1994-95 Rugby Football League season

The 1994-95 Rugby Football League season was the 100th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1994 until May, 1995 for the Stones Bitter Championship.

eason Summary

This season in-goal judges were introduced. Also, the summer Super League concept was agreed to commence in 1996.

*Stones Bitter League Champions: Wigan (16th title)
*Silk Cut Challenge Cup Winners: Wigan (30-10 v Leeds)
*Stones Bitter Premiership Trophy Winners: Wigan (69-12 v Leeds)
**Harry Sunderland Trophy: Kris Radlinski
*Regal Trophy Winners: Wigan (7 - 40-10 v Warrington)
*2nd Division Champions: Keighley Cougars

The record for most points scored by one team in a match was broken by Huddersfield when they clocked up 142 against Blackpool Gladiators' 4 in a Regal Trophy match on 26 November 1994. This is also the record for widest margin.

The 1995 Man of Steel Award for the player of the season went to Wigan's Denis Betts. Wigan also set a new record for most points in all matches in one season with 1,735 from 45 matches as follows:
*Division One Championship: 1,148 (from 30 games)
*Challenge Cup 230 (from 6 games)
*Regal Trophy 170 (from 5 games)
*Premiership Trophy 167 (from 3 games)
*Tour match (Australia) 20 (from 1 game)

Championship

Workington Town and Doncaster were promoted to the First Division after finishing first and second respectively in the Second Division the previous season. Workington Town made the most of their opportunity in the first division, avoiding relegation, but Doncaster failed to make the most of theirs, finishing last.

For the fourth consecutive season, Wigan were crowned League Champions after finishing the season on top of the ladder.

Ladder

Challenge Cup

Fourth round: Wigan 16-16 St Helens
Replay: St Helens 24-40 Wigan
Fifth round: Batley 4-70 Wigan
Sixth round: Widnes 12-26 Wigan
Semi-final: Wigan 48-20 Oldham (McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield)

The 1995 Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final was a replay of the previous season's final between Wigan and Leeds. The match was played at 2:30pm on the dry Saturday afternoon of April 29th at Wembley Stadium, London.
Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)
Attendance: 78,550Wigan 30
#Henry Paul (1 try)
#Jason Robinson (2 tries)
#Va'aiga Tuigamala (1 try)
#Gary Connolly
#Martin Offiah
#Frano Botica (5 goals)
#Shaun Edwards (c)
#Kelvin Skerrett
#Martin Hall (1 try)
#Neil Cowie
#Denis Betts
#Mick Cassidy
#Phil Clarke
*Andy Farrell
*Paul AtchesonCoach: Graeme West.Leeds 10
#Alan Tait
#Jim Fallon
#Kevin Iro
#Craig Innes
#Francis Cummins
#Garry Schofield
#Graham Holroyd (3 goals)
#Harvey Howard
#James Lowes (1 try)
#Esene Faimalo
#Gary Mercer
#Richard Eyres
#Ellery Hanley (c)
*Neil Harmon
*George MannCoach: Doug Laughton.
Lance Todd Trophy winner: Jason Robinson (Wigan)

ources

* [http://www.rlhalloffame.org.uk/1995.htm 1994-95 Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk]
* [http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=255 1994-95 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/challenge_cup/3358243.stm "Wigan's record Cup run" at news.bbc.co.uk]
* [http://www2.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/gbr/sum/gbr1994.htm Great Britain Competitions 1994-1995 at hunterlink.net.au]