Rugby Football League Championship Second 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.

RFL Championship Second Division

Sport	Rugby league
Instituted	1902-1995 (as Second Division) 1996-1998 (as Division One) 1999-2002 (as Northern Premiership)
Ceased	2002
Replaced by	Championship
Country	England
Most titles	Leigh Centurions Salford Red Devils Oldham (3 titles)
Related competition	Challenge Cup
Promotion to	First Division
Relegation to	Third Division

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
1902-03	Keighley	Keighley Leeds	No Relegation
1903-04	Wakefield Trinity	Wakefield Trinity St. Helens
1904-05	Dewsbury	Dewsbury Barrow
1905-1962: No Second Division
1962-63	Hunslet	Hunslet Keighley	No Relegation
1963-64	Oldham	Oldham Leigh
1964-1973: No Second Division
1973-74	Bradford	Bradford York Keighley Salford	No Relegation
1974-75	Huddersfield	Huddersfield Hull Kingston Rovers Oldham Swinton
1975-76	Barrow	Barrow Rochdale Hornets Workington Leigh
1976-77	Hull F.C.	Hull Dewsbury Bramley Hunslet
1977-78	Leigh	Leigh Barrow Rochdale Hornets Huddersfield
1978-79	Hull F.C.	Hull Hunslet York Blackpool
1979-80	Featherstone Rovers	Featherstone Rovers Halifax Oldham Barrow
1980-81	York	York Wigan Fulham Whitehaven
1981-82	Oldham	Oldham Carlisle Workington Halifax
1982-83	Fulham	Fulham Wakefield Trinity Salford Whitehaven
1983-84	Barrow	Barrow Workington Hunslet Halifax
1984-85	Swinton	Swinton Salford York Dewsbury
1985-86	Leigh	Leigh Barrow Wakefield Trinity
1986-87	Hunslet	Hunslet Swinton
1987-88	Oldham	Oldham Featherstone Rovers Wakefield Trinity
1988-89	Leigh	Leigh Barrow Sheffield
1989-90	Hull Kingston Rovers	Hull Kingston Rovers Rochdale Hornets Oldham
1990-91	Salford	Salford Halifax Swinton
1991-92	Sheffield	Sheffield Leigh	Ryedale-York Workington
1992-93	Featherstone Rovers	Featherstone Rovers Oldham	No Relegation
1993-94	Workington	Workington Doncaster
1994-95	Keighley	London Broncos	Hull Kingston Rovers Ryedale-York Hunslet Leigh Swinton Bramley Carlisle Barrow Liverpool Stanley
1995-96	Salford	No Promotion	No Relegation
1996	Salford	Salford	Rochdale Hornets Batley
1997	Hull F.C.	Hull Huddersfield	Widnes Workington
1998	Wakefield Trinity	Wakefield Trinity	No Relegation
1999	Hunslet Hawks	No Promotion
2000	Dewsbury
2001	Widnes	Widnes
2002	Huddersfield	Huddersfield

Winners

	Club	Wins	Winning Year
1	Leigh Centurions	3	1976-77, 1985–86, 1988–89
2	Salford Red Devils	3	1990-91, 1995–96, 1996
3	Oldham	3	1963-64, 1981–82, 1987–88
=	Barrow Raiders	2	1975-76, 1983–84
=	Featherstone Rovers	2	1979-80, 1992–93
=	Hull Kingston Rovers	1	1989-90
=	Sheffield Eagles	1	1991-92
7	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
14	Bradford Bulls	1	1973-74
=	York City Knights	1	1980-81
=	Hunslet (1883)	1	1962-63
=	London Broncos	1	1982-83
=	Swinton Lions	1	1984-85
=	Workington Town	1	1993-94
=	Widnes Vikings	1	2001

• § Denotes club now defunct

See also

• Rugby Football League Championship
• Rugby Football League Championship Third Division
• Rugby League Championships

References

1. "Second Tier Champions". 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009.

External links