RFL Women's Championship seasons 2017–2023 | |
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The RFL Women's Championship [1] is the second tier of women's rugby in the British rugby league system sitting below the RFL Women's Super League.
The competition was founded in 2017, and was a single leagued division with all teams based in Northern England due to geographic distribution of the sport's popularity. However, starting in 2024, in response to the increase in popularity of women's rugby league outside of Northern England, the Championship was expanded to include a Midlands and South group for teams elsewhere in the county, allowing a route to the Super League for all teams. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The following article summarises the results of the competition before its 2024 expansion:
Promoted to next season's Super League
Transfer to the 2024 Northern Championship
(C) Champions
The 2017 season did not begin until 23 July [8] and as a result of this the teams only played each other once during the competition. Stanningley went unbeaten throughout the 2017 season to finish top of the Championship [9] and defeated Oulton Raidettes 28–10 in the Grand Final. [10]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
1 | Stanningley (C) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 232 | 60 | 172 | 12 |
2 | Oulton Raidettes | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 186 | 76 | 110 | 9 |
3 | Wigan St Patricks | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 190 | 76 | 114 | 8 |
4 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 120 | 98 | 22 | 6 |
5 | Wakefield Trinity | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 110 | 114 | -4 | 5 |
6 | Barrow | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 282 | -248 | 2 |
7 | Batley Bulldogs | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 178 | -166 | 0 |
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
1 | Stanningley | 60 | |||||||
4 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 4 | |||||||
Stanningley | 28 | ||||||||
Oulton Raidettes | 10 | ||||||||
2 | Oulton Raidettes | 12 | |||||||
3 | Wigan St Patricks | 10 |
Stanningley repeated their success in 2018 with a 20–12 win over Leigh Miners Rangers. [12] Wakefield Trinity, who finished top of the Championship in 2018, joined the Super League in 2019. [13]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
1 | Stanningley (C) | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 438 | 168 | 270 | 24 |
2 | Wakefield Trinity | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 390 | 126 | 264 | 22 |
3 | Oulton Raidettes | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 304 | 265 | 39 | 17 |
4 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 384 | 236 | 148 | 15 |
5 | Hull FC | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 211 | 252 | -41 | 14 |
6 | Barrow | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 255 | 373 | -118 | 11 |
7 | Widnes Vikings | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 216 | 420 | -204 | 8 |
8 | Wigan St Patricks | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 74 | 432 | -358 | -4 |
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Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
1 | Wakefield Trinity | 4 | |||||||
4 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 8 | |||||||
Stanningley | 20 | ||||||||
Leigh Miners Rangers | 12 | ||||||||
2 | Stanningley | 38 | |||||||
Hull F.C. | 12 |
Source: [12] [14] [lower-alpha 2]
Warrington Wolves defeated Barrow Island 40–4 in the Grand Final. [17] Warrington and Huddersfield Giants were accepted into the Super League. [18]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
1 | Warrington Wolves (C) | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 648 | 92 | 556 | 30 |
2 | Barrow | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 325 | 246 | 79 | 25 |
3 | Stanningley | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 330 | 190 | 140 | 19 |
4 | Huddersfield Giants | 15 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 224 | 328 | -104 | 12 |
5 | Widnes Vikings | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 114 | 259 | -145 | 11 |
6 | Leigh Miners Rangers Ladies | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 166 | 280 | -114 | 8 |
7 | Oulton Raidettes | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 114 | 358 | -244 | 7 |
8 | Hull FC | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 160 | 328 | -168 | 3 |
|
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
1 | Warrington Wolves | 36 | |||||||
4 | Huddersfield Giants | 4 | |||||||
Warrington Wolves | 40 | ||||||||
Barrow | 4 | ||||||||
2 | Barrow | 14 | |||||||
3 | Stanningley | 12 |
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leigh Miners Rangers defeated Barrow Raiders 10–6 in the Grand Final. [20] Barrow and Leigh joined the Super League in 2022. [21]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | DIFF% | WP% | PTS |
1 | Leigh Miners Rangers Ladies (C) | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 292 | 116 | 251.72 | 251.72 | 78.57 | 22 |
2 | Barrow Raiders Ladies | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 312 | 160 | 195.00 | 195.00 | 67.86 | 19 |
3 | Widnes Vikings | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 220 | 146 | 150.68 | 150.68 | 62.50 | 15 |
4 | Stanningley | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 204 | 190 | 107.37 | 107.37 | 50.00 | 13 |
5 | Oulton Raidettes | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 128 | 178 | 71.91 | 71.91 | 40.91 | 9 |
6 | Hull FC | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 136 | 198 | 68.69 | 68.69 | 30.00 | 6 |
7 | Halifax Panthers | 12 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 108 | 412 | 26.21 | 26.21 | 8.33 | 2 |
8 | Keighley Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
1 | Leigh Miners Rangers | 36 | |||||||
4 | Stanningley | 6 | |||||||
Leigh Miners Rangers | 10 | ||||||||
Barrow Raiders | 6 | ||||||||
2 | Barrow Raiders | 16 | |||||||
3 | Widnes Vikings | 6 |
Oulton Raidettes defeated Salford Red Devils 33–14 in the Grand Final. [23] Salford replaced Wakefield Trinity in the 2023 Super League. [24]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
1 | Salford Red Devils | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 542 | 136 | 406 | 28 |
2 | Oulton Raidettes (C) | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 403 | 152 | 251 | 25 |
3 | Warrington Wolves Lunas | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 390 | 229 | 161 | 21 |
4 | Stanningley | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 334 | 268 | 66 | 12 |
5 | Hull KR | 15 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 310 | 410 | -100 | 12 |
6 | Dewsbury Moor Ladies | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 256 | 354 | -98 | 8 |
7 | Hull FC | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 144 | 416 | -272 | 4 |
8 | Widnes Vikings | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 146 | 560 | -414 | 4 |
Hull KR defeated Oulton Raidettes 30–16 in the Grand Final. [25]
POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
1 | Hull KR (C) | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 682 | 202 | 480 | 36 |
2 | Oulton Raidettes | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 604 | 244 | 360 | 31 |
3 | Dewsbury Moor Ladies | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 512 | 226 | 286 | 30 |
4 | Stanningley | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 540 | 244 | 296 | 26 |
5 | Sheffield Eagles | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 512 | 298 | 214 | 22 |
6 | Hull FC | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 298 | 362 | -64 | 11 |
7 | Widnes Vikings | 18 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 222 | 468 | -246 | 8 |
8 | Swinton Lionesses | 18 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 222 | 550 | -328 | 7 |
9 | Wakefield Trinity | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 68 | 932 | -864 | -1 |
10 | Warrington Wolves Lunas | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 242 | 376 | -134 | -3 |
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