Championship Cup Explained

Championship Cup
Pixels:200px
Founded:2002
Folded:2013
Replaced:1895 Cup
Teams:26
Gov Body:RFL
Champion: Leigh Centurions
Count:4
Tv:Premier Sports

The Championship Cup (known as the Northern Rail Cup for sponsorship reasons), previously known as the National League Cup, was a rugby league football competition for clubs in the United Kingdom's Rugby League Championships. Although the French club Toulouse Olympique competed in the Championship from 2009 through 2011, they never participated in the cup until 2012 after they had left the Championship. The Cup's last season was 2013, after which it was replaced by the 1895 Cup.

History

The Trans-Pennine Cup was a short-lived competition for professional British rugby league clubs outside Super League. It was played for during the period in which all non-Super League professional clubs were grouped into a single competition, the Northern Ford Premiership.

As part of the redevelopment of the Northern Ford Premiership competition; the National League cup was first held in 2002. It was known as the Buddies Cup, after its sponsor, a soft drinks manufacturer. Eighteen teams took part divided into three groups of six (East, West and Central).

The Northern Ford Premiership was replaced by National Leagues One and Two in 2003. The competition was known as the Arriva Trains Cup after sponsor Arriva Trains Northern). The twenty National League teams were divided into four groups (North, East, West and Central) of five teams each, while in 2004 there were five groups (North, East, West, Pennine, Yorkshire) of four teams each.

Northern Rail became the competition's sponsor in 2005 and the name Northern Rail Cup was adopted. Four teams from the then National League Three also entered the competition. There were no cross-group games in the 2005 competition; each team therefore played only six games in the group stages, with the top team from each of the first five groups progressing to the quarter-final directly. The second-placed team in each of these groups, plus the top team from group six (the group of teams from National League 3) played an additional round to determine the remaining three spots in the quarter-finals.

For 2006 there were seven groups. Groups one to six comprised the 22 teams in National Leagues One and Two and the two southern National League Three teams, Hemel Stags and St Albans Centurions. There were four teams in each regional division. The top two teams from groups one to six and the best three third-placed teams qualified for the last sixteen knock out stage along with the winner of group seven. Group seven comprised northern National League Three teams that choose to enter, and included three teams: Bramley Buffaloes, Warrington Wizards and Dewsbury Celtic.

In 2007, it was announced that the competition would adopt a new points system: Win – three points; Draw – two points; Loss by 12 points or fewer – one point.[1] However, in the group tables only one point was given for a draw.[2]

In 2009, the Northern Rail Nines tournament was started. Teams not involved in the Northern Rail Cup Final entered a rugby league nines event with the trophy and plate final played as curtain raisers to the Northern Rail Cup Final at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool.

Venues

CityStadiumYears
1 FeatherstonePost Office Road2002
2 RochdaleSpotland Stadium2003–2004
3 BlackpoolBloomfield Road2005–2012
4 HalifaxThe Shay2013

Results

YearWinnerScoreRunner UpAttendance
2002 Huddersfield Giants32–6 Hull Kingston Rovers4,352
2003 Salford City Reds36–19 Leigh Centurions6,486
2004 Leigh Centurions42–14 Hull Kingston Rovers4,383
2005 Hull Kingston Rovers18–16 Castleford Tigers9,400
2006 Leigh Centurions22–18 Hull Kingston Rovers7,547
2007 Widnes Vikings54–6 Whitehaven8,326
2008 Salford City Reds60–0 Doncaster6,328
2009 Widnes Vikings34–18 Barrow Raiders8,720
2010 Batley Bulldogs25–24 Widnes Vikings8,138
2011 Leigh Centurions20–16 Halifax8,822[3]
2012 Halifax21–12 Featherstone Rovers6,691
2013align=left Leigh Centurions43–28 Sheffield Eagles4,179

Winners

ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning years
Leigh Centurions2004, 2006, 2011, 2013
Widnes Vikings2007, 2009
Salford City Reds2003, 2008
Hull Kingston Rovers2005
Halifax2012
Huddersfield Giants2002
Batley Bulldogs2010

Championship Bowl

width=5%Yearwidth=20%Winnerwidth=10%Scorewidth=20%Runner Up
2013align=left North Wales Crusaders42–24 London Skolars

Sponsors

YearsSponsorName
2002BuddiesBuddies Cup
2003–2004Arriva Trains NorthernArriva Trains Cup
2005–2013Northern RailNorthern Rail Cup

Records

Below is a list of National League Cup records.[4]

Most tries

Most goals

Most goals in a final

Most points

Highest score

Highest away score

Closest score

Most Final appearances (Club)

Most Competition Wins (Club)

Broadcasting rights

Sky Sports broadcast a limited number of Championship Cup matches.[7] In 2012 the rights passed to Premier Sports.[8] Setanta Sports Australia broadcast live Northern Rail Cup matches in Australia.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/national_league/6248231.stm RFL introduces new points system
  2. Web site: League tables: Northern Rail Cup . RFL . https://web.archive.org/web/20071012123752/http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/tables/table.php?id=45&z=nationalleague . 12 October 2007.
  3. Web site: RFL Match Report: Halifax 16 – 20 Leigh . https://web.archive.org/web/20120921020611/http://www.therfl.co.uk/matchday/results/report?7343 . 2011-07-17 . The RFL . 21 September 2012 . dead .
  4. Web site: Northern Rail - Northern Rail Cup Fascinating Facts . 2010-02-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100512172547/http://www.northernrail.org/northernrailcup/facts . 12 May 2010 .
  5. Web site: Records Tumble for Ton-Up 'Dogs . 2010-09-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728101525/http://batleybulldogs.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=173%3Arecords-tumble-for-ton-up-dogs&catid=47%3Amatch-reports&Itemid=173 . 28 July 2011 .
  6. Web site: Bulldogs Clinch NRC in Tense Finale! . 2010-09-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728101554/http://batleybulldogs.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=286%3Abulldogs-clinch-nrc-in-tense-finale&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=165 . 28 July 2011 .
  7. https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/yorkcityknights/1965633.skys-the-limit-for-the-knights/ Sky's the limit for the Knights
  8. https://sport-onthebox.com/2011/10/18/rugby-league-premier-sports-to-broadcast-championship-matches/ Premier Sports to broadcast Championship matches