Rugby League Premiership

For Australasia's NRL Premiership, see National Rugby League.

Premiership
Sport	Rugby league football
Inaugural season	1973–74
Ceased	1995–96
Replaced by	Grand Final
Country	England
Last winners	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors (1997)
Most titles	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes (6 titles) File:Wigancolours.svg 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	File:Wolvescolours.svg Warrington	13–12	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens	Central Park, Wigan
1974–75	File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds	26–11	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
1975–76	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens	15–2	Salford	Station Road, Swinton
1976–77	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens	32–20	File:Wolvescolours.svg Warrington
1977–78	Bradford Northern	17–8	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes
1978–79	File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds	24–2	Bradford Northern	Fartown, Huddersfield
1979–80	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	19–5	Bradford Northern	Station Road, Swinton
1980–81	Hull KR	11–7	Hull	Headingley, Leeds
1981–82	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	23–8	Hull
1982–83	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	22–10	Hull
1983–84	Hull KR	18–10	Castleford
1984–85	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens	36–16	Hull KR	Elland Road, Leeds
1985–86	File:Wolvescolours.svg Warrington	38–10	Halifax
1986–87	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	8–0	File:Wolvescolours.svg Warrington	Old Trafford, Manchester
1987–88	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	38–14	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
1988–89	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	18–10	Hull
1989–90	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes	28–6	Bradford Northern
1990–91	Hull	14–4	File:Widnes colours.svg Widnes
1991–92	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	48–16	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens
1992–93	File:Saintscolours.svg St. Helens	10–4	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan
1993–94	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	24–20	Castleford
1994–95	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	69–12	File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds
1996	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	44-14	File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens
1997	File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan	32-20	File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens

See also

Rugby Football League Championship

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