1995–96 Rugby Football League season
The 1995–96 Rugby Football League season was the 101st season of rugby league football. Eleven English teams competed from August 1995 until January 1996 for the Stones Bitter Centenary Championship. The season was kept brief to accommodate the first season of the forthcoming new Super League competition, which would see top-level rugby league in the UK changed to a summer sport. It was also punctuated by the 1995 World Cup which took place in Britain throughout October. The 1996 Challenge Cup rounds started immediately after the Centenary Championship and the final was played in summer, during Super League I.
| 1995–96 Rugby Football League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Centenary Championship |
| Duration | 20 Rounds |
| Teams | First Division: 11 Second Division: 11 Third Division: 11 |
| Highest attendance | 19,526 Wigan vs St. Helens (26 Dec 95) |
| Lowest attendance | 761 London Broncos vs Sheffield Eagles (17 Dec 95) |
| Broadcast partners | Sky Sports |
| First Division | |
| Champions |  Wigan |
| Top point-scorer(s) |  Bobbie Goulding (285) |
| Top try-scorer(s) | Martin Offiah (28) David Plange (28) |
| New franchise | |
| Awarded to |  Paris Saint-Germain |
| Second Division | |
| Champions |  Salford |
| Third Division | |
| Champions | Hull Kingston Rovers |
Season summary
- Stones Bitter Centenary League Champions: Wigan (17th title)
- Silk Cut Challenge Cup Winners: Final played in 1996 summer season.
- Regal Trophy Winners: Wigan (8 - 25-16 v St Helens)
- 1st Division Champions: Salford
- 2nd Division Champions: Hull Kingston Rovers
Standings
First Division
The top ten teams from the previous season plus the London Broncos competed for the Stones Bitter Centenary League Championship. For the seventh consecutive season, Wigan were crowned League Champions after finishing the season on top of the ladder. No teams were promoted or relegated.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wigan |
20 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 810 | 316 | +494 | 36 |
| 2 |  Leeds |
20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 552 | 405 | +147 | 28 |
| 3 |  Halifax |
20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 456 | 463 | -7 | 25 |
| 4 | St. Helens |
20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 732 | 508 | +224 | 24 |
| 5 |  Sheffield Eagles |
20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 482 | 528 | -46 | 20 |
| 6 |  Castleford |
20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 448 | 566 | -118 | 19 |
| 7 |  Bradford Northern |
20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 418 | 476 | -58 | 16 |
| 8 |  Oldham |
20 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 382 | 535 | -153 | 16 |
| 9 |  Warrington |
20 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 443 | 514 | -71 | 14 |
| 10 | London Broncos | 20 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 466 | 585 | -119 | 14 |
| 11 |  Workington Town |
20 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 317 | 610 | -293 | 8 |
| Champions |
Second Division
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salford Reds |
20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 661 | 278 | 35 |
| 2 |  Keighley Cougars |
20 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 491 | 255 | 28 |
| 3 |  Widnes |
20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 475 | 334 | 27 |
| 4 |  Hull |
20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 571 | 420 | 22 |
| 5 |  Featherstone Rovers |
20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 420 | 431 | 22 |
| 6 |  Whitehaven |
20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 345 | 435 | 22 |
| 7 |  Wakefield Trinity |
20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 346 | 422 | 20 |
| 8 |  Rochdale Hornets |
20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 365 | 483 | 17 |
| 9 |  Huddersfield |
20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 395 | 485 | 14 |
| 10 |  Batley |
20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 302 | 492 | 11 |
| 11 |  Dewsbury |
20 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 261 | 597 | 4 |
Third Division
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
20 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 744 | 231 | 36 |
| 2 |  Leigh Centurions |
20 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 592 | 335 | 32 |
| 3 |  Hunslet Hawks |
20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 514 | 315 | 28 |
| 4 |  Swinton |
20 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 521 | 331 | 26 |
| 5 | Carlisle | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 600 | 309 | 24 |
| 6 |  Ryedale-York |
20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 442 | 415 | 21 |
| 7 |  Bramley |
20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 400 | 434 | 19 |
| 8 |  Barrow Braves |
20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 342 | 488 | 12 |
| 9 |  Chorley Chieftains |
20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 324 | 608 | 11 |
| 10 |  Doncaster Dragons |
20 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 348 | 646 | 10 |
| 11 | Highfield | 20 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 249 | 964 | 1 |
Regal Trophy
Statistics
The following are the top points scorers in the 1995–96 season.[1]
|
Most tries
|
Most goals (including drop goals)
|
References
- Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David (27 March 1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline. pp. 163–7. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
Sources
- 1995–96 Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk
- 1995–96 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com
- Great Britain Competitions 1995-1996 at hunterlink.net.au
- Championship 1995/96 at rugbyleagueproject.org