Rugby league county leagues

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The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split into two separate county competitions.

This situation endured until 1901-02, when the top teams in each league resigned and formed a new combined first division. The following season, the remaining clubs formed a second division. From then until 1907, when there was another re-organisation, the county leagues were not played.

The new structure initiated for the 1907-8 season saw the clubs playing every other team in their own county home and away, and playing once each against the clubs from the other county. Results from all games counted towards the Rugby League Championship, whilst results within the county counted towards the respective county leagues.

The championship often included teams from neither outside the Yorkshire and Lancashire heartlands; these were allocated to a county league on a practical basis. Briefly, in the 1908-09 season, there were enough clubs from Wales to add a third Welsh League to the structure. The sole winner of this title were Merthyr Tydfil.

The Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues were abandoned in 1970.

Championship winners

SeasonLancashire LeagueYorkshire League
1895-96Runcorn Manningham
1896-971Broughton RangersBrighouse Rangers
1897-981OldhamHunslet
1898-991Broughton RangersBatley
1899-001RuncornBradford
1900-011OldhamBradford
1901-022WiganLeeds
1902-07No competition
1907-08OldhamHunslet
1908-09WiganHalifax
1909-10OldhamWakefield Trinity
1910-11WiganWakefield Trinity
1911-12WiganHuddersfield
1912-13WiganHuddersfield
1913-14WiganHuddersfield
1914-15WiganHuddersfield
1915-18No competition due to World War 1
1918-19Rochdale HornetsHull
1919-20WidnesHuddersfield
1920-21WiganHalifax
1921-22OldhamHuddersfield
1922-23WiganHull
1923-24WiganBatley
1924-25SwintonHull Kingston Rovers
1925-26WiganHull Kingston Rovers
1926-27St Helens RecsHull
1927-28SwintonLeeds
1928-29SwintonHuddersfield
1929-30St HelensHuddersfield
1930-31SwintonLeeds
1931-32St Helens Hunslet
1932-33SalfordCastleford
1933-34SalfordLeeds
1934-35SalfordLeeds
1935-36Liverpool StanleyHull
1936-37SalfordLeeds
1937-38WarringtonLeeds
1938-39SalfordCastleford
1939-45No competition due to World War 2
1945-46WiganWakefield Trinity
1946-47WiganDewsbury
1947-48WarringtonBradford
1948-49WarringtonHuddersfield
1949-50WiganHuddersfield
1950-51WarringtonLeeds
1951-52WiganHuddersfield
1952-53St HelensHalifax
1953-54WarringtonHalifax
1954-55WarringtonLeeds
1955-56WarringtonHalifax
1956-57OldhamLeeds
1957-58OldhamHalifax
1958-59WiganWakefield Tinity
1959-60St HelensWakefield Tinity
1960-61SwintonLeeds
1961-62WiganWakefield Trinity
1962-633Workington TownWakefield Trinity
1963-643St HelensHalifax
1964-65St HelensCastleford
1965-66St HelensLeeds
1966-67St HelensHull Kingston Rovers
1967-68WarringtonLeeds
1968-69St HelensLeeds
1969-70WiganLeeds

Footnotes

  1. During the period 1896-1901 the county leagues were titled senior competitions. There was no national league championship during this period.
  2. For the 1901-02 season the top teams from each senior competition resigned to form a single league championship. The lower clubs continued to contest seperate county leagues for that year only.
  3. During the 1962-3 and 1963-4 two division campaigns the county leagues were officially retitled Eastern and Western divisions.

See also

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