List of British rugby league champions
The British men's rugby league champions are the winners of the highest league in British rugby league, which since 1996 is the Super League. Although the league is based in the UK, teams from continental Europe and North America can win the league due to teams from France and Canada competing in the British rugby league system.
| British rugby league champions (Tier 1) |
|---|
| RFL Championship First Division (1895-1996) Super League (1996-present) |
| Founded |
| 1895–96 |
| Country |
 England.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Wales France |
| Editions completed |
| 125 |
| Number of teams |
| 12 |
| Current champions |
 St Helens |
| Most titles won |
 Wigan(22 times) |
History
Following the schism in 1895 that saw 22 Northern rugby clubs split from the Rugby Football Union and form the Northern Union, the 22 clubs were organised into one league. At the end of the 1895–96 season, Manningham were the first club to be crowned champions, finishing one point ahead of Halifax.[1]
Following the success of the Northern Unions first season, more clubs defected from the Rugby Football Union to join the new league. After concerns around travel and costs were expressed, the decision was made that the competition should be split into two separate county championships: Lancashire and Yorkshire Leagues. County leagues were in place for the next five seasons until 1901–02 were the top seven sides from each league resigned to merge to form a new league. The only other times that there was no major championship was when there were outbrakes of war.
During the late 1980s and early 90s, Wigan became the only full-time professional club and dominated in every competition. A new Super League began to be mooted during the Super League war in Australia as a way for Rupert Murdoch to gain an upper hand in broadcasting supremacy with the Australian Rugby League. British clubs were approached to form a Super League with a cash insentive. Part of the deal was switching the sport to summer and the merger of some clubs, the latter not taking place due to huge protest from fans. All four Super League champions; St Helens, Wigan, Bradford and Leeds have all previously won the old First Division.
Only three clubs to have been crowned champions are not in existence today. During the reclassification of the Championship in 1901, the league was split into two divisions. Manningham were placed in the Second Division, finishing 10th out of 18 teams. At the end of the season a series of meetings was held about establishing a Football League club in the city. During an annual meeting the committee voted to switch to association football, becoming Bradford City. A similar situation occurred at Bradford FC in 1907 when a narrow majority of members voted to withdraw from the Northern Union in favour of association football, forming Bradford Park Avenue. Broughton Rangers struggled post war and folded in 1955 after a failed name change to Belle Vue Rangers in 1946.
Hunslet FC were the fourth former champions to fold after financial issues, player strikes and a stadium fire that led to the club selling the land to developers before being eventually wound up. Unlike the other three clubs which no longer exist, a phoenix club, New Hunslet, was formed in 1973 and still exists.[2]
Method of determining champion
The method of determining the champions has changed multiple times between using the first past the post method of crowning league leaders champions or a play off series. A play off series was first used in 1906, this was due to some clubs playing more games than others and league positions being decided by win percentages rather than competition points.
Most seasons have been decided by a play off format. Between 1973 and 1997 was the longest era where a first place league finish was used to decide the champions.
| Years | Method | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 1895-96 | League leaders | First Division |
| 1896-01: County's League | ||
| 1901-06 | League leaders | First Division |
| 1906-15 | Playoffs | Championship Final |
| 1915-18: Wartime Emergency League | ||
| 1919-39 | Playoffs | Championship Final |
| 1939-41: County's League | ||
| 1941-45: Wartime Emergency League | ||
| 1945-47 | League leaders | First Division |
| 1947-62 | Playoffs | Championship Final |
| 1962-64 | League leaders | First Division |
| 1964-73 | Playoffs | Championship Final |
| 1973-96 | League leaders | First Division |
| 1996-97 | Super League | |
| 1998-present | Playoffs | Grand Final |
Results
As the method for determining National Champions changes through different league formats, the recognised National Champions of the day have been indicated in bold. National Championships and Challenge Cup victories have also been tallied in brackets.
RFL Championship First Division Era (1895-1996)
| Champion decided by National Championship League Leader (1895-96) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Championship | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1895–96 |  Manningham |
Not Held | Not Held |
| Separate County Leagues held with no National Champion (1896-1901) | |||
| Year | Championship | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1897-98 | County Leagues | Not Held |  Batley |
| 1898-99 | County Leagues | Not Held | Batley (2) |
| 1899-00 | County Leagues | Not Held |  Oldham |
| 1900-01 | County Leagues | Not Held |  Swinton |
| 1901-01 | County Leagues | Not Held | Batley (3) |
| Champion decided by National Championship League Leader (1901-06) | |||
| Year | Championship | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1901–02 |  Broughton |
Not Held | Broughton |
| 1902–03 |  Halifax |
Not Held | Halifax |
| 1903–04 | Bradford F.C. | Not Held | Halifax (2) |
| 1904–05 | Oldham |
Not Held |  Warrington |
| 1905–06 |  Leigh |
Not Held | Bradford F.C. |
| Champion decided by Championship Play-Offs (1906-15) | |||
| Year | League Leader | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1906–07 | Halifax |
Halifax (2) |
Warrington (2) |
| 1907–08 | Oldham |
 Hunslet |
Hunslet |
| 1908–09 | Wigan |
Wigan |
 Wakefield Trinity |
| 1909–10 | Oldham |
Oldham (2) |
 Leeds |
| 1910–11 | Wigan |
Oldham (3) |
Broughton (2) |
| 1911–12 |  Huddersfield |
Huddersfield |
 Dewsbury |
| 1912–13 | Huddersfield |
Huddersfield (2) |
Huddersfield |
| 1913–14 | Huddersfield |
 Salford |
 Hull FC |
| 1914–15 | Huddersfield |
Huddersfield (3) |
Huddersfield (2) |
| Champion decided by Championship Play-Offs (1919-39) | |||
| Year | League Leader | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1919–20 | Huddersfield |
Hull F.C. |
Huddersfield (3) |
| 1920–21 |  Hull KR |
Hull F.C. (2) |
Leigh |
| 1921–22 | Oldham |
Wigan (2) |
 Rochdale Hornets |
| 1922–23 | Hull F.C. |
Hull KR |
Leeds (2) |
| 1923–24 | Wigan |
Batley |
Wigan |
| 1924–25 | Swinton |
Hull KR (2) |
Oldham (2) |
| 1925–26 | Wigan |
Wigan (3) |
Swinton (2) |
| 1926–27 | St Helens Recs | Swinton |
Oldham (3) |
| 1927–28 | Swinton |
Swinton (2) |
Swinton (3) |
| 1928–29 | Huddersfield |
Huddersfield (4) |
Wigan (2) |
| 1929–30 | St. Helens |
Huddersfield (5) |
 Widnes |
| 1930–31 | Swinton |
Swinton (3) |
Halifax (3) |
| 1931–32 | Huddersfield |
St. Helens |
Leeds (3) |
| 1932–33 | Salford |
Salford (2) |
Huddersfield (4) |
| 1933–34 | Salford |
Wigan (4) |
Hunslet (2) |
| 1934–35 | Swinton |
Swinton (4) |
 Castleford |
| 1935–36 | Hull F.C. |
Hull F.C. (3) |
Leeds (4) |
| 1936–37 | Salford |
Salford (3) |
Widnes (2) |
| 1937–38 | Hunslet |
Hunslet (2) |
Salford |
| 1938–39 | Salford |
Salford (4) |
Halifax (4) |
| Wartime Leagues held with no National Champion (1939-1945) | |||
| 1939-40 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held | Not Held |
| 1940-41 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held | Leeds (5) |
| 1941-42 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held | Leeds (6) |
| 1942-43 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held | Dewsbury (2) |
| 1943-44 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held |  Bradford |
| 1944-45 | Wartime Emergency League | Not Held | Huddersfield (5) |
| Champion decided by National Championship League Leader (1945-46) | |||
| Year | Championship Winner | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1945–46 | Wigan (5) |
Wigan |
Wakefield Trinity (2) |
| 1946–47 | Wigan (6) |
Wigan |
Bradford (2) |
| Champion decided by Championship Play-Offs (1947-62) | |||
| Year | League Leader | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1947–48 | Wigan |
Warrington |
Wigan (3) |
| 1948–49 | Warrington |
Huddersfield (6) |
Bradford (3) |
| 1949–50 | Wigan |
Wigan (7) |
Warrington (3) |
| 1950–51 | Warrington |
 Workington |
Wigan (4) |
| 1951–52 | Bradford Northern |
Wigan (8) |
Workington Town |
| 1952–53 | St. Helens |
St. Helens (2) |
Huddersfield (6) |
| 1953–54 | Halifax |
Warrington (2) |
Warrington |
| 1954–55 | Warrington |
Warrington (3) |
 Barrow |
| 1955–56 | Warrington |
Hull F.C. (4) |
St Helens |
| 1956–57 | Oldham |
Oldham (4) |
Leeds (7) |
| 1957–58 | Oldham |
Hull F.C. (5) |
Wigan (5) |
| 1958–59 | St. Helens |
St. Helens (3) |
Wigan (6) |
| 1959–60 | St. Helens |
Wigan (9) |
Wakefield Trinity (3) |
| 1960–61 | Leeds |
Leeds |
St Helens (2) |
| 1961–62 | Huddersfield |
Huddersfield (7) |
Wakefield Trinity (4) |
| Champion decided by National Championship League Leader (1962-64) | |||
| Year | Championship Winner | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1962–63 | Swinton (5) |
Not Held | Wakefield Trinity (5) |
| 1963–64 | Swinton (6) |
Not Held | Widnes (3) |
| Champion decided by Championship Play-Offs (1964-73) | |||
| Year | League Leader | Championship Play Off | Challenge Cup |
| 1964–65 | St. Helens |
Halifax (3) |
Wigan (7) |
| 1965–66 | St. Helens |
St. Helens (4) |
St Helens (3) |
| 1966–67 | Leeds |
Wakefield |
 Featherstone Rovers |
| 1967–68 | Leeds |
Wakefield (2) |
Leeds (8) |
| 1968–69 | Leeds |
Leeds (2) |
Castleford (2) |
| 1969–70 | Leeds |
St. Helens (5) |
Castleford (3) |
| 1970–71 | Wigan |
St. Helens (6) |
Leigh (2) |
| 1971–72 | Leeds |
Leeds (3) |
St Helens (4) |
| 1972–73 | Warrington |
Dewsbury |
Featherstone Rovers (2) |
| Champion decided by National Championship League Leader. (1973-96)
Separate Premiership competition inaugurated for 1973-74 season | |||
| Year | Championship Winner | Premiership WInner | Challenge Cup |
| 1973–74 | Salford (5) |
Warrington |
Warrington (5) |
| 1974–75 | St. Helens (7) |
Leeds |
Widnes (4) |
| 1975–76 | Salford (6) |
St. Helens |
St Helens (5) |
| 1976–77 | Featherstone |
St. Helens |
Leeds (9) |
| 1977–78 | Widnes |
Bradford Northern |
Leeds (10) |
| 1978–79 | Hull KR (3) |
Leeds |
Widnes (5) |
| 1979–80 | Bradford |
Widnes |
Hull Kingston Rovers |
| 1980–81 | Bradford (2) |
Hull Kingston Rovers |
Widnes (6) |
| 1981–82 | Leigh |
Widnes |
Hull FC (2) |
| 1982–83 | Hull F.C. (6) |
Widnes |
Featherstone Rovers (3) |
| 1983–84 | Hull KR (4) |
Hull Kingston Rovers |
Widnes (7) |
| 1984–85 | Hull KR (5) |
St. Helens |
Wigan (8) |
| 1985–86 | Halifax (4) |
Warrington |
Castleford (4) |
| 1986–87 | Wigan (10) |
Wigan |
Halifax (5) |
| 1987–88 | Widnes (2) |
Widnes |
Wigan (9) |
| 1988–89 | Widnes (3) |
Widnes |
Wigan (10) |
| 1989–90 | Wigan (11) |
Widnes |
Wigan (11) |
| 1990–91 | Wigan (12) |
Hull F.C. |
Wigan (12) |
| 1991–92 | Wigan (13) |
Wigan |
Wigan (13) |
| 1992–93 | Wigan (14) |
St. Helens |
Wigan (14) |
| 1993–94 | Wigan (15) |
Wigan |
Wigan (15) |
| 1994–95 | Wigan (16) |
Wigan |
Wigan (16) |
| 1995–96 | Wigan (17) |
Crossover with Super League I | Crossover with Super League I |
Super League Era (1996-present)
See also: List of Super League seasons
Number of League Champions wins by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wigan | 22 | 16 | 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, 2013, 2016, 2018 |
| 2 | St. Helens | 15 | 16 | 1931/32, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1965/66, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020 |
| 3 | Leeds | 11 | 11 | 1960/61, 1968/69, 1971/72, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 |
| 4 | Huddersfield | 7 | 6 | 1911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1948/49, 1961/62 |
| 5 | Bradford | 6 | 7 | 1979/80, 1980/81, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005 |
| 6 | Salford[3] | 6 | 4 | 1913/14, 1932/33, 1936/37, 1938/39, 1973/74, 1975/76 |
| 7 | Hull F.C. | 6 | 4 | 1919/20, 1920/21, 1935/36, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1982/83 |
| 8 | Swinton | 6 | 2 | 1926/27, 1927/28, 1930/31, 1934/35, 1962/63, 1963/64 |
| 9 | Hull KR | 5 | 3 | 1922/23, 1924/25, 1978/79, 1983/84, 1984/85 |
| 10 | Oldham | 4 | 5 | 1904/05, 1909/10, 1910/11, 1956/57 |
| 11 | Halifax | 4 | 5 | 1902/03, 1906/07, 1964/65, 1985/86 |
| 12 | Warrington | 3 | 11 | 1947/48, 1953/54, 1954/55 |
| 13 | Widnes | 3 | 4 | 1977/78, 1987/88, 1988/89 |
| 14 | Hunslet § | 2 | 2 | 1907/08, 1937/38 |
| 15 | Wakefield | 2 | 2 | 1966/67, 1967/68 |
| 16 | Leigh | 2 | 0 | 1905/06, 1981/82 |
| 17 | Featherstone | 1 | 2 | 1976/77 |
| 18 | Bradford F.C. § | 1 | 1 | 1903/04 |
| 19 | Workington | 1 | 1 | 1950/51 |
| 20 | Dewsbury | 1 | 1 | 1972/73 |
| 21 | Manningham § | 1 | 0 | 1895/96 |
| 22 | Broughton § | 1 | 0 | 1901/02 |
| 23 | Batley | 1 | 0 | 1923/24 |
| 24 | Castleford | 0 | 3 | |
| 25 |  St Helens Recs § | 0 | 1 | |
| 26 |  London | 0 | 1 |
- § Denotes club now defunct
Top League Try Scorers
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See also
References
- Baker, Andrew (20 August 1995). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". The Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
- "History". Hunslet RFLC. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- "Salford Red Devils: Official Club Website". Salford Red Devils. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2012.