THE 2018 Kingstone Press League One season kicks off on Sunday, February 18 with York City Knights at home to fallen giants Bradford Bulls in arguably the fixture of the day in domestic rugby league.
The Knights - who have a new logo for 2018 to mark the 150th anniversary of the York club, comprising the traditional amber and black colours - face a tough opening to the season as a whole, in addition to welcoming the former Super League and World Club champions to Bootham Crescent.
Among their first six fixtures, they go to another relegated side, Oldham, and also face Keighley, Doncaster and Newcastle, all of whom got results against James Ford's men this year.
Oldham, having moved out of Stalybridge Celtic's home following demotion, are to play the bulk of their home fixtures back at the modest Whitebank ground, although the venue for their game with York is to be confirmed.
There is again no Easter double-header in League One, with the Knights going to Doncaster on Good Friday, March 30, but not playing again until the following weekend.
As reported, the Super 8s format has been scrapped in League One for 2018 following the resignations of expansion clubs Oxford and Gloucestershire All Golds, which has reduced the number of teams in the competition to 14.
Instead, the league reverts to a straight home-and-away format, with the champions like this year winning automatic promotion and the next four teams going into play-offs.
The regular season finishes on September 23, with the Knights coincidentally at home to Whitehaven, the side who ended their campaign this year in that epic play-off semi-final at the Recre.
York fans, meanwhile, will have two new grounds to visit next year, both in Wales.
South Wales Ironmen were taken over in the summer by the owner of amateur club West Wales Raiders and switched to Llanelli’s Stebonheath Park ahead of their League One Shield fixtures. They play there permanently in 2018 under the West Wales moniker. The Knights visit on Saturday, August 11.
North Wales Crusaders, meanwhile, switched to Queensway in Wrexham ahead of the 2017 season but York's matches against them this year, in the previous fixture format, were all at home. The Knights go there on Sunday, June 17.
York City Knights 2018 Kingstone Press League One fixture list in full
(Cup fixtures and play-off dates to be confirmed)
February
Sunday, Feb 18 Bradford Bulls (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
March
Sunday, Mar 4 Coventry Bears (Butts Park Arena) 3pm
Sunday, Mar 11 Oldham (away, venue TBC) 3pm
Sunday, Mar 25 Keighley Cougars (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Friday, Mar 30 Doncaster (Keepmoat Stadium) 3pm
April
Sunday, Apr 8 Newcastle Thunder (Kingston Park) 3pm
Sunday, Apr 15 London Skolars (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Sunday, Apr 29 West Wales Raiders (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
May
Sunday, May 6 Hunslet (South Leeds Stadium) 3pm
Sunday, May 20 Hemel Stags (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Sunday, May 27 Whitehaven (Recreation Ground) 3pm
June
Sunday, Jun 10 Workington Town (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Sunday, Jun 17 North Wales Crusaders (Queensway Stadium) 2.30pm
Sunday, Jun 24 Keighley Cougars (Cougar Park) 3pm
July
Sunday, Jul 1 Newcastle Thunder (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Sunday, Jul 8 Doncaster (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Saturday, Jul 14 London Skolars (New River Stadium) 3pm
Sunday, Jul 22 Bradford Bulls (Provident Stadium, Odsal) 3pm
Sunday, Jul 29 Coventry Bears (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
August
Sunday, Aug 5 North Wales Crusaders (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Saturday, Aug 11 West Wales Raiders (Stebonheath Park) 2.30pm
Sunday, Aug 19 Hunslet (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
September
Sunday, Sep 2 Workington Town (Derwent Park) 3pm
Sunday, Sep 9 Oldham (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
Sunday, Sep 16 Hemel Stags (Pennine Way) 2pm
Sunday, Sep 23 Whitehaven (Bootham Crescent) 3pm
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