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 In 1996 it was superseded by the Super League and the Rugby League National Leagues.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.
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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.
| 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 | Oldham | 1 | League | |
| 1905–06 | Leigh | 1 | League | |
| 1906–07 | Halifax | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1907–08 | Hunslet* | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1908–09 | Wigan | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1909–10 | Oldham | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1910–11 | Oldham | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1911–12 | Huddersfield | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1912–13 | Huddersfield* | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1913–14 | Salford | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1914–15 | Huddersfield* | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1915–19 | No competition due to World War I | N/A | N/A | |
| 1919–20 | Hull | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1920–21 | Hull | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1921–22 | Wigan | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1922–23 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1923–24 | Batley | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1924–25 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1925–26 | Wigan | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1926–27 | Swinton | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1927–28 | Swinton* | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1928–29 | Huddersfield | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1929–30 | Huddersfield | 5 | Play-off | |
| 1930–31 | Swinton | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1931–32 | St Helens | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1932–33 | Salford | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1933–34 | Wigan | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1934–35 | Swinton | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1935–36 | Hull | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1936–37 | Salford | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1937–38 | Hunslet | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1938–39 | Salford | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1939–45 | War Emergency League during World War II | N/A | N/A | |
| 1945–46 | Wigan | 5 | Play-off | |
| 1946–47 | Wigan | 6 | Play-off | |
| 1947–48 | Warrington | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1948–49 | Huddersfield | 6 | Play-off | |
| 1949–50 | Wigan | 7 | Play-off | |
| 1950–51 | Workington Town | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1951–52 | Wigan | 8 | Play-off | |
| 1952–53 | St Helens | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1953–54 | Warrington* | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1954–55 | Warrington | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1955–56 | Hull | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1956–57 | Oldham | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1957–58 | Hull | 5 | Play-off | |
| 1958–59 | St Helens | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1959–60 | Wigan | 9 | Play-off | |
| 1960–61 | Leeds | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1961–62 | Huddersfield | 7 | Play-off | |
| 1962–63 | Swinton | 5 | League | |
| 1963–64 | Swinton | 6 | League | |
| 1964–65 | Halifax | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1965–66 | St Helens* | 4 | Play-off | |
| 1966–67 | Wakefield Trinity | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1967–68 | Wakefield Trinity | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1968–69 | Leeds | 2 | Play-off | |
| 1969–70 | St Helens | 5 | Play-off | |
| 1970–71 | St Helens | 6 | Play-off | |
| 1971–72 | Leeds | 3 | Play-off | |
| 1972–73 | Dewsbury | 1 | Play-off | |
| 1973–74 | Salford | 5 | League | |
| 1974–75 | St Helens | 7 | League | |
| 1975–76 | Salford | 6 | League | |
| 1976–77 | Featherstone Rovers | 1 | League | |
| 1977–78 | Widnes | 1 | League | |
| 1978–79 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3 | League | |
| 1979–80 | Bradford Northern | 1 | League | |
| 1980–81 | Bradford Northern | 2 | League | |
| 1981–82 | Leigh | 2 | League | |
| 1982–83 | Hull | 6 | League | |
| 1983–84 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 4 | League | |
| 1984–85 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 5 | League | |
| 1985–86 | Halifax | 4 | League | |
| 1986–87 | Wigan | 10 | League | |
| 1987–88 | Widnes | 2 | League | |
| 1988–89 | Widnes | 3 | 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 | Wigan | 17 | League | |
| 1996 | St Helens* | 8 | League | |
| 1997 | Bradford Bulls | 3 | League | |
| 1998 | Wigan | 18 | Play-off | |
| 1999 | St. Helens | 9 | Play-off | |
| 2000 | St. Helens | 10 | Play-off | |
| 2001 | Bradford Bulls | 4 | Play-off | |
| 2002 | St Helens | 11 | Play-off | |
| 2003 | Bradford Bulls* | 5 | Play-off | |
| 2004 | Leeds | 4 | Play-off | |
| 2005 | Bradford Bulls | 6 | Play-off | |
| 2006 | St Helens* | 12 | Play-off | |
| 2007 | Leeds | 5 | Play-off | |
| 2008 | Leeds | 6 | Play-off | |
| 2009 | Leeds | 7 | Play-off | |
| 2010 | Wigan | 19 | Play-off | |
| 2011 | Leeds | 8 | Play-off |
Note *donates club winning Challenge Cup in the same season; thus completing the Championship and Challenge Cup 'Double'.
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.
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.
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