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.

British rugby league champions (Tier 1)
RFL Championship First Division (1895-1996)
Super League (1996-present)
Founded
1895–96
Country
 England
 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 Super League Grand Final is the current method of determining the 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

RFL Championship First Division (1895-1996)

Year Champions
(number of titles)
Runners-up Leading tryscorer
(club)
Tries
1895–96 Manningham Halifax Jack Hurst ( Oldham) 28
1896-1901 County Leagues
1901–02 Broughton Salford Rob Wilson (Broughton) 38
1902–03 Halifax Salford Evans ( Leeds) 27
1903–04 Bradford F.C. Salford Andrew Hogg (Broughton) 34
1904–05 Oldham Bradford F.C. James Dechan (Bradford FC) 31
1905–06 Leigh Hunslet Jim Leytham ( Wigan) 44
1906–07 Halifax (2) Oldham Percy Eccles ( Halifax) 41
1907–08 Hunslet Oldham Jim Leytham ( Wigan) 44
1908–09 Wigan Oldham Joe Miller ( Wigan)
Frank Williams ( Halifax)
44
1909–10 Oldham (2) Wigan Jim Leytham ( Wigan) 48
1910–11 Oldham (3) Wigan William Kitchin ( Huddersfield) 41
1911–12 Huddersfield Wigan Albert Rosenfeld ( Huddersfield) 76
1912–13 Huddersfield (2) Wigan Albert Rosenfeld ( Huddersfield) 80
1913–14 Salford Huddersfield Albert Rosenfeld ( Huddersfield) 80
1914–15 Huddersfield (3) Leeds Albert Rosenfeld ( Huddersfield) 56
1915-1918 Wartime Emergency League
1918–19 County Leagues
1919–20 Hull F.C. Huddersfield Billy Stone ( Hull FC) 41
1920–21 Hull F.C. (2) Hull KR Billy Stone ( Hull FC) 41
1921–22 Wigan (2) Oldham Reg Farrar ( Oldham) 49
1922–23 Hull KR Huddersfield Johnny Ring ( Wigan) 41
1923–24 Batley Wigan Johnny Ring ( Wigan) 49
1924–25 Hull KR (2) Swinton Johnny Ring ( Wigan) 54
1925–26 Wigan (3) Warrington Johnny Ring ( Wigan) 63
1926–27 Swinton St Helens Recs Alf Ellaby ( St Helens) 55
1927–28 Swinton (2) Featherstone Alf Ellaby ( St Helens) 37
1928–29 Huddersfield (4) Leeds Lou Brown ( Wigan)
Ernie Mills ( Huddersfield)
44
1929–30 Huddersfield (5) Leeds Alf Ellaby ( St Helens) 39
1930–31 Swinton (3) Leeds Eric Harris ( Leeds) 58
1931–32 St. Helens Huddersfield Ernie Mills ( Huddersfield) 50
1932–33 Salford (2) Swinton Eric Harris ( Leeds) 57
1933–34 Wigan (4) Salford Brown ( Salford) 45
1934–35 Swinton (4) Warrington Jack Morley ( Wigan) 49
1935–36 Hull F.C. (3) Widnes Eric Harris ( Leeds) 63
1936–37 Salford (3) Warrington Eric Harris ( Leeds) 40
1937–38 Hunslet (2) Leeds Eric Harris ( Leeds) 45
1938–39 Salford (4) Castleford Ray Markham ( Huddresfield) 39
1939-1941 County Leagues
1941-1945 Wartime Emergency League
1945–46 Wigan (5) Huddersfield Eric Batten ( Bradford) 35
1946–47 Wigan (6) Dewsbury Brian Bevan ( Warrington) 48
1947–48 Warrington Bradford Brian Bevan ( Warrington) 57
1948–49 Huddersfield (6) Warrington Lionel Cooper ( Huddersfield) 60
1949–50 Wigan (7) Huddersfield Brian Nordgren ( Wigan) 57
1950–51 Workington Warrington Brian Bevan ( Warrington) 68
1951–52 Wigan (8) Bradford Lionel Cooper ( Huddersfield) 71
1952–53 St. Helens (2) Halifax Brian Bevan ( Warrington) 72
1953–54 Warrington (2) Halifax Brian Bevan ( Warrington) 67
1954–55 Warrington (3) Oldham Lionel Cooper ( Huddersfield) 66
1955–56 Hull F.C. (4) Halifax Jack McLean ( Bradford) 61
1956–57 Oldham (4) Hull F.C. Billy Boston ( Wigan) 60
1957–58 Hull F.C. (5) Workington Mick Sullivan ( Wigan) 50
1958–59 St. Helens (3) Hunslet Tom van Vollenhoven ( St Helens) 62
1959–60 Wigan (9) Wakefield Tom van Vollenhoven ( St Helens) 54
1960–61 Leeds Warrington Tom van Vollenhoven ( St Helens) 54
1961–62 Huddersfield (7) Wakefield Billy Boston ( Wigan) 51
1962–63 Swinton (5) St. Helens Ray Glastonbury ( Swinton) 41
1963–64 Swinton (6) Wigan John Stopford ( Swinton) 45
1964–65 Halifax (3) St. Helens Trevor Lake ( Wigan) 40
1965–66 St. Helens (4) Halifax Len Killeen ( St Helens)
Trevor Lake ( Wigan)
32
1966–67 Wakefield St. Helens Chris Young ( Hull KR)
Keith Howe ( Castleford)
34
1967–68 Wakefield (2) Hull KR Roger Millward ( Hull KR) 38
1968–69 Leeds (2) Castleford Bill Francis ( Wigan) 40
1969–70 St. Helens (5) Leeds John Atkinson ( Leeds) 38
1970–71 St. Helens (6) Wigan Bob Haigh ( Leeds)
Les Jones ( St Helens)
40
1971–72 Leeds (3) St. Helens John Atkinson ( Leeds)
Mike Lamb ( Bradford)
38
1972–73 Dewsbury Leeds John Atkinson ( Leeds) 39
1973–74 Salford (5) St. Helens Keith Fielding ( Salford) 49
1974–75 St. Helens (7) Wigan Gerald Dunn ( Hull KR) 42
1975–76 Salford (6) Featherstone Maurice Richards ( Salford) 37
1976–77 Featherstone St. Helens Stuart Wright ( Widnes) 31
1977–78 Widnes Bradford Stuart Wright ( Widnes) 33
1978–79 Hull KR (3) Warrington Steve Hartley ( Hull KR) 35
1979–80 Bradford Widnes Keith Fielding ( Salford) 30
1980–81 Bradford (2) Warrington Terry Richardson ( Castleford) 28
1981–82 Leigh Hull F.C. Des Drummond ( Leigh) 26
1982–83 Hull F.C. (6) Hull KR Bob Eccles ( Warrington) 37
1983–84 Hull KR (4) Hull F.C. Garry Schofield ( Hull FC) 38
1984–85 Hull KR (5) St. Helens Ellery Hanley ( Bradford) 55
1985–86 Halifax (4) Wigan Ellery Hanley ( Wigan) 63
1986–87 Wigan (10) St. Helens Ellery Hanley ( Wigan) 63
1987–88 Widnes (2) St. Helens Martin Offiah ( Widnes) 44
1988–89 Widnes (3) Wigan Martin Offiah ( Widnes) 60
1989–90 Wigan (11) Leeds Martin Offiah ( Widnes) 45
1990–91 Wigan (12) Widnes
1991–92 Wigan (13) St. Helens
1992–93 Wigan (14) St. Helens
1993–94 Wigan (15) Bradford
1994–95 Wigan (16) Leeds Martin Offiah ( Wigan) 53
1995–96 Wigan (17) Leeds Martin Offiah ( Wigan)
David Plange ( Hull KR)
28

Super League (1996-present)

Year Champions
(number of titles)
Runners-up Leading tryscorer
(club)
Tries
1996 St. Helens (8) Wigan Paul Newlove ( St Helens) 28
1997 Bradford (3) London Nigel Vagana ( Warrington) 17
1998 Wigan (18) Leeds Anthony Sullivan ( St Helens) 20
1999 St. Helens (9) Bradford Toa Kohe-Love ( Warrington) 25
2000 St. Helens (10) Wigan Sean Long
Tommy Martyn ( St Helens)
22
2001 Bradford (4) Wigan Kris Radlinski ( Wigan) 28
2002 St. Helens (11) Bradford Dennis Moran ( London) 22
2003 Bradford (5) Wigan Dennis Moran ( London) 24
2004 Leeds (4) Bradford Lesley Vainikolo ( Bradford) 36
2005 Bradford (6) Leeds Mark Calderwood ( Leeds) 27
2006 St. Helens (12) Hull F.C. Justin Murphy ( Catalans) 25
2007 Leeds (5) St. Helens Henry Fa'afili ( Warrington) 21
2008 Leeds (6) St. Helens Ade Gardner ( St Helens) 26
2009 Leeds (7) St. Helens Ryan Hall ( Leeds) 29
2010 Wigan (19) St. Helens Pat Richards ( Wigan) 29
2011 Leeds (8) St. Helens Ryan Hall ( Leeds)
Sam Tomkins ( Wigan)
28
2012 Leeds (9) Warrington Josh Charnley ( Wigan) 31
2013 Wigan (20) Warrington Josh Charnley ( Wigan) 33
2014 St. Helens (13) Wigan Joel Monaghan ( Warrington) 28
2015 Leeds (10) Wigan Jermaine McGillvary ( Huddersfield) 27
2016 Wigan (21) Warrington Denny Solomona ( Castleford) 40
2017 Leeds (11) Castleford Greg Eden ( Castleford) 38
2018 Wigan (22) Warrington Ben Barba ( St Helens) 28
2019 St. Helens (14) Salford Tommy Makinson ( St Helens) 28
2020 St. Helens (15) Wigan Ash Handley ( Leeds) 15
2021 St. Helens (16) Catalans Ken Sio ( Salford) 19

Number of League Champions wins by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons
1 Wigan22161908/09, 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. Helens16161931/32, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1965/66, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021
3 Leeds11111960/61, 1968/69, 1971/72, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017
4 Huddersfield761911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1948/49, 1961/62
5 Bradford671979/80, 1980/81, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005
6 Salford[3]651913/14, 1932/33, 1936/37, 1938/39, 1973/74, 1975/76
7 Hull F.C.641919/20, 1920/21, 1935/36, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1982/83
8 Swinton621926/27, 1927/28, 1930/31, 1934/35, 1962/63, 1963/64
9 Hull KR531922/23, 1924/25, 1978/79, 1983/84, 1984/85
10 Oldham451904/05, 1909/10, 1910/11, 1956/57
11 Halifax451902/03, 1906/07, 1964/65, 1985/86
12 Warrington3111947/48, 1953/54, 1954/55
13 Widnes341977/78, 1987/88, 1988/89
14 Hunslet §221907/08, 1937/38
15 Wakefield221966/67, 1967/68
16 Leigh201905/06, 1981/82
17 Featherstone121976/77
18Bradford F.C. §111903/04
19 Workington111950/51
20 Dewsbury111972/73
21 Manningham §101895/96
22 Broughton §101901/02
23 Batley101923/24
24 Castleford03
25 St Helens Recs §01
26 London01
27 Catalans01

Number of times as League Leaders

Rank Club Winners
1 Wigan22
2 St. Helens16
3 Huddersfield9
3 Leeds9
5 Bradford7
5 Warrington7
7 Oldham6
7 Swinton6
9 Halifax4
9 Hull KR4
11 Hull F.C.3
11 Widnes3
13 Leigh2
13 Salford2
15Bradford F.C. §1
15 Broughton §1
15 Castleford1
15 Featherstone1
15 Hunslet §1
15 Manningham §1
15 St Helens Recs1

See also

References

  1. Baker, Andrew (20 August 1995). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". The Independent. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  2. "History". Hunslet RFLC. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  3. "Salford Red Devils: Official Club Website". Salford Red Devils. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
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