RFL Championship
| National Leagues 1 & 2 |
|---|
| File:National League Logo.jpg |
| Founded |
| 2003 |
| Nations |
 England Wales
|
| Number of Teams |
| 10 & 12 |
| Cups |
| Challenge Cup Northern Rail Cup |
| Current Champions |
| Hull KR |
The Rugby League National Leagues (now sponsored by the united Co-Operative Group) form the basis for rugby league competition in Great Britain below Super League.
There are currently two leagues with promotion and relegation between the two divisions.
National League teams are only allowed one quota player, other than London Skolars, Gateshead Thunder and Celtic Crusaders to compensate for the lack of amateur clubs outside the heartlands to recruit from.
History
Between 1999 and 2002 teams below the Super League took part in a single division known as the Northern Ford Premiership (NFP). In 2003, the Northern Ford Premiership was completely re-organised into National Leagues one and two. Teams that finished in the top ten of the Northern Ford Premiership joined League one and the bottom nine joined League two, they were joined by London Skolars from the Rugby League Conference who entered National League two. York City Knights replaced the defunct York Wasps and joined League two in 2003.
At the same time, National League three was created with teams from the Rugby League Conference and from the BARLA amateur leagues. It was intended that there would be promotion and relegation between National League two and National League three when League three became more established.
At the end of the 2005 an extra team was relegated from Super League in order to accommodate French side Catalans Dragons. In turn an additional team was relegated from National League one; thus the number of teams in this division remained at ten. Blackpool Panthers were elected to National League two for the 2005 season to replace the defunct Chorley Lynx. In order to "even up" the numbers a new team was admitted into the League Two, a Welsh team called Celtic Crusaders based on the old rugby union team Celtic Warriors, thus increasing this division to twelve teams.
In 2007, National League Three was scrapped and rebranded as the Rugby League Conference National Division.
National League Three
National League Three ran between 2003 and 2006. It was intended that at some future point promotion and relegation would be allowed between National League Three and National League Two.
The remaining six founder members of National League three (Teesside Steelers, Manchester Knights, Coventry Bears, Hemel Stags, St Albans Centurions and South London Storm all came from the Rugby League Conference. Of the other League Three clubs three (Bradford Dudley Hill, Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks and Warrington Woolston Rovers (now Warrington Wizards)) came from the National Conference League and (Huddersfield Underbank Rangers) came from the Pennine League.
Season 2004 saw an expansion to fourteen teams with Birmingham Bulldogs, Carlisle Centurions and Essex Eels elected from the Rugby League Conference. Also one League Three club, Bramley Buffaloes, was admitted as a new club, though they can also be considered as a reincarnation of the previous Bramley club, which had long played in the professional leagues. Gateshead Storm also entered as late replacements for the defunct Teesside Steelers. The season was extended to twenty games starting a move towards a full season. Manchester Knights resigned from the league a few games before the end of the season.
Prior to the 2005 season South London Storm announced that they were joining the new Rugby League Conference Premier Division, along with Manchester Knights. Carlisle Centurions and Birmingham Bulldogs failed to complete the season, Coventry Bears and Essex Eels resigned after the season. Some felt the problems were a result of the change from a semi-regionalised structure to a full home and away set-up. All four of these found their way back into the Rugby League Conference.
Dewsbury Celtic moved up from the Rugby League Conference Premier North and Featherstone Lions, just a month after failing to finish the season in the National Conference League, were accepted to National League Three to give it ten members for the 2006 season.
A few weeks into the 2006 season Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks withdrew, and Bradford Dudley Hill returned the National Conference League after the season. St Albans Centurions also decided to join the Rugby League Conference Premier Division South, which left Hemel Stags as the only southern team in the league.
In 2007 the National League Three teams was absorbed into the Rugby League Conference, rebranded as the Rugby League Conference National Division with the addition of three new teams from the Rugby League Conference Premier North. It is thought the rebranding was due to the number of teams withdrawing and the number of forfeited fixtures harming the image of the National Leagues as a whole, which was an issue while looking for a new sponsor.
Structure
A play-off structure is used to determine the winners of League One, who are then eligible for promotion to Super League, being replaced by the team being relegated from that competition. Two teams are relegated from League One, being replaced by the team finishing top of League Two and the winner of a play-off structure involving the six teams finishing behind the league leaders in League Two. The play-offs in each National League division are a top-six format.
After 2009 there will be no automatic promotion or relegation from Super League and new teams will be admitted on a franchise basis. 3 yearly reviews of franchises will take place to ensure ambitious clubs lower down the leagues can still be successful.
There is no promotion or relegation between League Two and the Rugby League Conference at the present; current RFL policy is to expand the top two leagues gradually over time. As yet no clubs have been admitted to the National Leagues from the Rugby League Conference since the London Skolars.
A cup competition, the National League Cup, is played for by all clubs in Leagues One and Two; in 2005 four League Three clubs were also admitted, in 2006 five League Three were admitted. The teams are organised into regional conferences, with knock-out stages following from the group stage. In 2007 four Rugby League Conference teams are scheduled to be included.
From 2007 the competition will use a new points system
Win – three points; Draw – two points; Loss by 12 points or fewer - one point.[1]
2007 structure
There are ten teams in league one and twelve in league two.
| National League One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Stadium | City/Area | ||
| File:Batleycolours.png Batley Bulldogs | Mount Pleasent | Batley, West Yorkshire | ||
 Castleford Tigers
|
The Jungle | Castleford, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Ramscolours.png Dewsbury Rams | The Tetley's Stadium | Dewsbury, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Donscolours2.png Doncaster RLFC | Keepmoat Stadium | Doncaster, South Yorkshire | ||
| File:Faxcolours.png Halifax RLFC | The Shay | Halifax, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Leighcolours.png Leigh Centurions | Hilton Park | Leigh, Greater Manchester | ||
| File:Rochdalecolours.png Rochdale Hornets | Spotland Stadium | Rochdale, Greater Manchester | ||
| File:Sheffeaglescolours.png Sheffield Eagles | Don Valley Stadium | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | ||
| File:Havencolours.png Whitehaven RLFC | Recreation Ground | Whitehaven, Cumbria | ||
 Widnes Vikings
|
Halton Stadium | Widnes, Cheshire | ||
| National League Two | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Stadium | City/Area | ||
| File:Barrowcolours.png Barrow Raiders | Craven Park | Barrow, Cumbria | ||
| File:Blackpoolcolours.png Blackpool Panthers | Woodlands Memorial Ground | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | ||
| File:Cruscolours.png Celtic Crusaders | Brewery Field | Bridgend, Wales | ||
| File:Fevcolours.png Featherstone Rovers | Chris Moyles Stadium | Featherstone, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Gthundercolours.png Gateshead Thunder | Thunderdome | Gateshead, Tyne and Wear | ||
| File:Hunsletcolours.png Hunslet Hawks | South Leeds Stadium | Leeds, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Cougscolours.png Keighley Cougars | Cougar Park | Keighley, West Yorkshire | ||
| File:Skolscolours.png London Skolars | New River Stadium | Haringey, London | ||
| File:Oldhamcolours.png Oldham Roughyeds | Boundary Park | Oldham, Greater Manchester | ||
| File:Swintoncolours.png Swinton Lions | Park Lane | Swinton, Greater Manchester | ||
| File:Workingtoncolours.png Workington Town | Derwent Park | Workington, Cumbria | ||
| File:Yorkcolours.png York City Knights | Huntington Park | York, North Yorkshire | ||
Results
See Rugby League Championship Second Division and Rugby League Championship Third Division for full lists of lower league championship winners (1895-date).
| Season | League One Champions | Relegated from League One | League Two Champions | Also promoted to League One | League Three Champions |
| 2003 | Salford City Reds | Dewsbury Rams | Keighley Cougars | none | Warrington Woolston Rovers |
| 2004 | Leigh Centurions | Keighley Cougars | Barrow Raiders1 | none | Coventry Bears |
| 2005 | Castleford Tigers | Barrow Raiders, Featherstone Rovers | York City Knights1 | none | Bradford Dudley Hill |
| 2006 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Oldham Roughyeds, York City Knights | Dewsbury Rams1 | Sheffield Eagles | Bramley Buffaloes |
Footnote
- Denotes that championship was not decided using a play-off; league position alone determined the title-holder.
See also
- British rugby league system
- Super League
- Rugby League Conference
- Northern Ford Premiership
- National League Cup