Twelve of the sides are based in the north of England and two are based in the south of France. Hopefully, the geographical spread will widen in due time beyond two regions. London is an obvious expansion location.
The three new clubs are highlighted in the gold colour. Bradford has a long SL history and a striong following. Toulouse had a brief encounter and hopefully a longer stay this time. York is a first timer, so a new chapter for the code in that picturesque cathedral city.
One club was relegated and that was Salford. They have formed a new club and that will play in the second division (Championship).
The first game will be between newly promoted York Knights and reigning champions Hull KR. There should be a sell out crowd although York don't do attendance figures so we may never know how many were actually there. We will if it's a sell out.
To keep up with the scores, go to the BBC website. Then click on 'Scores & Fixtures' and for the league ladder, click on 'Table'. Game highlights can be seen by clicking here. Buckle up.