THE Bulls face a tough trip to Leigh in their first Championship game next season – and will also play the recently-crowned champions in their final home game.

Heading into their first season out of the top flight for 41 years, Bradford face an immediate test of their credentials as they tackle a Leigh side who dominated the Championship in 2014.

Paul Rowley's men won 25 of their 26 league matches and then beat Featherstone in the Grand Final at Headingley earlier this month.

Jimmy Lowes' team will head to the Leigh Sports Village on Sunday, February 15 and face Whitehaven at Odsal in their first home game seven days later.

Then comes another away game at Featherstone before a visit from Lowes' old club Hunslet Hawks, who recently won promotion back to the second tier with victory over Oldham in the Championship One Grand Final.

The first big derby clash with Halifax will be at home on Good Friday before Lowes' side make the short trip to Dewsbury on Easter Monday.

The return fixture against Halifax is at The Shay in the last game of the regular season on Sunday, July 26.

Halifax, now under the guidance of Richard Marshall, could also be the Bulls' opponents in the Summer Bash weekend of fixtures on May 23/24, although the fixtures for the event in Blackpool have yet to be confirmed.

The Bulls' first trip to Cumbria will see them head to Whitehaven on May 19 before taking on Workington on June 21.

London Broncos, who – like Bradford and Leigh – are operating a full-time squad next season, visit Odsal on April 12. The return fixture at The Hive is on May 31.

After the 23 regular rounds, the top four teams in the Championship head into the Super Eight play-offs against the bottom four teams in Super League.

Championship clubs will enter the Challenge Cup at the fourth-round stage, with matches to be played over the weekend of March 21/22.

Meanwhile, Keighley Cougars open their Championship One campaign with a home clash against York City Knights on April 3.

The Cougar Park outfit, who were relegated from the Championship in dramatic and controversial fashion on the final day of the 2014 season, then face successive away trips to Hemel Stags and Gateshead Thunder.

They will face a number of teams who were relegated with them last term – Barrow, Swinton, Rochdale and North Wales Crusaders – as well as new opposition in South Wales Scorpions, Coventry Bears and the University of Gloucestershire All Golds.

Paul March's side end their campaign with a home match against Hemel Stags on September 13.

BULLS FIXTURES 2015

FEBRUARY

Sun 15 Leigh Centurions A 3pm

SUN 22 WHITEHAVEN H 3PM

MARCH

Sun 1 Featherstone Rovers A 3pm

SUN 8 HUNSLET HAWKS H 3PM

Sun 15 Batley Bulldogs A 3pm

SUN 29 WORKINGTON TOWN H 3PM

APRIL

FRI 3 HALIFAX H TBC

Mon 6 Dewsbury Rams A TBC

SUN 12 LONDON BRONCOS H 3PM

Sun 26 Doncaster A TBC

MAY

SUN 3 SHEFFIELD EAGLES H 3PM

Sun 10 Whitehaven A 3pm

SUN 17 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS H 3PM

Sat/Sun 23/24 Summer Bash

Sun 31 London Broncos A 3pm

JUNE

SUN 7 DONCASTER H 3PM

SUN 14 DEWSBURY RAMS H 3PM

Sun 21 Workington Town A 3pm

SUN 28 BATLEY BULLDOGS H 3PM

JULY

Sun 5 Hunslet Hawks A 3pm

Sun 12 Sheffield Eagles A TBC

SUN 19 LEIGH CENTURIONS H 3PM

Sun 26 Halifax A 3pm

COUGARS FIXTURES 2015

APRIL

FRI 3 YORK CITY KNIGHTS H 3PM

Sun 12 Hemel Stags A 2.30pm

Sun 19 Gateshead Thunder A 3pm

SUN 26 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS H 3PM

MAY

Sun 3 London Skolars A 3pm

SUN 10 COVENTRY BEARS H 3PM

Sun 17 Swinton Lions A 3pm

SUN 31 OLDHAM H 3PM

JUNE

Sun 7 Barrow Raiders A 3pm

SUN 14 SOUTH WALES SCORPIONS H 3PM

SUN 21 ROCHDALE HORNETS H 3PM

Sun 28 North Wales Crusaders A 2.30pm

JULY

SUN 5 OXFORD H 3PM

Sun 12 Coventry Bears A 3pm

SUN 19 SWINTON LIONS H 3PM

SUN 26 GATESHEAD THUNDER H 3PM

AUGUST

Sun 2 Oldham A 3pm

Sun 9 South Wales Scorpions A 3pm

SUN 16 BARROW RAIDERS H 3PM

Sun 23 Rochdale Hornets A 3pm

SEPTEMBER

Sun 6 University of Gloucestershire All Golds A 3pm

SUN 13 HEMEL STAGS H 3PM