The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the
Rugby Football League Championship
The Rugby Football League Championship First Division was the top division of rugby league in England between 1895 and 1996, when it was replaced by the Super League.
History
1895–1904: Foundations
The first season of rugby league (189 ...
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
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. From then until 1907, when there was another re-organisation, the county leagues were not played.
The new structure initiated for the 1907-08 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
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
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
The RFL Lancashire League was an annual competition from 1895 to 1970 for professional rugby league teams in Lancashire. Other teams from Cheshire and Cumbria also competed in the league 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
The Championship, known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a professional rugby league competition. It is the second-tier competition organised by the Rugby Football League, the governing body for the sport in England, a ...
until 1970. Teams also competed in the
Lancashire Cup.
Championship
Wins by club
Yorkshire League
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
The Championship, known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a professional rugby league competition. It is the second-tier competition organised by the Rugby Football League, the governing body for the sport in England, a ...
until 1970. Teams also competed in the
Yorkshire Cup.
Championship
Wins by club
Notes
References
*
External links
{{British and Irish Rugby League links
Rugby league competitions in the United Kingdom