Championship and League 1 to adopt golden point in 2020
Last Updated: 17/11/19 4:14pm
Betfred Championship and League 1 clubs will fall into line with Super League by introducing golden point extra time in 2020 - but with a twist.
If a game is level after 80 minutes, teams will play two five-minute periods of extra time in a bid to get a positive result.
However, each team will receive a point for a draw as normal and an extra point will be up for grabs to the first team to score in extra time.
Super League followed the NRL in bringing in golden point for league matches in 2019 but with no reward for the team that loses out in extra time.
Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer said: "The clubs were keen to maintain a one-point reward for teams securing a draw, in addition to providing the possibility of extra excitement in golden point extra time, and we hope that supporters will welcome this innovation."
Golden point will be available for the first time in the Championship on Friday, January 31, when Dewsbury kick off the new season against Leigh.
York, who finished third in 2019 following their promotion from League 1, open up with a trip to Toulouse, who will be playing all their home matches at Stade Ernest Wallon.
York will also be moving to their new stadium in the early stages of the season after test events in January.
The remaining five matches in the opening round are scheduled for Sunday, February 2, with relegated London playing Bradford, who will use Dewsbury's Tetley's Stadium as their regular home ground in 2020.
Sheffield Eagles, who won the inaugural 1895 Cup at Wembley in August, will launch the defence in late April against Halifax.
League 1 kicks off two weeks later on the weekend of February 15-16.
London Skolars' first home game against North Wales will be played on Sunday, February 29 at Allianz Stadium, home of rugby union club Saracens, as part of a double-header featuring the Super League fixture between Toronto Wolfpack and St Helens.
Newcastle Thunder will host Doncaster at Kingston Park on Friday, May 22, to mark the return of the Magic Weekend to St James's Park, while the Skolars will play Doncaster the night before the 2020 Challenge Cup final.
League 1 clubs are following the example of Super League in ditching the second game over the Easter weekend, while the majority of the Championship's Easter Monday fixtures have been put back at the request of the clubs to allow players more time to recover from the Good Friday programme.
