Rugby League Premiership

For Australasia's NRL Premiership, see National Rugby League.
Premiership
Sport Rugby league
Inaugural season 1973–74
Ceased 1995–96
Replaced by Grand Final
Country  England
Last winners Wigan Warriors (1997)
Most titles Widnes (6 titles)
Wigan Warriors (6 titles)
Qualification World Club Challenge

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

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.

The first season saw 16 teams take part: the top 12 of the first division and the top four from the second division. 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.

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.

Premiership winners

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

Season Winners Score Runners-up Venue
1973–74 Warrington 13–12 St. Helens Central Park, Wigan
1974–75 Leeds 26–11 St. Helens
1975–76 St. Helens 15–2 Salford Station Road, Swinton
1976–77 St. Helens 32–20 Warrington
1977–78 Bradford Northern 17–8 Widnes
1978–79 Leeds 24–2 Bradford Northern Fartown, Huddersfield
1979–80 Widnes 19–5 Bradford Northern Station Road, Swinton
1980–81 Hull KR 11–7 Hull Headingley, Leeds
1981–82 Widnes 23–8 Hull
1982–83 Widnes 22–10 Hull
1983–84 Hull KR 18–10 Castleford
1984–85 St. Helens 36–16 Hull KR Elland Road, Leeds
1985–86 Warrington 38–10 Halifax
1986–87 Wigan 8–0 Warrington Old Trafford, Manchester
1987–88 Widnes 38–14 St. Helens
1988–89 Widnes 18–10 Hull
1989–90 Widnes 28–6 Bradford Northern
1990–91 Hull 14–4 Widnes
1991–92 Wigan 48–16 St. Helens
1992–93 St. Helens 10–4 Wigan
1993–94 Wigan 24–20 Castleford
1994–95 Wigan 69–12 Leeds
1996 Wigan 44-14 St Helens
1997 Wigan 32-20 St Helens

References

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