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.

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	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Promoted	Relegated	Ref
1902-03	Template:Leagueicon Keighley	Template:Leagueicon Keighley Template:Leagueicon Leeds	rowspan=3 Template:N/a	Template:Sfn
1903-04	Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity Template:Leagueicon St. Helens	Template:Sfn
1904-05	Template:Leagueicon Dewsbury	Template:N/a	Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1905-1962: No Second Division
1962-63	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet Template:Leagueicon Keighley	rowspan=2 Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1963-64	Template:Leagueicon Oldham	Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1964-1973: No Second Division
1973-74	Template:Leagueicon Bradford Northern	Template:Leagueicon Bradford Northern Template:Leagueicon York Template:Leagueicon Keighley Template:Leagueicon Halifax	rowspan=17 Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1974-75	Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield	Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield Template:Leagueicon Hull Kingston Rovers Template:Leagueicon Oldham Template:Leagueicon Swinton	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1975-76	Template:Leagueicon Barrow	Template:Leagueicon Barrow Template:Leagueicon Rochdale Hornets Template:Leagueicon Workington Template:Leagueicon Leigh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1976-77	Template:Leagueicon Hull F.C.	Template:Leagueicon Hull Template:Leagueicon Dewsbury Template:Leagueicon Bramley Template:Leagueicon New Hunslet	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1977-78	Template:Leagueicon Leigh	Template:Leagueicon Leigh Template:Leagueicon Barrow Template:Leagueicon Rochdale Hornets Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1978-79	Template:Leagueicon Hull F.C.	Template:Leagueicon Hull Template:Leagueicon New Hunslet Template:Leagueicon York Template:Leagueicon Blackpool	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1979-80	Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers	Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers Template:Leagueicon Halifax Template:Leagueicon Oldham Template:Leagueicon Barrow	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1980-81	Template:Leagueicon York	Template:Leagueicon York Template:Leagueicon Wigan Template:Leagueicon Fulham Template:Leagueicon Whitehaven	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1981-82	Template:Leagueicon Oldham	Template:Leagueicon Oldham Carlisle Template:Leagueicon Workington Template:Leagueicon Halifax	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1982-83	Template:Leagueicon Fulham	Template:Leagueicon Fulham Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity Template:Leagueicon Salford Template:Leagueicon Whitehaven	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1983-84	Template:Leagueicon Barrow	Template:Leagueicon Barrow Template:Leagueicon Workington Template:Leagueicon Hunslet Template:Leagueicon Halifax	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1984-85	Template:Leagueicon Swinton	Template:Leagueicon Swinton Template:Leagueicon Salford Template:Leagueicon York Template:Leagueicon Dewsbury	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1985-86	Template:Leagueicon Leigh	Template:Leagueicon Leigh Template:Leagueicon Barrow Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1986-87	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet Template:Leagueicon Swinton	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1987-88	Template:Leagueicon Oldham	Template:Leagueicon Oldham Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1988-89	Template:Leagueicon Leigh	Template:Leagueicon Leigh Template:Leagueicon Barrow Template:Leagueicon Sheffield Eagles	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1989-90	Template:Leagueicon Hull Kingston Rovers	Template:Leagueicon Hull Kingston Rovers Template:Leagueicon Rochdale Hornets Template:Leagueicon Oldham	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1990-91	Template:Leagueicon Salford	Template:Leagueicon Salford Template:Leagueicon Halifax Template:Leagueicon Swinton	Template:N/a	Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1991-92	Template:Leagueicon Sheffield	Template:Leagueicon Sheffield Template:Leagueicon Leigh	Template:Leagueicon Ryedale-York Template:Leagueicon Workington	Template:Sfn
1992-93	Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers	Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers Template:Leagueicon Oldham	Template:N/a	Template:Sfn
1993-94	Template:Leagueicon 'Workington	Template:Leagueicon Workington Template:Leagueicon Doncaster	Template:N/a	Template:Sfn
1994-95	Template:Leagueicon Keighley	Template:Leagueicon London Broncos	Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1995-96	Template:Leagueicon Salford Reds	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1996	Template:Leagueicon Salford Reds	Template:Leagueicon Salford Reds	Template:Leagueicon Rochdale Hornets Template:Leagueicon Batley	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1997	Template:Leagueicon Hull	Template:Leagueicon Hull Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield	Template:Leagueicon Widnes Template:Leagueicon Workington	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1998	Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1999	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet Hawks	rowspan=2 Template:N/a	rowspan=4 Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2000	Template:Leagueicon Dewsbury	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2001	Template:Leagueicon Widnes	Template:Leagueicon Widnes	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2002	Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield	Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Winners

	Club	Wins	Winning Year
1	Template:Leagueicon Leigh Centurions	3	1976-77, 1985–86, 1988–89
=	Template:Leagueicon Salford Red Devils	3	1990-91, 1995–96, 1996
=	Template:Leagueicon Oldham	3	1963-64, 1981–82, 1987–88
4	Template:Leagueicon Barrow Raiders	2	1975-76, 1983–84
=	Template:Leagueicon Featherstone Rovers	2	1979-80, 1992–93
=	Template:Leagueicon Keighley Cougars	2	1902-03, 1994–95
=	Template:Leagueicon Dewsbury Rams	2	1904-05, 2000
=	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet	2	1986–87, 1999
=	Template:Leagueicon Wakefield Trinity	2	1903-04, 1998
=	Template:Leagueicon Huddersfield Giants	2	1974-75, 2002
=	Template:Leagueicon Hull F.C.	2	1976-77, 1978–79
12	Template:Leagueicon Hunslet (1883)	1	1962-63
=	Template:Leagueicon Bradford Bulls	1	1973-74
=	Template:Leagueicon York	1	1980-81
=	Template:Leagueicon Fulham	1	1982-83
=	Template:Leagueicon Swinton Lions	1	1984-85
=	Template:Leagueicon Hull Kingston Rovers	1	1989-90
=	Template:Leagueicon Sheffield Eagles	1	1991-92
=	Template:Leagueicon Workington Town	1	1993-94
=	Template:Leagueicon Widnes Vikings	1	2001

• § Denotes club now defunct

See also

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

References

Sources

• Template:Cite book