The RFL Wheelchair Championship is the second highest level of wheelchair rugby league in England and Wales, with teams promoted to the RFL Wheelchair Super League providing certain criteria is met.
The Wheelchair Championship was founded in 2020, one year after the Super League, following attempts to better organise the higher levels of the sport.
Format Like the Super League, the league operates a round robin system to determine the Championship Leaders' Shield before a playoff series leading to a grand final.
Results The following is a summary of Wheelchair Championship seasons:
Key
2020 season The inaugural 2020 season ended up being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic after one round of matches. POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Gravesend Dynamite11001721615622Celts11002602623 North Wales Crusaders A000000004 West Wales Raiders000000005Ebbw Vale1010026-2606Argonauts101016172-1560
2021 season POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Hereford Harriers990060346557182 Warrington Wolves (P)990037439335183 West Wales Raiders1138074323-24964 North Wales Crusaders A7250120318-19845Torfaen Tigers1028096367-27146Celts40400174-1740 Final Hereford Harriers 75–32 Warrington Wolves
2022 season Like the Super League, the 2022 season was split into two phases. In addition, the championship was also split into a North and South division, and thus featured more teams. The top team in each division at the time of the split entered a Middle 5 division with the bottom three sides in the Super League.
Championship North Phase 1 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Mersey Storm (M5)550040651355102 Bradford Bulls (P2)541033011721383Dundee Dragons (P2)53202341746064 North Wales Crusaders A (P2)5230172242-7045 Rochdale Hornets (P2)514071233-16226 Sheffield Eagles (P2)505046442-3960 Phase 2 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1 Bradford Bulls6510434142292102 North Wales Crusaders A651024615096103Dundee Dragons52301841147044 Rochdale Hornets5140112392-28025 Sheffield Eagles404050228-1780 Final Bradford Bulls 68–22 North Wales Crusaders A
Championship South Phase 1 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Hereford Harriers (M5)43102309713362Woodlands Warriors (P2)43101341132163 West Wales Raiders200200024Gravesend Dynamite (P2)21106973-425Argonauts (P2)302154112-5816Torfaen Tigers302116108-921 Phase 2 POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Gravesend Dynamite33002216815362Argonauts211066136-7023Woodlands Warriors303086169-830
Final Gravesend Dynamite 58–23 Woodlands Warriors
Middle 5 (with Super League) POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1 North Wales Crusaders55003621115247102 Hull F.C. (P)541022220319103Hereford Harriers5230127126144 Warrington Wolves (P)514068230-16225Mersey Storm404083188-1050 Final North Wales Crusaders 102–46 Hull F.C.
2023 season The 2023 season saw North Wales Crusaders join after being relegated from the Super League. POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1 North Wales Crusaders101000766138628202 Wigan Warriors A10820516350166163 Sheffield Eagles10550364500-136104 Bradford Bulls10550328476-148105 Rochdale Hornets10280256532-27646Mersey Storm10010024258-234-9 Final North Wales Crusaders 46–40 Wigan Warriors A
2024 season The 2024 season saw the Championship split into 3 regions. Sheffield Eagles, who won the Grand Final, were accepted into the Super League for the 2025 season. Championship East POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1 Sheffield Eagles (P)880075688465162 York Knights10620398162236123 Bradford Bulls10440170276-10684 Hull KR10260231468-23745 Wakefield Trinity10080108466-3580
Championship West POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Hereford Harriers8710514174340132 North Wales Crusaders8620488251237123 Warrington Wolves84404303488284 Rochdale Hornets8260275527-25245 Widnes Vikings8170200607-4071 Championship South POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Gravesend Dynamite660051492422122Woodlands Warriors64202142041083Brentwood Eels6240158344-18644 Bedford Tigers6060140386-2460
Playoffs
2025 season In the 2025 Championship Final, Castleford Tigers won 58–46 against Rochdale Hornets. Before the start of the season it was announced that Warrington Wolves would be promoted to the Super League for the 2026 season. However, after the 2025 season Warrington withdrew their application and following a new application process Bradford Bulls were invited to become the eighth Super League team for 2026.
Teams for 2025 season: Championship East Batley Bulldogs Bradford Bulls Castleford Tigers Hull KR Wakefield Trinity York Knights Championship West Hereford Harriers North Wales Crusaders Rochdale Hornets Salford Red Devils Warrington Wolves Widnes Vikings
2026 season The Championship was restructured into a single eight-team competition for the 2026 season. Rochdale Hornets defeated North Wales Crusaders 42–22 in the Grand Final.
Teams for 2026 Championship season: Batley Bulldogs Castleford Tigers Gravesend Dynamite Midlands Hurricanes North Wales Crusaders Rochdale Hornets Wakefield Trinity York Knights
Titles SeasonChampionsScoreRunners-upLeague Leaders' Shield2020 colspan="4" 2021 Hereford Harriers 75–32 Warrington Wolves Hereford Harriers 2022 North Wales Crusaders 102–46 Hull FC North Wales Crusaders 2023 North Wales Crusaders 46–40 Wigan Warriors North Wales Crusaders2024 Sheffield Eagles38–36 Gravesend Dynamite Sheffield Eagles, Hereford Harriers, Gravesend Dynamite 2025 Castleford Tigers58–46 Rochdale Hornets 2026 Rochdale Hornets42–22 North Wales Crusaders Rochdale Hornets
Grand Finals TeamWinnersRunners-up North Wales Crusaders 2 (2022, 2023) 1 (2026) Rochdale Hornets 1 (2026) 1 (2025) Castleford Tigers 1 (2025) Hereford Harriers 1 (2021) Sheffield Eagles 1 (2024) Gravesend Dynamite 1 (2024) Hull 1 (2022) Warrington Wolves 1 (2021) Wigan Warriors 'A' 1 (2023)
Championship Leaders' Shield ClubNo.YearsHereford Harriers22021, 2024North Wales Crusaders22022, 2023Gravesend Dynamite12024Rochdale Hornets12026Sheffield Eagles12024
Notes
References