Premiership
SportRugby league
Inaugural season1973–74
Ceased1997
Replaced byGrand Final
Country England
Last winners Wigan Warriors (1997)
Most titles Widnes (6 titles)
Wigan Warriors (6 titles)

The Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs, which operated between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued to operate until 1997.[1]

History

From 1909 until 1973 (except for the period 1962–64) the Rugby Football League Championship had utilised a play-off format to determine the overall league champions. For the 1973–74 season the league was split into two divisions, and a play-off system was no longer used. In order to maintain interest towards the end of the season a new competition, the "Club Championship", was introduced to replace the championship play-offs. The Harry Sunderland Trophy, which had until then been awarded to the man-of-the-match in the championship final, would instead be awarded to the man-of-the-match in the premiership final.[2]

The first season saw 16 teams take part: the top 12 of the first division and the top four from the second division.[1] The following season saw the title change to "Premiership", and the format was altered so that only the top eight teams in the first division would compete. A similar competition was later instituted for clubs in the lower league(s). The Premiership continued to be played in this fashion until 1995–96, at the time of the switch to a summer sport, when the competition was abandoned to allow the 1996 Super League season to commence in the spring.[3]

A top-four play-off leading to a final, the Super League Premiership, was instituted as part of the Super League competition. In 1998 this was replaced by a return to a play-off for the championships, with the Harry Sunderland Trophy being the award for the Grand Final's man-of-the-match and a single national champion being crowned.

Premiership winners

For completeness, this table includes the 1973–74 Club Championship, and premiership winners from the Super League era.

SeasonCompetitionWinnersScoreRunners-upVenue
Rugby Football League Championship First Division era
1973–741973–74 Club Championship Warrington13–12 St. HelensCentral Park, Wigan
1974–751974–75 Premiership Leeds26–11 St. Helens
1975–761975–76 Premiership St. Helens15–2 SalfordStation Road, Swinton
1976–771976–77 Premiership St. Helens32–20 Warrington
1977–781977–78 Premiership Bradford Northern17–8 Widnes
1978–791978–79 Premiership Leeds24–2 Bradford NorthernFartown, Huddersfield
1979–801979–80 Premiership Widnes19–5 Bradford NorthernStation Road, Swinton
1980–811980–81 Premiership Hull Kingston Rovers11–7 Hull F.C.Headingley, Leeds
1981–821981–82 Premiership Widnes23–8 Hull F.C.
1982–831982–83 Premiership Widnes22–10 Hull F.C.
1983–841983–84 Premiership Hull Kingston Rovers18–10 Castleford
1984–851984–85 Premiership St. Helens36–16 Hull Kingston RoversElland Road, Leeds
1985–861985–86 Premiership Warrington38–10 Halifax
1986–871986–87 Premiership Wigan8–0 WarringtonOld Trafford, Manchester
1987–881987–88 Premiership Widnes38–14 St. Helens
1988–891988–89 Premiership Widnes18–10 Hull F.C.
1989–901989–90 Premiership Widnes28–6 Bradford Northern
1990–911990–91 Premiership Hull F.C.14–4 Widnes
1991–921991–92 Premiership Wigan48–16 St. Helens
1992–931992–93 Premiership St. Helens10–4 Wigan
1993–941993–94 Premiership Wigan24–20 Castleford
1994–951994–95 Premiership Wigan69–12 Leeds
Super League era
19961996 Premiership Wigan44–14 St. Helens Old Trafford, Manchester
19971997 Premiership Wigan32–20 St. Helens

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Premiership title". Rugby League Project.
  2. ↑ "Harry Sunderland Trophy Facts". Rugby League.com.
  3. ↑ "Super League split the Rugby League world in two, but the stars still shone brightly on the field in both hemispheres". Total Rugby League.
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