- Rugby Football League Championship
-
- Not to be confused with the Rugby League National Leagues, currently known as the Rugby League Championship (or Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group).
The Rugby Football League Championship was the major professional competition organised by the Rugby Football League in Great Britain. In 1996 it was superseded by the Super League and the Rugby League National Leagues. Winning Super League is still regarded as winning the championship, hence for completeness this article includes championships from the Super League era.
Contents
History
The first season of rugby league (1895–96) saw all the breakaway clubs play in a single league competition. The addition of new teams and the problems of travelling led to the league being split in two for the following season; into the Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League. This arrangement lasted until the 1901-02, when the top clubs from each league resigned and formed a single new competition. The following season the remaining clubs in the Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues were re-organised to form a second division.
In 1905-06 the two divisions were re-combined into a single competition. Clubs played all the teams in their own county on a home-and-away basis, results counting towards the re-formed Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues. They also organised inter-county fixtures on an individual basis; all results were collated into a single table for the Championship. In order to even up the competition a top-four play-off series was used to determine the Championship.
Apart from the interventions of the world wars, this system was retained until 1962-63, when the league briefly returned to a two divisional system. This lasted only two years, and in 1964-65 they went back to one large division subdivided into county leagues, but the play-off were expanded to the top 16 teams.
In 1973-74 they again went back to two divisions. The play-off and the Yorkshire and Lancashire League were abandoned, though a new play-off type competition, the Premiership, was introduced.
In 1996 the championship was replaced by the Super League. The remaining clubs later went on to form the Rugby League National Leagues.
Championship winners
Season Champions [1] Titles Decided by Source 1895–96 Manningham 1 League 1896–01 Separate county leagues N/A N/A 1901–02 Broughton Rangers* 1 League 1902–03 
Halifax*1 League 1903–04 Bradford FC 1 League (play-off) 1904–05 
Oldham1 League 1905–06 
Leigh1 League 1906–07 Halifax2 Play-off 1907–08 
Hunslet*1 Play-off 1908–09 
Wigan1 Play-off 1909–10 Oldham2 Play-off 1910–11 Oldham3 Play-off 1911–12 
Huddersfield1 Play-off 1912–13 Huddersfield*2 Play-off 1913–14 
Salford1 Play-off 1914–15 Huddersfield*3 Play-off 1915–19 No competition due to World War I N/A N/A 1919–20 
Hull1 Play-off 1920–21 Hull2 Play-off 1921–22 Wigan2 Play-off 1922–23 
Hull Kingston Rovers1 Play-off 1923–24 
Batley1 Play-off 1924–25 Hull Kingston Rovers2 Play-off 1925–26 Wigan3 Play-off 1926–27 
Swinton1 Play-off 1927–28 Swinton*2 Play-off 1928–29 Huddersfield4 Play-off 1929–30 Huddersfield5 Play-off 1930–31 Swinton3 Play-off 1931–32 
St Helens1 Play-off 1932–33 Salford2 Play-off 1933–34 Wigan4 Play-off 1934–35 Swinton4 Play-off 1935–36 Hull3 Play-off 1936–37 Salford3 Play-off 1937–38 Hunslet2 Play-off 1938–39 Salford4 Play-off 1939–45 War Emergency League during World War II N/A N/A 1945–46 Wigan5 Play-off 1946–47 Wigan6 Play-off 1947–48 
Warrington1 Play-off 1948–49 Huddersfield6 Play-off 1949–50 Wigan7 Play-off 1950–51 
Workington Town1 Play-off 1951–52 Wigan8 Play-off 1952–53 St Helens2 Play-off 1953–54 Warrington*2 Play-off 1954–55 Warrington3 Play-off 1955–56 Hull4 Play-off 1956–57 Oldham4 Play-off 1957–58 Hull5 Play-off 1958–59 St Helens3 Play-off 1959–60 Wigan9 Play-off 1960–61 
Leeds1 Play-off 1961–62 Huddersfield7 Play-off 1962–63 Swinton5 League 1963–64 Swinton6 League 1964–65 Halifax3 Play-off 1965–66 St Helens*4 Play-off 1966–67 
Wakefield Trinity1 Play-off 1967–68 Wakefield Trinity2 Play-off 1968–69 Leeds2 Play-off 1969–70 St Helens5 Play-off 1970–71 St Helens6 Play-off 1971–72 Leeds3 Play-off 1972–73 
Dewsbury1 Play-off 1973–74 Salford5 League 1974–75 St Helens7 League 1975–76 Salford6 League 1976–77 
Featherstone Rovers1 League 1977–78 
Widnes1 League 1978–79 Hull Kingston Rovers3 League 1979–80 
Bradford Northern1 League 1980–81 Bradford Northern2 League 1981–82 Leigh2 League 1982–83 Hull6 League 1983–84 Hull Kingston Rovers4 League 1984–85 Hull Kingston Rovers5 League 1985–86 Halifax4 League 1986–87 Wigan10 League 1987–88 Widnes2 League 1988–89 Widnes3 League 1989–90 Wigan*11 League 1990–91 Wigan*12 League 1991–92 Wigan*13 League 1992–93 Wigan*14 League 1993–94 Wigan*15 League 1994–95 Wigan*16 League 1995–96 Wigan17 League 1996 St Helens*8 League 1997 Bradford Bulls3 League 1998 Wigan18 Play-off 1999 St. Helens9 Play-off 2000 St. Helens10 Play-off 2001 Bradford Bulls4 Play-off 2002 St Helens11 Play-off 2003 Bradford Bulls*5 Play-off 2004 Leeds4 Play-off 2005 Bradford Bulls6 Play-off 2006 St Helens*12 Play-off 2007 Leeds5 Play-off 2008 Leeds6 Play-off 2009 Leeds7 Play-off 2010 Wigan19 Play-off 2011 Leeds8 Play-off - Note
- This table includes championships from the Super League era.
Note *donates club winning Challenge Cup in the same season; thus completing the Championship and Challenge Cup 'Double'.
Rugby Football League Championship and Super League success
As of the 2009 season, four of the fourteen clubs participating in the Super League have never won the Rugby Football League Championship or Super League, they are; Castleford Tigers, Catalans Dragons, Crusaders, Harlequins RL.
As of the 2009 season, thirteen clubs not currently participating in the Super League have won the Rugby Football League Championship.
The five, of the thirteen, clubs with pre-World War II (WWII) Rugby Football League Championship wins are; Batley (1), Bradford FC (now the Association football club Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.) (1), Broughton Rangers (now defunct) (1), Hunslet (2), Manningham (now the Association football club Bradford City) (1).
The four, of the thirteen, clubs with both Pre- and Post-WWII Rugby Football League Championship wins are; Halifax (4, i.e. 2 pre- & 2 post-WWII), Leigh (2, i.e. 1 pre- & 1 post-WWII), Oldham (4, i.e. 3 pre- & 1 post-WWII), Swinton (6, i.e. 4 pre- & 2 post-WWII).
The four, of the thirteen, clubs with Post-WWII Rugby Football League Championship wins are; Dewsbury (1), Featherstone Rovers (1), Widnes (3), Workington Town (1).
Of these thirteen former Rugby Football League Championship winning clubs, only 5 have ever participated in the Super League, they are; Halifax as Halifax Blue Sox, Leigh as Leigh Centurions, Oldham as Oldham Bears, Widnes as Widnes Vikings, Workington Town, all of whom have had Post-WWII wins.
Of these thirteen former Rugby Football League Championship winning clubs, none have been granted Super League 2009 licences, and are therefore precluded from the Super League for the foreseeable future.
Club Wins Winning Years 1 Wigan 19 1908/09, 1921/22, 1925/26, 1933/34, 1945/46, 1946/47, 1949/50, 1951/52, 1959/60, 1986/87, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96, 1998, 2010 2 St. Helens 12 1931/32, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1965/66, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 3 Leeds 8 1960/61, 1968/69, 1971/72, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 4 Huddersfield 7 1911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1948/49, 1961/62 5 Swinton 6 1926/27, 1927/28, 1930/31, 1934/35, 1962/63, 1963/64 6 Salford 6 1913/14, 1932/33, 1936/37, 1938/39, 1973/74, 1975/76 7 Hull 6 1919/20, 1920/21, 1935/36, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1982/83 8 Bradford Northern/Bulls 6 1979/80, 1980/81, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005 9 Hull KR 5 1922/23, 1924/25, 1978/79, 1983/84, 1984/85 10 Oldham 4 1904/05, 1909/10, 1910/11, 1956/57 11 Halifax 4 1902/03, 1906/07, 1964/65, 1985/86 12 Warrington 3 1947/48, 1953/54, 1954/55 13 Widnes 3 1977/78, 1987/88, 1988/89 14 Hunslet 2 1907/08, 1937/38 15 Wakefield Trinity 2 1966/67, 1967/68 16 Leigh 2 1905/06, 1981/82 17 Broughton Rangers 1 1901/02 18 Manningham 1 1895/96 19 Bradford FC 1 1903/04 20 Batley 1 1923/24 21 Workington Town 1 1950/51 22 Dewsbury 1 1972/73 23 Featherstone Rovers 1 1976/77 Note. In the event of a tie, the team that won x amount of titles first is given preference.
Rugby League 'Double'
In Rugby League, the term 'the Double' is referring to the achievement of a club that wins the Championship and Challenge Cup in the same season. To date, this has been achieved by nine different clubs.
Club Wins Winning Years 1 Wigan 6 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95 2 St Helens 3 1965/66, 1996, 2006 3 Huddersfield 2 1912/13, 1914/15 4 Broughton Rangers 1 1901/02 5 Halifax 1 1902/03 6 Hunslet 1 1907/08 7 Swinton 1 1927/28 8 Warrington 1 1953/54 9 Bradford Bulls 1 2003 Note. In the event of a tie, the team that won x amount of 'Doubles' first is given preference.
See also
- Rugby League Premiership
- Rugby Football League Championship Second Division
- Rugby Football League Championship Third Division
- Super League
- Co-operative Championship
References
- ^ "Top Flight Champions". 13 July 2009. http://www.rugbyleaguehonours.co.uk/first.html.
Rugby League in Great Britain and Ireland Nations Federations National Teams Leagues Super League · Championship · Championship 1 · National Conference League · CMS Yorkshire league · North West Counties · Pennine League · Cumberland League · Hull & District League · Barrow & District League · Rugby League Conference · North West Merit League · Yorkshire & Humber Merit League · North Wales League · Midlands Rugby League · London League · Eastern Merit LeagueCups Challenge Cup · National League Cup · BARLA National Cup · Yorkshire County Cup · Lancashire County Cup · Cumbria County Cup · Cumberland County CupFormer
CompetitionsRFL Championship · Premiership · Lancs/Yorks Cups · Lancs/Yorks League · Regal Trophy · Charity Shield · BBC2 Floodlit Trophy · Trans-Pennine CupRugby Football League Championship seasons Rugby Football League era
(1895–1996)1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–00 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Super League era
(1996–present)Categories:- British rugby league competitions
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