Rugby league county leagues

The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football 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.

History

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 Football League Championship, whilst results within the county counted towards the respective county leagues.

The championship often included teams from 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 was Merthyr Tydfil.

The Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues were abandoned in 1970.

Lancashire League

Main article: RFL Lancashire League

The Lancashire League was founded in 1895 for the clubs based in Lancashire to compete in. Eventually the league was expanded to Cheshire and Cumbria. Wigan Warriors won the most titles (18) until the league was abandoned in 1970.

Yorkshire League

See also: Rugby league in Yorkshire

Yorkshire League

Sport	Rugby league
Instituted	1895
Ceased	1970
Number of teams	16
Country	England
Last winners	Leeds (15th title)
Most titles	Leeds (15 titles)

The RFL Yorkshire League was an annual competition from 1895 to 1970 for professional rugby league teams in Yorkshire. During the period 1896-1901 the county leagues were played as there was no national league championship during this period. After they were played alongside the RFL Championship until 1970. Teams also competed in the Yorkshire Cup.

Championship winners

Season	Winners
1895–96	Manningham
1896–971	Brighouse Rangers
1897–981	Hunslet
1898–991	Batley
1899–19001	Bradford FC
1900–011	Bradford FC
1901–022	Leeds
1902–07	No competition
1907–08	Hunslet
1908–09	Halifax
1909–10	Wakefield Trinity
1910–11	Wakefield Trinity
1911–12	Huddersfield
1912–13	Huddersfield
1913–14	Huddersfield
1914–15	Huddersfield
1915–18	No competition due to World War I
1918–19	Hull
1919–20	Huddersfield
1920–21	Halifax
1921–22	Huddersfield
1922–23	Hull
1923–24	Batley
1924–25	Hull Kingston Rovers
1925–26	Hull Kingston Rovers
1926–27	Hull
1927–28	Leeds
1928–29	Huddersfield
1929–30	Huddersfield
1930–31	Leeds
1931–32	Hunslet
1932–33	Castleford

Season	Winners
1933–34	Leeds
1934–35	Leeds
1935–36	Hull
1936–37	Leeds
1937–38	Leeds
1938–39	Castleford
1939–45	No competition due to World War II
1945–46	Wakefield Trinity
1946–47	Dewsbury
1947–48	Bradford Northern
1948–49	Huddersfield
1949–50	Huddersfield
1950–51	Leeds
1951–52	Huddersfield
1952–53	Halifax
1953–54	Halifax
1954–55	Leeds
1955–56	Halifax
1956–57	Leeds
1957–58	Halifax
1958–59	Wakefield Trinity
1959–60	Wakefield Trinity
1960–61	Leeds
1961–62	Wakefield Trinity
1962–633	Wakefield Trinity
1963–643	Halifax
1964–65	Castleford
1965–66	Leeds
1966–67	Hull Kingston Rovers
1967–68	Leeds
1968–69	Leeds
1969–70	Leeds

Winners

	Winners	Count	Years
1	Leeds	15	1901-02, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70
2	Huddersfield	11	1911-12, 1912–13, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1919–29, 1921–22, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1951–52,
3	Wakefield Trinity	7	1909-10, 1910–11, 1945–46, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63
4	Halifax	7	1908-09, 1920–21, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1963–64
5	Hull	4	1918-19, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1935-36
6	Hunslet	3	1897-98, 1907–08, 1931–32
7	Hull Kingston Rovers	3	1924-25, 1925–26, 1966–67
8	Castleford	3	1932-33, 1938–39, 1964–65
9	Batley	2	1898-99, 1923–24
10	Bradford FC	2	1899-00, 1900–01
11	Manningham	1	1895-96
12	Bradford Northern	1	1947-48

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 separate county leagues for that year only.
3. During the 1962-63 and 1963-64 two division campaigns the county leagues were officially retitled Eastern and Western divisions.

See also

• All Four Cups