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!

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. 

NRLW Competition : 2023

The ten team regular season ended with the Newcastle Knights on top with eight wins from nine matches. The Roosters, Titans and Broncos rounded out the top four and that elite group progressed to the finals. 

The top four progressing into a straight knock out format of two rounds. In 2022, the Newcastle Club won the grand final in only their second season in the competition. The Sydney Roosters won the league but went straight out, losing their semi final. 

The Brisbane Broncos were the gun side in the early years but had to work hard just to get a semi final berth. The Gold Coast Titans were in their second finals series in their three years of competing. The top side from the league competition the Newcastle Knights took on fourth place Brisbane Brincos. The second best team the Sydney Roosters were up against the Gold Coast Titans who came third.

Round 1: Newcastle had to work really hard to get past an in-form Brissy side. On the other side of the draw, the Roosters fell yet again at this point by being shut out by a gritty Gold Coast team.

Grand Final: Newcastle had the better of the early exchanges but the Titans came back to lead 18-12 early in the second half. Back came the Knights and a try three minutes from the end sealed a tight final. Five tries to three says they were the better side.

Summary: The women's game is coming on in leaps and bounds. Quite a few of the players were in their first season at this level but they are learning quickly. For now, the competition needs to consolidate rather than expand too quickly but more clubs will be wishing to join in the coming years. 

NRL Finals Series : 2023

The top eight sides moved on to the finals series, the reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers from Western Sydney the favourites. In fact, they were going for a third consecutive title. 

Round 1: The top two sides in the league both won their games by generous margins which was an ominous sign. The other two were very close, the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks bid adieu. 

Round 2: Those two comfortable winners had a week to rest and recover while the other four remaining sides did battle. The Kiwi based side overwhelmed their opponent but Melbourne had to really fight to get past a plucky Sydney Roosters. The two vanquished ended their season while the victors moved one.

Semi Final: The best two sides for the year came back from their week off and emphatically showed they were not going to be denied their opportunity in the grand final. 

Grand Final: A tight first half had the scoreline favouring the Panthers 8-6. However, they were trailing 8-24 with only 18 minutes left on the clock. Then came a stunning fightback that had them snatch the lead with only a couple of minutes left.

Summary: Undoubtedly the two best sides made the final, both ending the regular season on 42 points with only goal difference handing the league title to Penrith. The grand final reflected that closeness and again it was the Panthers narrowly winning the contest.