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Rugby League Divisional Premiership

Divisional Premiership
SportRugby league
Inaugural season1986–87
Ceased1997
Replaced byChampionship Grand Final
Country England
Last winnersHuddersfield Giants (1997)
Most titlesOldham (2 titles)
Sheffield Eagles (2 titles)
Salford (2 titles)

The Rugby League Divisional Premiership (sometimes called the Second Division Premiership) was a competition for British rugby league clubs in the Second Division of the Rugby Football League, which operated between 1986 and 1997.

History

The Second Division Premiership was introduced during the 1986–87 season. The format was the same as the Premiership competition used for First Division clubs, with the teams finishing in the top eight in the league competing in an end-of-season knockout tournament. The final was staged at Old Trafford as a curtain raiser for the First Division Premiership final, with the man of the match being awarded the Tom Bergin Trophy.

When a Third Division was introduced in the 1991–92 season, the competition was renamed the Divisional Premiership, and was expanded to include both Second and Third Division teams. The competition returned to the previous format when the league reverted to two divisions in the 1993–94 season.

Following the switch to summer rugby, a shortened four-team format was used for the 1996 competition. In 1998, the competition was replaced by a play-off system which would determine promotion to the Super League. The Tom Bergin Trophy continued to be used as the Grand Final's man of the match award.

Divisional Premiership winners

Season Competition Winners Score Runners-up Venue
Winter era
1986–87 1986–87 Divisional Premiership Swinton 27–10 Hunslet Old Trafford, Manchester
1987–88 1987–88 Divisional Premiership Oldham 28–26 Featherstone Rovers
1988–89 1988–89 Divisional Premiership Sheffield Eagles 43–18 Swinton
1989–90 1989–90 Divisional Premiership Oldham 30–29 Hull Kingston Rovers
1990–91 1990–91 Divisional Premiership Salford 27–20 Halifax
1991–92 1991–92 Divisional Premiership Sheffield Eagles 34–20 Oldham
1992–93 1992–93 Divisional Premiership Featherstone Rovers 20–16 Workington Town
1993–94 1993–94 Divisional Premiership Workington Town 30–22 London Crusaders
1994–95 1994–95 Divisional Premiership Keighley Cougars 26–6 Huddersfield Giants
Summer era
1996 1996 Divisional Premiership Salford Reds 19–6 Keighley Cougars Old Trafford, Manchester
1997 1997 Divisional Premiership Huddersfield Giants 18–0 Hull Sharks

See also

Notes

References

  • Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David, eds. (1998). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1998. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-0-7472-7683-8.