Rugby League Reserve Team Championship

The Rugby League Reserve Team Championship is a rugby league competition for the reserve teams of the British-based Super League clubs. Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League licence, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team in the French Elite League for logistical reasons.

The Rugby League Reserve Team First Division is a rugby league competition for the reserve teams of Championship clubs, although there is no longer an obligation for clubs in the Championship to enter a reserve team.

History

The previous competition for reserve teams was known as the Alliance and on occasion featured the first teams of non-league semi-professional clubs including Hemel Stags and Blackpool Gladiators.

The current competition was formed in 2006 as a replacement for the Senior Academy competition for under-21s. Unlike the Senior Academy, which had a grading phase to divide teams into the Championship and First Division based on playing strength of the Senior Academy side, the Reserve Team Championship is exclusively for the reserve teams of Super League clubs and the Reserve Team First Division is exclusively for the reserve teams of Championship clubs.

In 2007 and 2008 there was an obligation for National League One (but not National League Two) clubs to run a reserve team (with Celtic Crusaders getting dispensation in 2008 to run theirs in the Rugby League Conference National Division, this has been dropped for the 2009 season, resulting in a smaller First Division.

In 2010 the Championship will change to a Super League under-20s (featuring the 12 English Super League sides, Crusaders have withdrawn following the move to Wrexham with most of the players joining South Wales Scorpions) and the First Division will remain as a Championship Reserve division. In 2011 the Championship reserve competition became U23 albeit with five over age players allowed.

In 2013 the Championship U23 had only four entrants (Halifax, Featherstone Rovers, Keighley Cougars and Leigh Centurions) so it was agreed that they could play games between them under the U23 rules and other games would be U20 with two over age players. With teams playing uneven numbers of games the league will be a merit league.

2013 Championship U20/U23 Competition

2012 Championship Reserve U23 Competition

2011 Championship Reserve U23 Competition

2010 Championship Reserve Competition


Competing clubs in 2009

Championship

First Division

Previous winners

2006
  • Championship:
  • First Division:

2007
  • Championship:
  • First Division:

2008
  • Championship: Wigan Warriors
  • First Division: Widnes Vikings

Competing clubs by season

2006
  • Championship: Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Harlequins, Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Salford City Reds, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors
  • First Division: Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury Rams, Doncaster Lakers, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax, Hull Kingston Rovers, Hunslet Hawks, Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions, Whitehaven, Widnes Vikings, York City Knights (Gateshead Thunder entered a reserve team but they withdrew before the season started)

2007
  • Championship: Bradford Bulls, Harlequins, Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC, Hull Kingston Rovers Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Salford City Reds, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors
  • First Division: Barrow Vikings, Batley Bulldogs, Castleford Tigers, Dewsbury Rams, Doncaster Lakers, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax, Hunslet Hawks, Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions, Rochdale Hornets, Sheffield Eagles, Swinton Lions, Whitehaven, Widnes Vikings, Workington Town, York City Knights (Doncaster Lakers Reserves resigned mid-season when the club went into administration)

2008
  • Championship: Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers Harlequins, Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC, Hull Kingston Rovers Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors
  • First Division: Barrow Vikings, Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury Rams, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax, Hunslet Hawks, Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions, Oldham, Rochdale Hornets, Salford City Reds, Sheffield Eagles, Whitehaven, Widnes Vikings, Workington Town, York City Knights
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