RFL Wheelchair Championship
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.
| Current season, competition or edition: 2024 RFL Wheelchair Championship | |
| Sport | Wheelchair rugby league |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | England Scotland Wales |
| Most recent champion(s) | North Wales Crusaders |
| Most titles | North Wales Crusaders (2 titles) |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | RFL Wheelchair Super League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Wheelchair Challenge Cup |
| Official website | |
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:[1]
- Key
Promoted to next season's Super League
Withdrew from Championship
2020
The inaugural 2020 season ended up being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic after one round of matches.
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gravesend Dynamite | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 16 | 156 | 2 |
| 2 | Celts | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | North Wales Crusaders A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | West Wales Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Ebbw Vale | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | -26 | 0 |
| 6 | Argonauts | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 172 | -156 | 0 |
2021
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hereford Harriers | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 603 | 46 | 557 | 18 |
| 2 | Warrington Wolves (P) | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 374 | 39 | 335 | 18 |
| 3 | West Wales Raiders | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 74 | 323 | -249 | 6 |
| 4 | North Wales Crusaders A | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 120 | 318 | -198 | 4 |
| 5 | Torfaen Tigers | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 96 | 367 | -271 | 4 |
| 6 | Celts | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 174 | -174 | 0 |
- Final
2022
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.[4]
Championship North
- Phase 1
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mersey Storm (M5) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 406 | 51 | 355 | 10 |
| 2 | Bradford Bulls (P2) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 330 | 117 | 213 | 8 |
| 3 | Dundee Dragons (P2) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 234 | 174 | 60 | 6 |
| 4 | North Wales Crusaders A (P2) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 172 | 242 | -70 | 4 |
| 5 | Rochdale Hornets (P2) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 71 | 233 | -162 | 2 |
| 6 | Sheffield Eagles (P2) | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 442 | -396 | 0 |
- Phase 2
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford Bulls | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 434 | 142 | 292 | 10 |
| 2 | North Wales Crusaders A | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 246 | 150 | 96 | 10 |
| 3 | Dundee Dragons | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 184 | 114 | 70 | 4 |
| 4 | Rochdale Hornets | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 112 | 392 | -280 | 2 |
| 5 | Sheffield Eagles | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 228 | -178 | 0 |
- Final
- Bradford Bulls 68–22 North Wales Crusaders A[5]
Championship South
- Phase 1
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hereford Harriers (M5) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 230 | 97 | 133 | 6 |
| 2 | Woodlands Warriors (P2) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 134 | 113 | 21 | 6 |
| 3 | West Wales Raiders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Gravesend Dynamite (P2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 69 | 73 | -4 | 2 |
| 5 | Argonauts (P2) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 112 | -58 | 1 |
| 6 | Torfaen Tigers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 108 | -92 | 1 |
- Phase 2
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gravesend Dynamite | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 68 | 153 | 6 |
| 2 | Argonauts | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 66 | 136 | -70 | 2 |
| 3 | Woodlands Warriors | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 86 | 169 | -83 | 0 |
- Final
- Gravesend Dynamite 58–23 Woodlands Warriors[6]
Middle 5 (with Super League)
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Wales Crusaders | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 362 | 1115 | 247 | 10 |
| 2 | Hull F.C. (P) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 222 | 203 | 19 | 10 |
| 3 | Hereford Harriers | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 127 | 126 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Warrington Wolves (P) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 68 | 230 | -162 | 2 |
| 5 | Mersey Storm | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 83 | 188 | -105 | 0 |
- Final
- North Wales Crusaders 102–46 Hull F.C.[5]
2023
The 2023 season saw North Wales Crusaders join after being relegated from the Super League.
| POS | CLUB | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | DIFF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Wales Crusaders | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 766 | 138 | 628 | 20 |
| 2 | Wigan Warriors A | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 516 | 350 | 166 | 16 |
| 3 | Sheffield Eagles | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 364 | 500 | -136 | 10 |
| 4 | Bradford Bulls | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 328 | 476 | -148 | 10 |
| 5 | Rochdale Hornets | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 256 | 532 | -276 | 4 |
| 6 | Mersey Storm | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 258 | -234 | -9 |
- Final
- North Wales Crusaders 46–40 Wigan Warriors A[7]
Titles
Grand Finals
| Club | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hereford Harriers | 1 | 2021 |
| North Wales Crusaders | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
Championship Leaders' Shield
| Club | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hereford Harriers | 1 | 2021 |
| North Wales Crusaders | 1 | 2022, 2023 |
References
- "Match Centre". Rugby-League.com.
- "Wheelchair Championship Final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3295. 10 September 2021. p. 27.
- "Betfred Wheelchair Super League Grand Final – a War of the Roses". RFL. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- "Wheelchair Season Phase 2 starts". Sheffield Eagles. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- "Crusaders celebrate winning RFL Wheelchair Middle 5s Final". Wales Rugby League. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- "Gravesend Dynamite beat Woodlands Warriors 58-23 to win RFL Wheelchair Rugby League South Championship". Kent Online. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- "Betfred Wheelchair Super League Grand Final – Leeds Rhinos 42 Wigan Warriors 50". RFL. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.