1994–95 Rugby Football League Season

The 1994–95 Rugby Football League season was the 100th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August 1994 until May 1995 for a number of titles, primarily the Stones Bitter Championship.

Season summary

*Stones Bitter League Champions: Wigan (16th title)
*Silk Cut Challenge Cup Winners: Wigan (30-10 v Leeds)
*Stones Bitter Premiership Trophy Winners: Wigan (69-12 v Leeds)
** Harry Sunderland Trophy: Kris Radlinski
* Regal Trophy Winners: Wigan (7 - 40-10 v Warrington)
*2nd Division Champions: Keighley

The record for most points scored by one team in a match was broken by Huddersfield when they clocked up 142 against Blackpool Gladiators' 4 in a Regal Trophy match on 26 November 1994. This is also the record for widest margin.

The 1995 Man of Steel Award for the player of the season went to Wigan's Denis Betts. Wigan also set a new record for most points in all matches in one season with 1,735 from 45 matches as follows:
*Division One Championship: 1,148 (from 30 games)
*Challenge Cup 230 (from 6 games)
*Regal Trophy 170 (from 5 games)
*Premiership Trophy 167 (from 3 games)
*Tour match (Australia) 20 (from 1 game)

Rule changes

The following rule changes were introduced this season by the referees' coaching director, Greg McCallum:
* Referees were given the power to put a player suspected of foul play "on report" with the incident to be reviewed later by the disciplinary panel. The system was based on the one already operating in Australian rugby league. Referees signalled that an incident had been put "on report" by crossing their raised arms above their heads.
* In-goal judges were trialled, these two additional match officials are positioned behind the dead-ball line at each end of the playing field and aim to aid the referee in judging if a try has been scored. The in-goal judges had been used in Australia for two years.
* McCallum ordered referees to penalise defending players lifting attackers in the tackle in a way that could lead to an illegal spear tackle.

Leeds' Gary Mercer (dangerous throw), Sheffield Eagles' Paul Broadbent and Doncaster's Gordon Lynch (tripping) became the first players cited under the reporting system to be found to have a case to answer.

Structural reform

''Framing the Future''

In prevision of the RFL's impending centennial season, a state-of-the-league report titled ''Framing the Future'' was produced by its board of directors, based on the findings of a one-year investigation commissioned from the Global Sports Marketing agency, with the aim of propelling the financially shaky sport into a new era. Among the more consensual recommendations were the hiring of at least one full-time press officer, which ''The Daily Telegraph'' John Whalley found badly needed, pointing that only six First Division clubs bothered to allow the BBC's Ceefax teletext service to relay their game results. More controversially, the plan would nullify the existing revenue sharing scheme directed at second-tier teams, give two-to-one voting powers to top-flight clubs and limit promotion opportunities to one spot (the second would be conditioned to a playoff), which would likely not be guaranteed due to the implementation of more stringent stadium standards in the elite.

Those proposals drew the ire of many smaller clubs, with only one second-division member, the big-market London Broncos, reportedly in favour. The rebel faction convened in Rochdale and asked the vote to be delayed. Opposition leaders Batley and Ryedale-York proposed several amendments. Concurrently, the leading clubs also hardened their stance: Wigan threatened to form a breakaway loop, however it was accepted that only three or four clubs could afford to follow them. Following a protracted meeting in Leeds, a compromise was found. It gave three votes to top-flight clubs, two to second-tier clubs, and one to some eligible third-tier clubs, while revenue sharing would be phased out within four years. However, the two promotion spots would be preserved. Seventy-five per cent of a projected £25 million public grant for stadium improvements was also allocated to top-tier members. While it was decided to rebrand the First Division as "Premier League" in 1995–96, the number of teams remained at sixteen. Those changes were viewed by some as underwhelming. Star player Paul Hulme was unimpressed by the new policy and criticised the lack of obligations placed on clubs regarding player development, compared to what existed in Australia.

Super League Europe

Throughout the 1994–95 season, news of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's interest in an extension of his projected Australian circuit to Europe made their way to the press, and were formalised during an RFL Council meeting on 5 April 1995. Three days later, the clubs unanimously voted to accept Murdoch's proposal, effectively superseding much of the previous fall's moderate reform. Per the agreement, the final 1995–96 First Division season would serve as a transition year, and use a condensed roster of teams which would prefigure the Super League format. The possible aggregation of local rivals into a single regional side to reach the desired team quota—which was later rescinded—led to some protests, including a pitch invasion during half-time of the Greater Manchester derby between Salford and Oldham on 14 April.

Tables

First Division

In preparation for the switch to summer for the Super League, the position teams finished would determine what division they would play next season. The team finishing bottom would be relegated to the new Third Division and teams finishing 11th to 15th would be relegated to the existing Second Division.

Second Division

The teams finishing in the top 7 would remain in the Second Division. London Broncos were promoted into the First Division as they were to be part of the new Super League in 1996. The remaining teams were relegated to form the new Third Division.

Premiership

Regal Trophy

Challenge Cup

Rounds One and Two were contested between amateur clubs only. Millom were the biggest winners in Round One when they defeated Northampton Knights by 62–4. The biggest win in Round Two was Wigan St Patricks who defeated Crown Malet 42–6.

Round Three saw teams from Division Two matched at home against an amateur opponent. There was one shock result, when Beverley beat Highfield by 27–4. Dewsbury recorded the most points in Round Three when they defeated Kells by 72–12, though the biggest margin of victory went to Keighley who beat Chorley 68–0.

In Round Four, the Division One sides entered the competition with no seeding. There were two shock results when Huddersfield defeated Halifax 36-30 and Whitehaven beat Wakefield Trinity by 24–12. Hunslet drew with Salford 32–32 to take them to a replay before going down by 52–10.

Results from Fifth round:

Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in all competitions in the 1994–95 season.

Most tries

Most goals (including drop goals)

Kangaroo Tour

The months of October and November also saw the appearance of the Australian team in Britain on their 1994 Kangaroo Tour. Other than the three test Ashes series against Great Britain (won 2–1 by Australia), The Kangaroos played and won matches against 8 Championship teams (Leeds, Wigan, Castleford, Halifax, Sheffield, St Helens, Warrington and Bradford Northern), 1 county side (Cumbria), 1 game against the Great Britain U/21 side and non-test international against Wales in Cardiff. The team was coached by 1973 tourist and 1978 tour captain Bob Fulton and was captained by Mal Meninga who was making his record 4th Kangaroo Tour as a player.

Illawarra Steelers winger Rod Wishart, was the leading point scorer on the tour with a modern record of 174 points (beating Michael O'Connor's 170 from 1986) from 8 tries and 71 goals. For the second Kangaroo Tour in a row, Cronulla-Sutherland outside back Andrew Ettingshausen was the leading try scorer with 15, the same number he had scored in 1990.

Great Britain's win in the first test at Wembley emulated the Lions first test win over the Kangaroos in 1990 and was the Kangaroos only loss of the tour. Wembley also saw the largest ever rugby league test attendance (not including World Cup games) in Great Britain with 57,034 on hand. This beat the opening test of the 1990 Tour at Wembley that had attracted a crowd of 54,569.

Notes

References

*
"Club-by-club guide to the new season", ''The Independent'', 19 August 1994
at rlhalloffame.org.uk
1994–95 Rugby Football League season
at wigan.rlfans.com
''Wigan's record Cup run''
at news.bbc.co.uk

at hunterlink.net.au

at rugbyleagueproject.org

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugby Football League season, 1994-95
Rugby Football League seasons
1995 in English rugby league
1994 in English rugby league