List of British rugby league champions

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 (since 2015)
Current champions
Wigan Warriors
Most titles won
Wigan (23 times)

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.

Note that due to the varying inclusion and non-inclusion of a playoff system within the competition, the team that finished first in regular season have not always been champions. A list of first place finishes can be found at List of British rugby league league leaders. Since 2003, these teams have been awarded a separate trophy – the League Leaders' Shield.

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 incentive. 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 [1], 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 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.

List of Champions

RFL Championship First Division (1895–1996)

Season
	Champions	Score	Runners-up
1895–96	Manningham	N/A	Halifax
1896–1901: County Championships
1901–02	Broughton Rangers	N/A	Salford
1902–03	Halifax		Salford
1903–04	Bradford F.C.		Salford
1904–05	Oldham		Bradford F.C.
1905–06	Leigh		Hunslet
1906–07	Halifax	18–3	Oldham
1907–08	Hunslet	12–7	Oldham
1908–09	Wigan	7–3	Oldham
1909–10	Oldham	13–7	Wigan
1910–11	Oldham	20–7	Wigan
1911–12	Huddersfield	13–5	Wigan
1912–13	Huddersfield	29–2	Wigan
1913–14	Salford	5–3	Huddersfield
1914–15	Huddersfield	35–2	Leeds
1915–1918: Official competition suspended due to First World War
1918–19 County Championship
1919–20	Hull F.C.	3–2	Huddersfield
1920–21	Hull F.C.	16–14	Hull Kingston Rovers
1921–22	Wigan	13–2	Oldham
1922–23	Hull Kingston Rovers	15–5	Huddersfield
1923–24	Batley	13–7	Wigan
1924–25	Hull Kingston Rovers	9–5	Swinton
1925–26	Wigan	22–10	Warrington
1926–27	Swinton	13–8	St Helens Recs
1927–28	Swinton	11–0	Featherstone Rovers
1928–29	Huddersfield	2–0	Leeds
1929–30	Huddersfield	10–0	Leeds
1930–31	Swinton	14–7	Leeds
1931–32	St. Helens	9–5	Huddersfield
1932–33	Salford	15–5	Swinton
1933–34	Wigan	15–3	Salford
1934–35	Swinton	14–3	Warrington
1935–36	Hull F.C.	21–2	Widnes
1936–37	Salford	13–11	Warrington
1937–38	Hunslet	8–2	Leeds
1938–39	Salford	8–6	Castleford
1939–1945 Official competition suspended due to Second World War
1945–46	Wigan	N/A	Huddersfield
1946–47	Wigan		Dewsbury
1947–48	Warrington	15–5	Bradford Northern
1948–49	Huddersfield	13–12	Warrington
1949–50	Wigan	20–2	Huddersfield
1950–51	Workington Town	26–11	Warrington
1951–52	Wigan	13–6	Bradford Northern
1952–53	St. Helens	24–14	Halifax
1953–54	Warrington	8–7	Halifax
1954–55	Warrington	7–3	Oldham
1955–56	Hull F.C.	10–9	Halifax
1956–57	Oldham	15–14	Hull F.C.
1957–58	Hull F.C.	20–3	Workington Town
1958–59	St. Helens	44–22	Hunslet
1959–60	Wigan	27–3	Wakefield Trinity
1960–61	Leeds	25–10	Warrington
1961–62	Huddersfield	14–5	Wakefield Trinity
1962–63	Swinton	N/A	St. Helens
1963–64	Swinton		Wigan
1964–65	Halifax	15–7	St. Helens
1965–66	St. Helens	35–12	Halifax
1966–67	Wakefield Trinity	21–9	St. Helens
1967–68	Wakefield Trinity	17–10	Hull Kingston Rovers
1968–69	Leeds	16–14	Castleford
1969–70	St. Helens	24–12	Leeds
1970–71	St. Helens	16–12	Wigan
1971–72	Leeds	9–5	St. Helens
1972–73	Dewsbury	22–13	Leeds
1973–74	Salford	N/A	St. Helens
1974–75	St. Helens		Wigan
1975–76	Salford		Featherstone Rovers
1976–77	Featherstone Rovers		St. Helens
1977–78	Widnes		Bradford Northern
1978–79	Hull Kingston Rovers		Warrington
1979–80	Bradford Northern		Widnes
1980–81	Bradford Northern		Warrington
1981–82	Leigh		Hull F.C.
1982–83	Hull F.C.		Hull Kingston Rovers
1983–84	Hull Kingston Rovers		Hull F.C.
1984–85	Hull Kingston Rovers		St. Helens
1985–86	Halifax		Wigan
1986–87	Wigan		St. Helens
1987–88	Widnes		St. Helens
1988–89	Widnes		Wigan
1989–90	Wigan		Leeds
1990–91	Wigan		Widnes
1991–92	Wigan		St. Helens
1992–93	Wigan		St. Helens
1993–94	Wigan		Bradford Northern
1994–95	Wigan		Leeds
1995–96	Wigan		Leeds

Super League (1996–present)

Season
	Champions	Score	Runners-up
1996	St. Helens	N/A	Wigan
1997	Bradford		London
1998	Wigan	10–4	Leeds
1999	St. Helens	8–6	Bradford
2000	St. Helens	29–16	Wigan
2001	Bradford	37–6	Wigan
2002	St. Helens	19–18	Bradford
2003	Bradford	25–12	Wigan
2004	Leeds	16–8	Bradford
2005	Bradford	15–6	Leeds
2006	St. Helens	26–4	Hull F.C.
2007	Leeds	33–6	St. Helens
2008	Leeds	24–16	St. Helens
2009	Leeds	18–10	St. Helens
2010	Wigan	22–10	St. Helens
2011	Leeds	32–16	St. Helens
2012	Leeds	26–18	Warrington
2013	Wigan	30–16	Warrington
2014	St. Helens	14–6	Wigan
2015	Leeds	22–20	Wigan
2016	Wigan	12–6	Warrington
2017	Leeds	24–6	Castleford
2018	Wigan	12–4	Warrington
2019	St. Helens	23–6	Salford
2020	St. Helens	8–4	Wigan
2021	St. Helens	12–10	Catalans
2022	St. Helens	24–12	Leeds
2023	Wigan	10–2	Catalans

Total titles won

There are 23 clubs who have won the British title, including 4 who have won the Super League (1996–present). The most recent to join the list were Featherstone Rovers in 1977–78.

Four clubs have finished runners up without ever winning a Championship: Castleford Tigers (1938–39, 1968–69, 2017), Catalans Dragons (2021, 2023), London Broncos (1997) and the now defunct St Helens Recs (1926–27).

	Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning seasons
1	Wigan	23	16	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, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023
2	St. Helens	17	16	1931/32, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1965/66, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
3	Leeds	11	11	1960/61, 1968/69, 1971/72, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017
4	Huddersfield	7	6	1911/12, 1912/13, 1914/15, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1948/49, 1961/62
5	Bradford	6	7	1979/80, 1980/81, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005
	Salford[3]		5	1913/14, 1932/33, 1936/37, 1938/39, 1973/74, 1975/76
	Hull F.C.		4	1919/20, 1920/21, 1935/36, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1982/83
	Swinton		2	1926/27, 1927/28, 1930/31, 1934/35, 1962/63, 1963/64
6	Hull Kingston Rovers	5	3	1922/23, 1924/25, 1978/79, 1983/84, 1984/85
7	Oldham	4	5	1904/05, 1909/10, 1910/11, 1956/57
	Halifax			1902/03, 1906/07, 1964/65, 1985/86
8	Warrington	3	11	1947/48, 1953/54, 1954/55
	Widnes		4	1977/78, 1987/88, 1988/89
9	Hunslet F.C. §	2	2	1907/08, 1937/38
	Wakefield Trinity			1966/67, 1967/68
	Leigh		0	1905/06, 1981/82
10	Featherstone Rovers	1	2	1976/77
	Bradford F.C. §		1	1903/04
	Workington Town			1950/51
	Dewsbury			1972/73
	Manningham §			1895/96
	Broughton §			1901/02
	Batley			1923/24
11	Castleford	0	3	N/A
	Catalans		2
	St Helens Recs §		1
	London

• § Denotes club now defunct

Title droughts

Of the 19 clubs to win the title who still exist Batley have the longest title drought having won their last title in 1924; 100 years ago (1924). Of the current top flight teams Warrington are waiting the longest for their next title having last won it in 1955; 69 years ago (1955).

The longest gap between titles was Leigh who waited 76 years between 1906 and 1982.

The longest wait for a first title was by Featherstone Rovers was waited 76 years between their first season in 1921 and their title winning season in 1977.

Club	Years since last title
Wigan	2023; 1 year ago (2023)
St Helens	2022; 2 years ago (2022)
Leeds	2017; 7 years ago (2017)
Bradford	2005; 19 years ago (2005)
Widnes	1989; 35 years ago (1989)
Halifax	1986; 38 years ago (1986)
Hull Kingston Rovers	1985; 39 years ago (1985)
Hull F.C.	1983; 41 years ago (1983)
Leigh	1982; 42 years ago (1982)
Featherstone Rovers	1977; 47 years ago (1977)
Salford	1976; 48 years ago (1976)
Dewsbury	1973; 51 years ago (1973)
Wakefield Trinity	1968; 56 years ago (1968)
Swinton	1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Huddersfield	1962; 62 years ago (1962)
Oldham	1957; 67 years ago (1957)
Warrington	1955; 69 years ago (1955)
Workington Town	1951; 73 years ago (1951)
Batley	1924; 100 years ago (1924)

See also

• Super League
• Rugby Football League Championship First Division
• Super League Grand Final
• Rugby Football League Championship Final
• List of British rugby league league leaders
• League Leaders Shield
• Australian rugby league premiers

References