Rugby Football League Championship Second Division

For the current incarnation of the Second Division, see Championship (rugby league).

RFL Championship Second Division
SportRugby league
Instituted1902-1996 (as Second Division)
1996-1998 (as Division One)
1999-2002 (as Northern Premiership)
Ceased2002
Replaced byChampionship
Country England
Most titles Leigh Centurions
Salford Red Devils
Oldham (3 titles)
Related competitionChallenge Cup
Promotion toFirst Division
Relegation toThird Division

The Rugby Football League Championship Second Division was founded in 1902 and was the second tier of professional rugby league in the UK until 2003.

During the 1990s a third division was established and there is automatic promotion between the second and third division.

History

The Second Division was formed in 1902 by splitting the RFL Championship into two divisions of 18. After three seasons the Second Division was abolished and not resurrected until 1962. Two seasons later in 1964 the Second Division was scrapped for the second time.

The division was resurrected again in 1973 and has been played every season since. During the 1991–92 season, a third division was established and, for the first time, two teams were relegated. There was no regular relegation from the Second Division until 2003.

In 1995, in anticipation for the Super League starting in 1996, six teams were relegated from the RFL Championship, five were relegated to the Second Division and one was relegated to form the Third Division. Controversy was caused as London Broncos, who finished 4th in the Second Division, were elected to the Championship ahead of Keighley, Batley and Huddersfield.

In 2003, the divisions under Super League were reorganised into the National Leagues with Second and Third Divisions becoming National League One and National League Two.

Results

Year Champions[1] Promoted Relegated Ref
1902-03 Keighley Keighley
Leeds 		No Relegation [2]
1903-04 Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity
St. Helens 		[2]
1904-05 Dewsbury All: Divisions combined in 1905–06 season [2][3]
1905-1962: No Second Division
1962-63 Hunslet Hunslet
Keighley 		No Relegation [4]
1963-64 Oldham All: Divisions combined in 1964–65 season [5]
1964-1973: No Second Division
1973-74 Bradford Northern Bradford Northern
York
Keighley
Halifax 		No Relegation [6]
1974-75 Huddersfield Huddersfield
Hull Kingston Rovers
Oldham
Swinton 		[7]
1975-76 Barrow Barrow
Rochdale Hornets
Workington
Leigh 		[8]
1976-77 Hull F.C. Hull
Dewsbury
Bramley
New Hunslet 		[9]
1977-78 Leigh Leigh
Barrow
Rochdale Hornets
Huddersfield 		[10]
1978-79 Hull F.C. Hull
New Hunslet
York
Blackpool 		[11]
1979-80 Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers
Halifax
Oldham
Barrow 		[12]
1980-81 York York
Wigan
Fulham
Whitehaven 		[13]
1981-82 Oldham Oldham
Carlisle
Workington
Halifax 		[14]
1982-83 Fulham Fulham
Wakefield Trinity
Salford
Whitehaven 		[15]
1983-84 Barrow Barrow
Workington
Hunslet
Halifax 		[16]
1984-85 Swinton Swinton
Salford
York
Dewsbury 		[17]
1985-86 Leigh Leigh
Barrow
Wakefield Trinity 		[18]
1986-87 Hunslet Hunslet
Swinton 		[19]
1987-88 Oldham Oldham
Featherstone Rovers
Wakefield Trinity 		[20]
1988-89 Leigh Leigh
Barrow
Sheffield Eagles 		[21]
1989-90 Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers
Rochdale Hornets
Oldham 		[22]
1990-91 Salford Salford
Halifax
Swinton 		All below top 8 relegated to new Third Division [23][24]
1991-92 Sheffield Sheffield
Leigh 		Ryedale-York
Workington 		[23]
1992-93 Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers
Oldham 		Second and Third Division merged [23]
1993-94 'Workington Workington
Doncaster 		No Relegation [23]
1994-95 Keighley London Broncos All below top 7 relegated to new Third Division [25]
1995-96 Salford Reds No Promotion No Relegation [26]
1996 Salford Reds Salford Reds Rochdale Hornets
Batley 		[27]
1997 Hull Hull
Huddersfield 		Widnes
Workington 		[28]
1998 Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity Division One and Two merged [29]
1999 Hunslet Hawks No Promotion No Relegation [30]
2000 Dewsbury [31]
2001 Widnes Widnes [32]
2002 Huddersfield Huddersfield [33]

Winners

Club Wins Winning Year
1 Leigh Centurions 3 1976-77, 1985–86, 1988–89
= Salford Red Devils 3 1990-91, 1995–96, 1996
= Oldham 3 1963-64, 1981–82, 1987–88
4 Barrow Raiders 2 1975-76, 1983–84
= Featherstone Rovers 2 1979-80, 1992–93
= Keighley Cougars 2 1902-03, 1994–95
= Dewsbury Rams 2 1904-05, 2000
= Hunslet 2 1986–87, 1999
= Wakefield Trinity 2 1903-04, 1998
= Huddersfield Giants 2 1974-75, 2002
= Hull F.C. 2 1976-77, 1978–79
12 Hunslet (1883) 1 1962-63
= Bradford Bulls 1 1973-74
= York 1 1980-81
= Fulham 1 1982-83
= Swinton Lions 1 1984-85
= Hull Kingston Rovers 1 1989-90
= Sheffield Eagles 1 1991-92
= Workington Town 1 1993-94
= Widnes Vikings 1 2001

See also

References

  1. ^ "Second Tier Champions". 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Fletcher & Howes 1995, pp. 260–1.
  3. ^ "1905-06 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009.
  4. ^ "1962-63 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  5. ^ "1963-64 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009.
  6. ^ "1973-74 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  7. ^ "1974-75 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009.
  8. ^ "1975-76 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  9. ^ "1976-77 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  10. ^ "1977-78 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  11. ^ "1978-79 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  12. ^ "1979-80 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009.
  13. ^ "1980-81 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  14. ^ "1981-82 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  15. ^ "1982-83 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  16. ^ "1983-84 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  17. ^ "1984-85 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  18. ^ "1985-86 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  19. ^ "1986-87 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  20. ^ "1987-88 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  21. ^ "1988-89 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  22. ^ "1989-90 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  23. ^ a b c d Fletcher & Howes 1995, pp. 302–3.
  24. ^ "1990-91 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  25. ^ "1994-95 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  26. ^ "1995-96 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  27. ^ "1996 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  28. ^ "1997 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  29. ^ "1998 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  30. ^ "1999 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  31. ^ "2000 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.
  32. ^ "2001 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  33. ^ "2002 Season summary". Cherry and White. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006.

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.