British Colombia RL : 2015-21

2015 seems to have been the year that a consistent season by season league started. If anyone can add additional information about the history of RL in this province, please leave a comment. The 2022 season is a bit sketchy for me as well if someone can assist there too.

Six teams participated with the Capilano Cougars winning the league and doing so undefeated. The next best team, the Vancouver Dragons lost once to take second place. The Abbottsford Griffins were unable to secure a win.

The Cougars and Dragons played in the grand final with the Cougars winning that also, 30-6. 

The Vancouver Thunderbirds dropped out but the other five returned in 2016. Again, the Capilano Cougars won all four league games. In a surprise turnaround, last year's wooden spoon winners came second with just the one loss. It was the Valley Warrior's turn to go winless.

The Cougars won the final again, 48-12 over the Griffins. That was the double in both seasons so was there a dynasty in the making?

The Surrey Beavers went and in came the Kelowna Roosters. The latter took the league, winning all matches. The Valley Warriors got off the canvas and were second. The Griffins went back losing all games.

In the final, the Warriors took the final 20-0! Not bad for the team coming last a year earlier. First year Roosters had a good introductory year.

Kelowna Roosters decided one season was enough and then there were four. Each team played each other twice to make it the longest season yet. The Vancouver Dragons finally took the league title (undefeated) from the Cougars.

They also won their first grand final, 26-24 over the twice winners Cougars. 

The Abbotsford Griffins left after four years of competing, the Cougars appear to have changed their name to Coastal Cougars and the Point Grey Thunder joined the competition.

For the first time, no side went through the league undefeated. The newbies Thunder won the league on their debut season. The Cougars came second. That would usually be the final sides determined but this year semi finals were held. 

The top two from the league won their semis, the Cougars 32-22 and the Thunder 34-14 They then met in the final with the Cougars in their fourth appearance. That experience probably helped as they won their third grand final 38-28.

The five became six when the Whistler Wolves were added to the competition. The Point Grey Thunder won all five matches, the Valley Vipers just three but enough to secure second placing. All teams had at least one victory.

The Thunder went on to take out the double, with a narrow 38-34 result over the Vipers in the grand final. 

If I can find the full 2022 season, it will follow as will 2023. 

Utah RL : 2023

There were four sides participating in 2023 and the matches are listed below in the purple chart.

I did some research on their location which I hope is correct. The Herriman Roosters is in the southwest part of Salt Lake City. Glendale is a suburb on the western side of Salt Lake City. Riverton Seagulls are located in the south of Salt Lake City but I'm not sure there are many seagulls there. The Provo Broncos is slightly south of Salt Lake City, to the right of Utah Lake. 

The final standings to the right had the Broncos as winners. The three games not played earned a single point each (under D). I'm not sure why some matches didn't eventuate. I assume insufficient players or weather conditions. 

The Provo Broncos went on to play the Santa Rosa dead Pelicans to decide the best team in the west. Provo prevailed 36-12. They were stripped of the win due to some major failings regarding players used.

Pacific Coast RL : 2023

This is a new competition formed in the USA on the southwest coast. Los Angeles has two sides, San Diego and Santa Rosa one each. The results of the games are as below. Two matches were not completed, one due to a forfeit and the other due to extreme heat. 

To the right are the final standings. The two matches not played earned each side one point (under D for a draw). The Dead Pelicans were the strongest side, not losing a fixture. They also progressed to a playoff match with the best from Utah. 

To see one of the matches, see below.            Click on the YouTube logo to go there for a larger picture and to see other matches if you wish.

International Test Match Comparison : France RU vs France RL

Rugby league only arrived in France in 1934 but within a few years, it was considered a top nation internationally. It was shamefully banned by the pro-Nazi Vichy government with all assets confiscated. No recompense was paid but RL in France was again prospering in the 1950's anyway. 

Rugby Union arrived in France around the 1870's. It was supposed to be amateur but in due course, the French RU flouted that which led to there being standoffs between them and other nations, international competition suffering. In the 1950's tensions gradually eased and more matches for the Tricolores eventuated.

In the 1960's both codes were playing a similar number of internationals but the French RL was now suffering through internal strife. That meant that the XIII code was losing ground to RU. As RU pursued more internationals, mainly through a consistent Five Nations Championship, RL largely neglected the international scene apart from World Cups.

Three years into the 2020's the contrast in the number of internationals played has become stark. Northern Hemisphere RL needs to get its international act together. Now that France struggles to compete against England yet other NH nations are some way below France, public interest is low in one sided teat matches. That means there is no business case for international matches for a sport already cash strapped.  

Union is blue, league red. The 2020's cover four years only.

Win percentages are somewhat closer than the number of matches played. The RU side of things is fairly consistent apart from a good start to the 2020's. 

As for Rugby XIII, the decline of the game as a whole in France (from the 1960's) is mirrored in the decline in success. The arrival of the Catalan Dragons as a club in 2000 and its entry into the Super League in 2006 seem to have helped the success rate to some degree. More now needs to be done to lift the game in France further.

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, England, New Zealand.

Women's Pacific Series : 2023

In a format I found hard to understand, there were many matches played but no finals games so technically there was no winner of the series. I was waiting for the final to be played before writing this article and then realised it wasn't happening. I will list the games below with a brief comment for each.

Australia 16-10 New Zealand. Australia usually wins these games and despite this being a hard fought match, they came out on top yet again. Halftime was 16-4 and although the Jillaroos were kept scoreless in the second half, the Kiwi Ferns were unable to overturn the deficit..

Samoa 26-12 Fiji. I know little of the relative standards of these teams but Fetu Samoa were too good in this encounter, They led 16-4 at the change of ends and Fiji Bulikula was not able to mount a serious comeback.

New Zealand 28-10 Tonga. The Kiwi Ferns were favourites to win this clash but had to work hard for it. Halftime came with a scoreline of 14-6 in their favour. Mate Ma'a Tonga had a player sent off shortly after the resumption which didn't help their cause. 

PNG 28-20 Cook Is The PNG Orchids were favoured to win this match at home and at halftime the 20-10 lead reinforced that. However, the Cook Is Moana didn't lie down and but despite a late comeaback were unable to catch the orchids.  

New Zealand 12-6 Australia Australia opened the scoring early on and the script looked already written. By halftime it was 6-6 and the Kiwi Ferns went on to win it with a spirited defensive display. It was their first victory over the Jillaroos in seven years.

For highlights of the last match:

Men's Pacific Series : 2023

This series put the three higher ranked nations in the Pacific Cup competition and the three lower ranked sides in the Pacific Bowl competition. Tonga was touring England so they were not part of this.

Pacific Cup: Australia, New Zealand, Samoa.

Pacific Bowl: Cook Islands, Fiji, PNG. 

Pacific Cup: 

Australia 38-12 Samoa. First up were the hosts against Manu Samoa in a repeat of the World Cup grand final a year previously. they quickly took control of the fixture, leading 28-6 when the oranges appeared. It was closer in the second half but the Kangaroos were never at risk of losing this one. 

New Zealand 50-0 Samoa. The Kiwis have assembled a strong squad and while Manu Samoa is competitive (they made last year's World Cup final), they were blown off the park in this meeting. The half time score was 18-0. Most of the spectators were supporting Samoa so not even getting a score was no doubt disappointing for them.

Australia 36-18 New Zealand. In what was a tightly fought match, the Kangaroos were ahead just 18-12 at the break. It remained close until the Aussies scored two tries in the final three minutes to pull away.

Final: New Zealand 30-0 Australia. The Kiwis hosted the final in Hamilton. NZ controlled the half well to lead 12-0 by halftime. Any hope of the usual Kangaroo's comeback didn't materialise. Instead, the Kiwis upped the ante and gave Australia their heaviest defeat ever!

To see extended highlights of the final Pacific Cup match:

Pacific Bowl: 

PNG 46-10 Cook Is. The match was played in Port Moresby and by half time it was already 30-0 to the Kumuls. A few minutes into the second half and it was 42-0 but after that it was a close contest but by then the horse had already bolted. 

Fiji 22-18 Cook Islands. I was expecting Fiji Bati to be too strong for the Kukis but it was a very close game. The Cooks led 18-16 with six minutes to go but a late try got the Bati home. 

Fiji 43-16 PNG. I was expecting home ground advantage and quality to tip the game the PNG Kumuls's way. Instead the Bati lead 19-4 at the turn around after conceding first points. In the second stanza, Fiji raced to a 35-4 lead which ended the Kumul's hopes.  

Final: PNG 32-12 Fiji. The Kumuls raced to a 26-0 halftime lead which was quite the opposite of last week. The second half was a more even contest but never really in doubt.

To see extended highlights of the final Pacific Cup match:

England v Tonga Series : 2023

Tonga Rugby League sise (the Mate Ma'a) has steadily grown in stature in recent years to the point they were invited to tour England for a three match series. Many of the Tongan players are part of the large diaspora that lives in NZ and Australia, which exposes them to a high level of the code. 

England were still smarting from failing to reach the final of the World Cup as hosts the year before. They wanted to prove they they could take on a big Tongan team from the professional NRL competition Down Under. 

England 22-18 Tonga. The first match in the series was very close and it could have gone either way. In the end, England rode their luck and took a 1-0 lead in the series. 

England 14-4 Tonga.  A rain soaked match (what, in England?) was better handled by the locals as they took an unassailable lead in the series. They led 12-0 at the turn around and nulified a possible comeback my Mate Ma'a. 

England 26-4 Tonga. England were determined not to allow any complacency to creep in while Tonga wanted at least one win from the series. The first point was delivered but not the second one. Tonga struggled to fire shots and were outplayed. A bit of niggle too crept into proceedings but in the end it was a comprehensive display by the host team. 

To see the third match below: 

Women's NH International Matches : 2023 (Oct-Nov)

Wales managed to have two matches, one against France and the other opponent England. Wales was unlikely to win either but the experience would be invaluable. That said, the latter match had heavy defeat written all over it. 

France 14-4 Wales. The clash was held in Carcassonne with about 1,000 in attendance. It was the first ever meeting between the two sides. Errors put Wales under all sorts of pressure, leading to a 10-0 lead at the break for the locals. The second half had both sides scoring an unconverted try. The way the game panned out, the result was never in doubt but it did the Welsh defence a good workout. 

England 60-0 Wales. It was always going to end with one outcome and the 20-0 halftime lead was doubled in the second period. Players in Wales need to be regularly exposed to a higher level of the game or this sort of scoreline will be the inevitable result. 

The highlights can be seen below.

UK Championship History: 2000-2023

By having Super League above and League One below, it's inevitable that there will be a fair amount of annual change in participants. Green squares mean the club was promoted, purple relegated, orange ceased to exist in one of the three divisions or at all. The number shows where they finished in the league, fourteen being the highest and reducing one point per placing. 

Both Castleford and Salford have the distinction of twice being promoted immediately back up to Super League after one season in this lower divsion. Featherstone has been here longer than any other club over this period of time. 

Leigh went up to SL three times and came straight back down although it won't be happening a fourth time. Halifax's stretch in this division is nineteen consecutive years with a twentieth season guaranteed. There are plenty of other angles you may enjoy noting in the chart below. 

UK League 1 History: 2000-2023

The League 1 has been largely stable considering many clubs struggle to be financially self supporting. As the sport has recently been getting reduced media earnings at the top, this has adversely affected the trickle down funding for this league. Now its very existence is under threat but that story will be for another blog article.

So looking back on 21st century history, teams have been promoted to the Championship (purple square) or left the league system (orange square) to become part of a lower level league, or ceased existence altogether. The number is where they finished in a season, 16 meaning coming first, 15 second and so on.  

Some of the sides have made a home here, with the London Skolars going back continuously to 2003 but sadly ending that in 2023. Hunslet (south Leeds) is another that has spent much time here with a couple of brief spells in the higher level Championship. 

Footnote: To explain the marks next to some names, Chorley Lynx ++ is also Lancashire Lynx. Newcastle + Thunder are also listed here with the Gateshead Thunder due to proximity. The West Wales Raiders * are also listed with the South Wales Ironmen. Finally, The Midlands Hurricanes ** were also the Coventry Bears.

UK SL Honours Board : 2020-23

By allocating points as to what clubs have achieved on the Super League table, finals series and Challenge Cup, we can get a feel for how they have fared. So how have they gone?

No surprise that St Helens is top and that Wigan is next. The Catalan Dragons at third my be less obvious though. Hull KR ahead of Warrington? A fine 2023 for the Robins enabled that to happen. Maybe next year for the Wire. 

Wakefield has been in the Super League for each of the years below but didn't make the finals and had only one modest cup success. Even Leigh has already gone past them on the chart with fewer years in the big time. Castleford is another club without finals success during this four year period, the cup giving it marginal respectability. York made the list by virtue of a cup run in 2023. 

UK Championship League/Finals : 2023

The 2023 season has concluded and we can look back on what transpired in both the league and finals series. 

League: Featherstone is a small town of 14,000 people but RL is the game there. It has a good on field reputation and was the favourite to be promoted. Toulouse is a city in France with 500,000 inhabitants but it isn't a RL hotbed. Still, it doesn't need to be a to support a team and also a strong promotion candidate. Beyond those two, it was hard to see another club moving up.

The league table reinforced the notion that only two clubs were seriously in the battle for promotion. Toulouse had dropped down from Super League and despite financial issues, was keen to return. Swinton and Keighley had come up from the lower level League 1 so their main ambition was to establish themselves at this higher level.

The top six are shaded in pale blue below, the Halifax Panthers a surprise omission. The two sides to go down as shaded pink, Keighley after one season and Newcastle after three seasons. Sadly, Newcastle won't be going down to the lower level but at best into a regional league. 

Finals: The two top clubs had a week off as a reward for their success. London came fifth but upset fourth side Sheffield 42-0. Bradford (third) as expected overcame York (sixth) 22-8 and the two winners went into the semi finals. 

Semi finals: The big shock was favourites Featherstone were knocked out by a lower finisher in the league. The scoreline of 26-36 doesn't show that a late rally by Fev gave the score some respectability. meanwhile Toulouse predictably won at home 38-20 against a decent Bradford outfit. 

Grand Final: Toulouse earned the right to play at home, being the higher placed in the league. That was an advantage but London were a team in form so this was going to be a tough encounter. Toulouse led 12-0 after the first quarter and 14-4 at the break. However, they were nilled in the second half and were run down by London.

Three away games through the finals series is a tough way to do it. That's what it took London to get promoted back to SL. Where to for Toulouse now? If it's financially able, another crack next year but now having to overcome Wakefield and Fev to do so. 

UK SL Final Series: 2023

The top six teams progressed to the finals series. The Wigan Warriors and Catalan Dragons had the first week off as the two top sides from the league competition. Four sides from Lancashire, one from Yorkshire and one from France.

First round: Hull KR hosted the Leigh Leopards, the latter looking a bit jaded after a massively overachieving first season back in the elite competition. Hull KR overachieved too but not as much and years of time at this level. It was a repeat of the cup final (narrowly won by Leigh) but KR were comfortable enough winners.

In the other match, Saints welcomed the Warrington Wolves to their ground. Neither side were firing on all cylinders but the home team had too much for a game the Cheshire based visitors. A predictable outcome.

Semi Finals: The Wigan Warriors hit form at the right time of the season and that enabled them to overwhelm their Yorshire visitors, ensuring a trophyless year for that county (see picture above). An unusual picture you'd agree. 

Down in the south of France, the Dragons won a tight encounter against a Saints side unusually struggling with the offensive side of its game. 

Final: It was held at the famous Old Trafford Football Ground, not too far from Wigan. The Catalan fans hoped they could go one better than their only other grand final appearance two years earlier. 

In a game where relentless Wigan pressure and Catalan defensive resolve were the highlights, the Warriors were victors and the Dragons can only be frustrated at their inability to put Wigan under pressure. 

So another season ends, with Wigan winning yet another grand final (although their first since 2018 and just their fifth this century). The French club it will be a case of third time lucky. 

Women's UK SL: 2023

The Women's game in the UK had two divisions for the top clubs in 2023. As the women's game evolves, the need to restructure and adapt is necessary as will be the case in 2024. (The picture above is York v Leeds earlier in the season).  

Group 1: The York Valkyrie were comfortable winners of the league, with Saints and the Rhinos the only sides to really challenge their dominance. York won the league in 2022 but failed to take out the grand final. Would they go one better in 2023?

Group 1 Playoffs: The Valkyrie took out their semifinal as expected while the other close encounter went the same way as last season. This put the two finalists from 2022 against each other again. This time it was York's turn to lift the trophy. They won the game decisively, leading 16-2 until the final 80th minute when Leeds got their only try. 

Group 2: Featherstone won the league with Barrow Raiders second. Leigh was third and that trio was a cut above the other sides. 

Group 2 Playoffs: With Featherstone assured of promotion, the remainder played off to see who would join them. There was a lot at stake with a restructuring for 2024 meaning Group 2 would no longer exist. The winner would go to Group 1 and the other sides would drop into a regional setup*. 

Barrow comfortably defeated Bradford so no surprise there. The other, tighter encounter went the way of the favourite Leigh Leopards 28-10. The playoff final was a close affair, Barrow prevailing 14-8.

* That will comprised of four regions. North (West Cumbria, North East England & Scotland), Roses (South Cumbria, Yorkshire & Lancashire), Midlands and South (including Wales). Regional winners will play off against each other and the club that wins that will take on the bottom placed SL team for a place in SL. 

AS Carcassonne XIII League Placings : 2000-23

AS Carcassonne was founded in 1938, and is located in the Occitanie region in the south of France. They are one of the most successful clubs in the French Rugby league, having won eleven French championship titles and fifteen Lord Derby Cups. They have as a nickname the Canaries.

Apart from the 1980's and latter 1990's they have been consistently challenging for titles. They weren't in the top flight for one season when the century commenced but soon fixed that and progressively improved as the past two decades unfolded. 

They won the league in 2015 and 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023 (there was no winner in 2020). They won a grand final in 2011-12 but that title has proved elusive for the club otherwise over the past few decades. 1991-92 was the previous success. Five Lord Derby Cups have graced the trophy cabinet since 2010. Their recent success is impressive indeed.

XIII Limoux Grizzlies League Placings : 2000-23

XIII Limoux Grizzlies in the Aude area in southern France. They play in the Elite One Championship. The club was formed in 1951 after a disagreement with the French Rugby union. Despite that long history, it has been in the last decade it has enjoyed its greatest successes. 

It wasn't doing that well in the year 2000 but incremental improvements can be observed in the chart below as time passed. They took the league title in 2008-09 and 2013-14 seasons. A Lord Derby Cup and grand finals in 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2017-18 were also achieved. 

A couple of seasons in the middle were uncharacteristic hiccups in an otherwise profitable time for the club. They won the league in 2022, the first time since 2014. 

The following year (2022-23) was almost as good, with a second placing as shown below. They also reached the semi final of the Lord Derby Cup in 2023 and won the grand final of the playoff series. Not a bad season then. 

Lézignan Sangliers League Placings : 2000-23

FC Lézignan XIII or the Lézignan Sangliers joined the XIII code in 1939, The timing wasn't great as the pro-Nazi Vichy government banned the sport and they were forced to play the XV man game. They got back when they could and resumed their brief Rugby league existence. 

They enjoyed winning titles and trophies in pockets but it was from the 2006-07 season things really kicked off. In 2007-08, they won both the league and grand final. The next year a second in the league and another grand final. To top that off, in 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons they won the league, cup and grand final treble! 

Things then settled down although a cup trophy in 2014-15 and a league title in 2016-17 was followed by the grand final victory in the 2021 season just passed. Certainly, a club that is at the top of the French XIII scene. They must have a good youth development system in place as well.  

Racing Club Albi XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Racing Club Albi XIII (once named Racing Club Albigeois XIII) yet more recently also going by the name of Albi Tigers are a team in Albi in the Occitanie region. Commencing in 1934 as a foundation club (the second club formed) they were most successful in the 1950's but had a good spell in the 1970's too. After the forced merger with a Rugby Union during the shameful Vichy era, they returned to the forbidden game as soon as possible. 

Fast forward to this century and there weren't in the top flight. Moments in 2002 plus 2008 but regularly since 2016. They have nestled nicely into mid-table status. 

That continues down to the 2022-23 season. The top sides are still proving a tough nut to crack. A losing finalist in the  2023 cup final was a fine result. 

RC St-Gaudens XIII League Placings : 2000-23

RC St-Gaudens XIII or the Bears are based in the town of the same name, in the Haute-Garonne region of south-western France. Founded in 1958, they enjoyed success during the 1960's and early 1970's. They were also doing really well come the turn of the century with some strong league table placings. 

They hit a wall in 2009 and soon after left the Elite league. After ten teams were reinstated in 2016-17, they were back but not with a bang. Clearly, the move back to the top hasn't been an easy one but at least they are giving it a go. 

Two consecutive years with the wooden spoon. That's one angry bear! The response was a 6th place finish so a real positive for a club that was really firing earlier this century. 

Sporting Olympique Avignon League Placings : 2000-23

Sporting Olympique Avignon or the SO Avignon Bisons are situated in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. I spent a few days there some years back and really enjoyed it. It became part of the Rugby XIII family after the ban on the code by the Vichy government came to an end. Four Lord Derby Cup wins were all the club could muster coming into this century. 

Has that improved? C'est vrai. They took the cup in the 2012-13 season. In addition, although not winning the league title itself, they came from fourth to take their first and only grand final to date in the 2017-18 season. That must have been something for the club to take much pride in. 

The club has been consistent in where it finishes in the league. They made the semi finals of the 2023 cup competition. It is just short on the quality needed to be a top side but good enough to be competitive. 

St Estève Catalan League Placings : 2000-23

XIII Catalan was a foundation club back in 1934 and was very successful apart from much of the 1960s. St Estève XII was founded in 1965 and also enjoyed much success in the 1980s and 1990s. These two high fling entities decided to merge in 2000 and form the Union Treiziste Catalane Club or UTC for short. This is now known as the St Estève Catalan Club which the article is about. 

From the beginning of the merger, these two previous heavyweights of French Rugby league were going to have an impact. High league finishes along with league titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005 were a good start. Lord Derby Cup wins in 2001, 2004 and 2005 were also impressive. In 2005, their first grand final as a combined outfit gave them the treble that year. 

In 2006, the club was admitted into the Super League competition in England. They retained a team in the Elite 1 top flight domestic league but after the move into the English competition, the level of achievement slipped at home. The 2012-13 season saw a return to a higher standard. This culminated in taking the league title in 2018 and the grand final the following season. 

The last three years has produced a consistent decline in where the club is finishing in the Elite One league. I'm not sure why but the league they play in is competitive so it could just be the usual ebbs and flows that happen in any competition.  

Toulouse Olympique XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Toulouse Olympique XIII was founded in 1937, three years after the game arrived in the country. It's in the Haute-Garonne department in the region of Occitanie, south-west France. It was forced to play Rugby Union during the rule of the Vichy government. Success on the Rugby league field in terms of trophies hasn't come about often.

For the season 1999-2000, the club came from fourth in the league to win the grand final. It did the same in 2013-14 and the following season as well, after coming second in the league on both occasions. It pulled out of the elite division to concentrate on playing Championship Rugby league (second division) in England in seasons 2009 and 2010. 

It returned to the Championship in 2016 and has remained since then but this time retained Elite One status with a second side. Having a team playing in an English competition as well as another in France since 2017 has tested their depth as that second string team has not been that successful. It provides depth in players within the club and adds another side to the top flight league in France, something badly needed. 

Villeneuve XIII Léopards League Placings : 2000-23

Villeneuve XIII Léopards are based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the Aquitaine region in southern France. Formed in 1934, they were apparently the first French rugby league club. As with all the other clubs, the Vichy government banned the RL operation and they were forced to play rugby union under a new club name. Villeneuve came home to its sporting roots and in due time led to a most successful era from 1996 to 2003. 

Between 2000 and 2003 they won the league plus three grand finals from 2001 to 2003 plus a second league placing in 2002. In 2005 they experienced bankruptcy and a new club was quickly formed so they managed to retain their place in the top flight. They got a wooden spoon in 2008 but fought back. In 2015 the club faced closure again but donations from supporters saved the club from oblivion.

Recent results haven't been up much of their historical achievements but it's better to keep within financial limitations and remain viable than chase titles that put the club at risk. 2023 brought their second wooden spoon of this century but they battle on. 

Baroudeurs de Pia XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII or SM Pia XIII are from the Pyrénées-Orientales region of southern France. It also is called Baroudeurs de Pia XIII which all sounds rather confusing. The club was formed in 1960 but it took until the 1990's to become a force in the game. By the year 2000, they were competing well in the Elite One league. 

From 2003 (no 2002 to refer to sorry) they were always near the top of the ladder, winning the league in 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2013. In the 2012-13 season, they also took the grand final as well for good measure. After these fine results, they announced that the club would be voluntarily leaving the top flight.  They would drop down to the bottom tier so they could remain within their means. 

Those means were now strong enough for a return to the top flight in French RL and a creditable fifth placing was achieved. There is still some kick in the donkey!

Wigan Warriors League Placings : 2000-23

The club from Wigan in Lancashire has a record second to none in UK Rugby league. It has also produced many fine players as well. In the 21st century, it has maintained a record of success as well. Despite that record, they went through a few coaches in the noughties although not always of their doing. 

In the year 2000, the coach was Frank Endacott who was completing a spell from 1999. He was Super league coach of the year in 2000 but sacked in 2001, such is the life of a sports coach. Stuart Raper took over until during the 2003 season but decided to return home to Australia. 

Mike Gregory then had a year before sickness tragically cut that short. Denis Betts also had a year but had to make way for Ian Millward who had left St Helens. In 2005, Wigan missed the SL playoffs for the first time and after a poor start to 2006 Millward was sent on his way. Brian Noble came in and got the club out of relegation trouble and generally steadied the ship. He then decided to depart at the end of 2009.

Michael McGuire came in for the 2010 season and they won the league for the first time in ten seasons. he was named SL coach of the year for his efforts. After another successful season, he chose to return to Australia. Local lad Shaun Wane took the reins for 2011 and had a reasonably good run until he decided to move on at the end of the 2018 season after winning the grand final. He won the league in his first year as coach but couldn't manage that again. 

Former Wigan and PNG international player Adrian Lam took over in 2019 on a temporary basis and then became the permanent head coach. The success for the club continued with a league title in 2020. The incumbent coach Matt Peet has continued the success of his predecessors, the 2023 league title confirming that. 

Catalan Dragons League Placings : 2000-23

The Catalan Dragons are a club based in the city of Perpignan located in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the south of France. The club was formed in the year 2000 with a merging of XIII Catalan and AS Saint-Estève (which is just outside Perpignan). 

On gaining entry into Super League in 2006 they were given a three-year exemption from relegation. That proved a life-saving and sensible initiative as the club came last in its first year. It picked up after that but was spared relegation again in 2010 when from the year previous there was an increase to fourteen teams, licencing, and a temporary cessation of relegation.

The first coach was Michael Potter who did rather well with the new team. He was named Super League coach of the year in 2008. He moved on and was succeeded by Kevin Walters who despite the team just squeezing into the top eight, got to within one game of the grand final. 2010 wasn't so good and he returned home to Australia. 

Another Australian arrived as coach in Trent Robinson. As a fluent French speaker, he worked to create a more local flavour into the club, one with several overseas players. He also had two French assistants in Laurent Frayssinous and Jérôme Guisset which would have helped that process. Robinson was named the Super League coach of the year in 2011 but he then went back to Australia. 

Laurent Frayssinous took over as head honcho from 2013, with modest results culminating in a poor season in 2017 costing him his position. In came Yorkshireman Steve McNamara who had spent some time in Australia as an assistant coach. I had misgivings about the appointment he has fashioned a team that steadily improved each season. They won the league in 2021 and nearly replicated that two years later. 

St Helens RLFC League Placings : 2000-23

This is a club that owns the league like no other. This is the most successful side in the league over the time of the graph below and before. How could another team match that sea of red? So much so that coming third is almost an anticlimax. A foundation Rugby league club in 1895, early success largely eluded it but from the mid 1950's it got into gear. 

Throughout the 21st century, it hasn't had a duff season. 6th in 2017 must have seemed like a disaster to fans. For all the success, the number of coaches the club has had is a surprise, Ian Millward was the longest serving. Overall the league titles, grand final appearances and cup finals are too numerous to itemise here, suffice to say they were plentiful. Kristian Woolf and Paul Wellens have maintained the high standard one could expect. 

On the subject of current coach Wellens, no one could be more passionate about the club than he is but was lacked experience when he took the helm. However, winning the World Club Challenge over a crack Penrith (Australia) side gave the 2023 season a kickstart. Some indifferent form followed but they soon hit their straps and went close to winning the league title. As you would expect.

Hull Kingston Rovers League Placings : 2000-23

The club from Kingston upon Hull on the east side of the city came into Rugby league a few years after its inception. Nicknamed The Robins due to their colours of red and white, success at lifting silverware has largely eluded them. The end of the 1970's and up to the mid 1980's was their moment in the sun. 

In this series, Hull KR wasn't in the top flight until 2007, when under the coaching of Justin Morgan they finally cracked the big time. His 178 game tenure was a successful run as they not only stayed up but also achieved some decent league finishes. After his departure, Craig Sandercock took over but was replaced as the downward trend started.

Chris Chester tried to resurrect the club's fortunes but while not coming last, the playoff series employed at that time had them demoted to the Championship. Tim Sheens took the reigns but poor results were now part of the norm. Tony Smith then tried to do something but after a wooden spoon in 2020 (but without relegation), things improved. 

However, the club parted company with Tony, and in came Wille Peters who has lifted the club to its best finish since 2009. They also made the cup final in 2023 as well so happy times for the eastern side of Hull.

Leigh Leopards League Placings : 2000-23

I usually wouldn't put a club into such an article with such limited top flight exposure. That said, the amazing season that was 2023 meant I decided to throw away the unofficial rulebook I use. Looking over the scant pickings below, they were a tad unlucky in 2017 when they didn't come last in the league but were relegated anyway. A playoff system was then in place which they were unable to survive. 

Adrian Lam more recently came from Wigan to coach a team struggling to get into and remain in the top flight once they got there. An all too familiar plight for clubs wanting a chance in the big time. I was one of many expecting yet another false dawn but how wrong could I be?

They were up challenging with the best in the league and then took out the Challenge Cup as well! Qualification for the playoffs was the cherry on the cake. The owner is too emotionally involved with the club's fortunes so needs a find a way to address that issue.