Oldham at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Dewsbury Rams have already taken the first promotion spot from Betfred League One after winning the League Leaders’ Shield, leaving five teams — Hunslet, Doncaster, Oldham, Workington Town and North Wales Crusaders — battling to join them.
Hunslet have earned a bye through the first round of the play-offs after finishing second, so The Sportsman will feature an intriguing match between two clubs with big ambitions.
Doncaster underlined their credentials by beating Dewsbury last Sunday, while Oldham are equally desperate to secure promotion after launching their move back to Boundary Park with an impressive win against Workington last Wednesday night.
Workington bounced back from that defeat by beating Hunslet back on Cumbrian soil at Derwent Park, and they will hope to make home advantage count against the Crusaders in an elimination match this weekend.
The winners of the Doncaster–Oldham game will earn a trip to Hunslet in the second round of the play-offs — and a possible direct route to the Play-Off Final on Sunday September 24 – while the losers will have a second chance at home to the winners of the Workington-Crusaders match.
The Sportsman will be showing one match from each round of the Play-Offs on their dedicated Rugby League YouTube channel, up to and including the Final.
