Third-division rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom have existed periodically since 1991.

South Wales Scorpions were admitted to Championship 1 for the 2010 season, increasing the number of teams in the league to 11.

Toronto Wolfpack joined the league in 2017, bringing the total number of teams to 16.

The number of clubs in the division will be reduced to 12 and the top six teams will compete for two promotion places to the Championship.

Following the aborted 2020 season, the number of clubs was reduced to 10 as Newcastle Thunder were appointed to the Championship and the planned entry of Ottawa Aces was deferred to 2022.

A reduction to ten teams happened for 2023 as West Wales Raiders withdrew from the league in December 2022.

Former Super League and International Referee Steve Ganson is the current Head of the Match Officials Department and Technical Director.

[9] The current RFL policy is to add expansion teams to the professional structure via entry to League 1.

In 2011, the RFL invited expressions of interest for four additional British teams to join the competition starting in 2013.

Of the 16 interested parties, three teams, University of Gloucestershire All Golds, Hemel Stags and Oxford Rugby League were accepted to join the league and began play in 2013, a fourth, the Northampton Town F.C.-linked Northampton Rebels were also accepted, but ultimately decided not to proceed.

In 2016, it was announced that Toronto Wolfpack would be joining the league from the 2017 season, becoming the first team to compete in the RFL structure from outside of the UK or France.

[20] In March 2019 it was announced that Hemel's RFL membership had been bought by a consortium including Toronto Wolfpack founder Eric Perez, with the intention of relocating the club to Ottawa, Canada.

[23] There has also been expressions of interest in joining the RFL system from Spain and Serbia through Valencia Huracanes and Red Star Belgrade RL.

Before the 2017 season, new members of the league, Toronto Wolfpack, announced that their games would be shown live on Canadian channel GameTV,[25] as well as digitally on CBC Sports.