| Championship 1 | |
|---|---|
 Current competition: 2009 Championship 1 |
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| Sport | Rugby league |
| Inaugural season | 2003 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Countries |  England Wales |
| Champions | Dewsbury Rams (2009) |
| Website | cooperativechampionship.co.uk |
| Related competition | Co-operative Championship Challenge Cup Northern Rail Cup |
The Rugby League Championship 1 (known as Co-operative Championship 1 due to sponsorship by the Co-operative Group) was formerly called National League Two. It is the third tier domestic competition in the United Kingdom, below the Championship.
Championship 1 teams are only allowed one quota player, other than London Skolars, to compensate for the lack of amateur clubs outside the heartlands to recruit from.
Contents |
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 NFP was completely re-organised into National Leagues 1 and 2. Teams that finished in the top ten of the NFP joined National League 1 and the bottom nine joined National League 2. They were joined by London Skolars from the Rugby League Conference who entered National League 2. York City Knights replaced the defunct York Wasps and joined National League 2 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 2 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 1; thus the number of teams in this division remained at ten. Blackpool Panthers were elected to National League 2 for the 2005 season to replace the defunct Chorley Lynx. In order to "even up" the numbers a new team was admitted into the National League 2, a Welsh team called Celtic Crusaders, thus increasing this division to twelve teams.
In 2007, National League Three was scrapped and rebranded as the Rugby League Conference National Division. The National League Two competition has been rebranded Co-operative Championship 1 for the 2009 season.
South Wales Scorpions were admitted to Championship One for the 2010 season.
Structure
At the end of the season, two teams are relegated from the Championship, being replaced by the team finishing top of Championship 1 and the winner of a play-off structure involving the six teams finishing behind the league leaders in Championship 1. The play-offs are a top-six format.
There is no promotion or relegation between Championship 1 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 Championship 1 from the Rugby League Conference since the London Skolars.
A cup competition, the National League Cup, is played for by all clubs in the Championship and Championship 1; 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 used a new points system:
Win – three points; Draw – two points; Loss by 12 points or fewer - one point.[1]
2010 structure
2010 sees two teams enter the competition Gateshead Thunder and a new team from South Wales.
| Championship 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Stadium | City/Area | ||
 Blackpool Panthers |
Woodlands Memorial Ground | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | ||
 Doncaster RLFC |
Keepmoat Stadium | Doncaster, South Yorkshire | ||
 Hunslet Hawks |
South Leeds Stadium | Leeds, West Yorkshire | ||
 Gateshead Thunder |
Thunderdome | Gateshead, Tyne and Wear | ||
 London Skolars |
New River Stadium | Haringey, London | ||
 Oldham Roughyeds |
Boundary Park | Oldham, Greater Manchester | ||
 Rochdale Hornets |
Spotland Stadium | Rochdale, Greater Manchester | ||
 South Wales Scorpions |
The Gnoll | Neath, Wales | ||
 Swinton Lions |
Park Lane | Swinton, Greater Manchester | ||
 Workington Town |
Derwent Park | Workington, Cumbria | ||
 York City Knights |
Huntington Stadium | York, North Yorkshire | ||
Results
- See Rugby League Championship Third Division for winners of the old Third Division.
| Season | League Two Champions | Also promoted to League One | Relegated from League One |
| 2003 | Keighley Cougars | none | Dewsbury Rams |
| 2004 | Barrow Raiders1 | none | Keighley Cougars |
| 2005 | York City Knights1 | none | Barrow Raiders Featherstone Rovers |
| 2006 | Dewsbury Rams1 | Sheffield Eagles | Oldham Roughyeds York City Knights |
| Celtic Crusaders | Featherstone Rovers | Rochdale Hornets Doncaster Lakers |
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| Gateshead Thunder | Barrow Raiders Doncaster RLFC |
Dewsbury Rams | |
| 2009 | Dewsbury Rams | Keighley Cougars | Gateshead Thunder Doncaster RLFC |
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
External links
- Official Championship website
- RFL Championship coverage
- Scores from Sky Sports
- RugbyLeague.org Championship 1 Fans Forums
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