The 2012 Championship 1 was a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in England and Wales, the third tier of the sport in the country.

For one season only,[2] the top four teams (Barrow Raiders, Doncaster, Whitehaven and Workington Town) were promoted to the 2013 Rugby Football League Championship, while the champions of the division were decided by a six-team play-off, which was won by Doncaster, who beat Barrow 16–13 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The exceptions being that the Swinton Lions and the Keighley Cougars were both promoted to compete in the 2012 RFL Championship.

The regular league season sees the 10 teams play each other twice (one home, one away) over 18 matches.

The top six teams at the end of the regular season goes through to the play-offs to determine the winners of Championship 1.