UK Rugby League Quiz : 20th Century

 Here are a few questions you may be interested in answering. The answers appear below. All of the questions are confined to the 21st century only.

Questions:

1) Which club had the longest continuous participation in the Super League grand finals (division one), without promotion or demotion?

2) Which club had the longest continuous presence in the Championship (division two), without promotion or relegation?

3) Which club had the longest continuous presence in League One (division three), without promotion or demotion?

4) Which Club has reached the Challenge Cup quarter finals more often than any other.

Answers below.

Picture source: Hull FC.

Answers: 

1) St Helens. They have been in every finals series going back to the year 2000. Wigan are the closest, having missed out twice, in 2005 and 2006. 

2) Batley. They entered for the 2002 season and have been there up to and including 2024. Halifax ran them close but their first year was 2004. 

3) London Skolars. They were part of this league every year from 2003 to 2023, when they demoted themselves to a regional league. No other side comes close in terms of uninterrupted participation. 

4) Wigan. 21 cup quarter final appearances. St Helens and Warrington have managed 20 each. Wigan didn't miss more than one year in succession and that consistency makes them top of this list. 

UK League One Attendances : 2022-24

Trying to collate attendance numbers for the UK's third division or League One is not easy. Clubs come and go as do the number of teams competing. In 2022, there were eleven sides, 2023 ten and 2024 nine. This issue is being addressed, with eleven clubs in 2025 and twelve in 2026 which is the number being targeted.

The Total figure below is the total average of all clubs. The average figure is the Total figure divided by the number of clubs participating. 

Six clubs have been present over the three years. Oldham had a huge increase in 2024 and Rochdale slightly less overall but nice growth. Midland has also gained. Cornwall started in 2022 and a honeymoon first year held up well in 2023. For 2024 only two game's attendances were provided and the average is based on them. Has it really crashed that much?

Keighley went up a division for 2023 and came straight back down but fewer attendees in 2024. The London Skolars dropped to a lower regional division and West Wales ended I believe. Newcastle also came down a division and is doing it tough. They too provided few attendance figures so again estimates for the missing fixtures have been applied. 

League One has lost funding in recent times and they have done well to adapt and survive. Getting more sides into the league will hopefully reduce the byes that were used in 2024.

Picture source: Oldham RLFC.

UK Clubs Ranked : 1960/1 - 2024

I have created here a history of the top performing clubs in UK Rugby League. To the left are the top six clubs, two each from Lancashire (green), Yorkshire (blue) and Cheshire (red). 

They are scored 6,3,2,1 for the top four league placings. The Challenge Cup 6 and 3 for the finalists. The finals 6,4,2 and 2 for the last four. For winning the World Club Challenge, the UK's top club against Australia's, 4 points. 

There are other points for defunct competitions, the Regal Trophy 4 and 2. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Cups plus the BBC Floodlight Trophy 3 and 1. I could have scored them all three and one but rated the Regal Trophy slightly higher. 

Scoring it slightly higher favoured Wigan as it happens but I'm not a fan of any club in particular so completely impartial. 

In 2024, Wigan scored 22 points, 18 in the UK and four in the World Club Challenge. Warrington and Hull KR 7 each, Leigh 2 and Salford 1. 

To the left is the complete list of successful clubs, divided into regions. Yorkshire is the leading region (43.1%), thanks in part to having the most clubs but also some top club contributions.

Lancashire is next (41.1%), closing in on the top spot for a region, based on the two most successful clubs in Europe. 

Cheshire (13.3%) has only two clubs but both have delivered, Warrington the one of late. France (1.4%) arrived in 2006, Cumbria (0.5%) has seen better days and the South barely registering via London.