The 1996 Division One Championship season was the second tier of British rugby league during the 1996 season, and was also the first season of rugby league to be played in the summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995–96 Rugby Football League season.
Championship The league was won by Salford Reds for a second successive season, winning promotion to the Super League. The club also won the Divisional Premiership final against Keighley Cougars, with Cliff Eccles winning the Tom Bergin Trophy.
Rochdale Hornets and Batley Bulldogs were both relegated to Division Two.
League table TeamPldWDLPFPAPts1Salford Reds201802733298362Keighley Cougars201424558333303Hull Sharks201406565392284Featherstone Rovers201226557371265Huddersfield201208557308246Wakefield Trinity201019485455217Widnes209110413447198Dewsbury206113264618139Whitehaven2051143285461110Rochdale Hornets202216348602611Batley2022162306686 ChampionsRelegated
Premiership
Statistics The following are the top points scorers in Division One during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only.
Most tries Player Team Tries Jason Critchley Keighley Cougars 21 Nathan McAvoy Salford Reds 16 Darren Rogers Salford Reds 16 Brad Davis Wakefield Trinity 15 Dean Hanger Huddersfield Giants 15 Eddie Rombo Featherstone Rovers 15 Fata Sini Salford Reds 15 Andrew King Keighley Cougars 14 Martin Pearson Featherstone Rovers 14 Nick Pinkney Keighley Cougars 14 Tevita Vaikona Hull Sharks 14
Most goals Player Team Goals Steve Blakeley Salford Reds 84 Martin Pearson Featherstone Rovers 81 Mark Hewitt Hull Sharks 67 Brad Davis Wakefield Trinity 62 Christian Tyrer Widnes 54 Keith Dixon Keighley Cougars 46 Barry Eaton Dewsbury 42 Craig Booth Rochdale Hornets 26 Steve Booth Huddersfield Giants 26 Greg Austin Huddersfield Giants 25
Most points Player Team Tries Goals DGs Points Martin Pearson Featherstone Rovers 14 81 1 219 Steve Blakeley Salford Reds 9 84 0 204 Brad Davis Wakefield Trinity 15 62 3 187 Mark Hewitt Hull Sharks 1 67 0 138 Christian Tyrer Widnes 6 54 3 135 Keith Dixon Keighley Cougars 5 46 0 112 Barry Eaton Dewsbury 2 42 1 93 Greg Austin Huddersfield Giants 10 25 0 90 Jason Critchley Keighley Cougars 21 0 0 84 Fata Sini Salford Reds 15 10 0 80
See also Super League war 1996 Challenge Cup
References
External links
1996 season at wigan.rlfans.com