Rugby Football League Championship Third Division

During certain periods Britain’s Rugby Football League Championship has been divided into three divisions, with promotion and relegation between each level.

After 1996, 11 clubs resigned from the championship to form Super League; the remaining clubs initially continued to play in what was now known as the first division, and the clubs that previously played in Division Three now played in a competition titled the Second Division. Despite this title, this competition formed the third tier of rugby league in Britain, and the results are collated here.

In 2003 rugby league beneath Super League were completely re-organised into the Rugby League National Leagues. National League Two effectively became the Third Division; a National League Three ran between 2003 and 2006 but this was a step below the old Third Division.

Third Division Championship winners

For completeness, this table includes champions from National League Two (2003-2008) and the Championship 1 (2009-Present)

Season Winners[1] Also promoted (to Second Division/National League One/Championship)
1991–92 Huddersfield Bramley
1992–93 Keighley Cougars Workington Town
1993-1995 No Third Division
1995–96 Hull Kingston Rovers1 none
1996 Hull Kingston Rovers Swinton
1997 Hunslet Hawks Rochdale Hornets, Leigh Centurions
1998-2002 No Third Division
2003 Keighley Cougars 2 none
2004 Barrow Raiders none
2005 York City Knights none
2006 Dewsbury Rams Sheffield Eagles
2007 Crusaders Featherstone Rovers
2008 Gateshead Thunder Barrow Raiders, Doncaster
2009 Dewsbury Rams Keighley Cougars
2010 Hunslet Hawks York City Knights
2011 Swinton Lions Keighley Cougars

Footnotes

  1. Denotes that champions were not promoted.
  2. Denotes a play-off system was used to determine the championship.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Third Tier Champions". 13 July 2009.

See also