The RFL Women's Championship is the second tier of women's rugby in the British rugby league system sitting below the RFL Women's Super League.
The competition was founded in 2017, and was a single leagued division with all teams based in Northern England due to geographic distribution of the sport's popularity. However, starting in 2024, in response to the increase in popularity of women's rugby league outside of Northern England, the Championship was expanded to include a Midlands and South group for teams elsewhere in the county, allowing a route to the Super League for all teams.
The following article summarises the results of the competition before its 2024 expansion:
Key Source
Key (C) Champions
2017 season The 2017 season did not begin until 23 July and as a result of this the teams only played each other once during the competition. Stanningley went unbeaten throughout the 2017 season to finish top of the Championship and defeated Oulton Raidettes 28–10 in the Grand Final. POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Stanningley (C)660023260172122Oulton Raidettes64111867611093Wigan St Patricks64201907611484Leigh Miners Rangers6330120982265Wakefield Trinity6231110114-456Barrow615034282-24827Batley Bulldogs606012178-1660 2017 play-offs
Source:
2018 season Stanningley repeated their success in 2018 with a 20–12 win over Leigh Miners Rangers. Wakefield Trinity, who finished top of the Championship in 2018, joined the Super League in 2019.
POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Stanningley (C)151230438168270242Wakefield Trinity141130390126264223Oulton Raidettes1495030426539174Leigh Miners Rangers15870384236148155Hull FC14770211252-41146Barrow14680255373-118117Widnes Vikings144100216420-20488Wigan St Patricks14014074432-358-4Deductions Barrow: 1 point for forfeit Leigh Miners Rangers: 1 point for forfeit Oulton Raidettes: 1 point for forfeit Wigan St Patricks: 4 point for four forfeits 2018 play-offs
Source:
2019 season Warrington Wolves defeated Barrow Island 40–4 in the Grand Final. Warrington and Huddersfield Giants were accepted into the Super League.
POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Warrington Wolves (C)16151064892556302Barrow16123132524679253Stanningley15951330190140194Huddersfield Giants15690224328-104125Widnes Vikings14581114259-145116Leigh Miners Rangers Ladies14392166280-11487Oulton Raidettes14392114358-24478Hull FC142111160328-1683Deductions Hull FC: 2 point for two forfeits Oulton Raidettes: 1 point for forfeit 2019 play-offs
Source:
2020 season Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 season Leigh Miners Rangers defeated Barrow Raiders 10–6 in the Grand Final. Barrow and Leigh joined the Super League in 2022.
POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFDIFF%WP%PTS1Leigh Miners Rangers Ladies (C)141022292116251.72251.7278.57222Barrow Raiders Ladies14941312160195.00195.0067.86193Widnes Vikings12741220146150.68150.6862.50154Stanningley13661204190107.37107.3750.00135Oulton Raidettes1146112817871.9171.9140.9196Hull FC1037013619868.6968.6930.0067Halifax Panthers12111010841226.2126.218.3328Keighley Cougars0000000.000.000.000 2021 play-offs
Source:
2022 season Oulton Raidettes defeated Salford Red Devils 33–14 in the Grand Final. Salford replaced Wakefield Trinity in the 2023 Super League.
POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Salford Red Devils151410542136406282Oulton Raidettes (C)141211403152251253Warrington Wolves Lunas151041390229161214Stanningley1468033426866125Hull KR15690310410-100126Dewsbury Moor Ladies13490256354-9887Hull FC142120144416-27248Widnes Vikings142120146560-4144
2023 season Hull KR defeated Oulton Raidettes 30–16 in the Grand Final.
POSCLUBPWLDPFPADIFFPTS1Hull KR (C)201820682202480362Oulton Raidettes201640604244360313Dewsbury Moor Ladies191540512226286304Stanningley191360540244296265Sheffield Eagles181170512298214226Hull FC186111298362-64117Widnes Vikings184122222468-24688Swinton Lionesses184131222550-32879Wakefield Trinity18117068932-864-110Warrington Wolves Lunas183150242376-134-3Deductions Wakefield Trinity: 3 points for three forfeits Hull FC: 2 point for two forfeits Oulton Raidettes: 1 point for forfeit Widnes Vikings: 2 point for two forfeits Swinton Lionesses: 2 point for two forfeits Warrington Wolves Lunas: 9 point for nine forfeits
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