Rugby League Premiership

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox rugby league football competition The Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued until 1997.<ref name=RLP>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

From 1909 until 1973 (except for 1962–64) the Rugby Football League Championship used a play-off format to determine the 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 play-offs. The Harry Sunderland Trophy, which had until then been awarded to the man of the match in the championship final, was instead awarded in the premiership final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first season saw 16 teams take part: the top 12 of the first division and the top four from the second division.<ref name=RLP/> 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 until 1995–96, and the switch to a summer sport, when the competition was abandoned to allow the 1996 Super League season to begin in the spring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

See also

• Super League Grand Final