Wikipedia

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.

Wheelchair Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 RFL Wheelchair Championship
SportWheelchair rugby league
Founded2020; 4 years ago (2020)
First season2021
No. of teams14
Country England
 Scotland
 Wales
Most recent
champion(s)		 Sheffield Eagles
(2024)
Most titles North Wales Crusaders (2 titles)
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toRFL Wheelchair Super League
Domestic cup(s)Wheelchair Challenge Cup
Official website[1]

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

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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

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The following is a summary of Wheelchair Championship seasons:[1]

Key

  Promoted to next season's Super League
  Withdrew from Championship

2020 season

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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 season

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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
  • Hereford Harriers 75–32 Warrington Wolves[2][3]

2022 season

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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

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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

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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)

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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 season

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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]

2024 season

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The 2024 season saw the Championship split into 3 regions.

Championship East

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POS CLUB P W L D PF PA DIFF PTS
1   Sheffield Eagles 8 8 0 0 756 88 465 16
2   York Knights 10 6 2 0 398 162 236 12
3   Bradford Bulls 10 4 4 0 170 276 -106 8
4   Hull KR 10 2 6 0 231 468 -237 4
5   Wakefield Trinity 10 0 8 0 108 466 -358 0

Championship West

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POS CLUB P W L D PF PA DIFF PTS
1 Hereford Harriers 8 7 1 0 514 174 340 13
2   North Wales Crusaders 8 6 2 0 488 251 237 12
3   Warrington Wolves 8 4 4 0 430 348 82 8
4   Rochdale Hornets 8 2 6 0 275 527 -252 4
5   Widnes Vikings 8 1 7 0 200 607 -407 1

Championship South

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POS CLUB P W L D PF PA DIFF PTS
1 Gravesend Dynamite 6 6 0 0 514 92 422 12
2 Woodlands Warriors 6 4 2 0 214 204 10 8
3 Brentwood Eels 6 2 4 0 158 344 -186 4
4   Bedford Tigers 6 0 6 0 140 386 -246 0

Playoffs

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East v West Qualification match
21 September 2024
North Wales Crusaders   126-0   York Knights
Playoff Semi Final
28 September 2024
11:45
Sheffield Eagles   48-38   North Wales Crusaders
Tries: Ben Simpson (13), Stephen Reilly (18, 46, 51, 63), Joe Wink-Simmonds (27, 55), Will Brooks (47), Chris Haynes (61)
Goals: Joe Wink-Simmonds (5/6), Ben Simpson (1/2), Will Brooks (0/1)
 Tries: Jonathan Gill (4, 44), Matthew Turner (33, 42, 78), Stuart Williams (37), Harry Jones (58), Martin Turner (67)
Goals: Martin Turner (2/5), Harry Jones (1/3)
English Institue of Sport, Sheffield
Attendance: 63
Playoff Semi Final
28 September 2024
12:30
Hereford Harriers 16-40 Gravesend Dynamite
Championship Grand Final
13 October 2024
14:30
Sheffield Eagles   38-36 AET Gravesend Dynamite
Tries: Will Brooks (2, 32, 60, 67), Stephen Reilly (28, 63), Joe-Wink-Simmonds (74)
Goals: Joe-Wink-Simmonds (5/7), Ben Simpson (0/1)
 1st: 16-12
2nd: 36-36
 Tries: Dan Grant (13, 76), Max Owen (20, 46), Reuben Bunning (43, 69)
Goals: Dan Grant (6/6)
Drop goals: Dan Grant (0/1)
Allam Arena, Hull
Player of the Match: Stephen Reilly

Titles

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Season Champions Score Runners-up League Leaders' Shield
2020 Tournament abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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 Crusaders
2024   Sheffield Eagles 38-36 Gravesend Dynamite   Sheffield Eagles, Hereford Harriers, Gravesend Dynamite

Grand Finals

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Team Winners Runners-up
  North Wales Crusaders 2 (2022, 2023)
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

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Club No. Years
Hereford Harriers 2 2021, 2024
North Wales Crusaders 2 2022, 2023
Gravesend Dynamite 1 2024
Sheffield Eagles 1 2024

References

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  1. ^ "Match Centre". Rugby-League.com.
  2. ^ "Wheelchair Championship Final". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3295. 10 September 2021. p. 27.
  3. ^ "Betfred Wheelchair Super League Grand Final – a War of the Roses". RFL. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Wheelchair Season Phase 2 starts". Sheffield Eagles. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Crusaders celebrate winning RFL Wheelchair Middle 5s Final". Wales Rugby League. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Gravesend Dynamite beat Woodlands Warriors 58-23 to win RFL Wheelchair Rugby League South Championship". Kent Online. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Betfred Wheelchair Super League Grand Final – Leeds Rhinos 42 Wigan Warriors 50". RFL. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
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