1992–93 Rugby Football League season

1992–93 Rugby Football League season
LeagueChampionship
Duration26 Rounds
TeamsFirst Division: 14
Second Division: 8
Third Division: 13
Broadcast partnersSky Sports
First Division
Champions Wigan
Premiership winners St. Helens
Man of Steel Award Andy Platt
Second Division
Champions Featherstone Rovers
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division
Third Division
Champions Keighley Cougars
Promotion and Relegation
Promoted to Second Division
Relegated to
National Conference League

The 1992–93 Rugby Football League season was the 98th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1992 until May, 1993 for the Stones Bitter Championship, Premiership Trophy and Silk Cut Challenge Cup.

Season summary

The 1993 Man of Steel Award for player of the season went to Wigan's Andy Platt.

In March 1993, clubs voted to return to a two-division structure from the start of the 1993–94 season, which also included the scrapping of the county cup competitions.[1] The vote also controversially meant that the bottom three Third Division clubs would be expelled from the League, with several clubs threatening legal action against the decision.[2] The three relegated teams (Chorley Borough, Blackpool Gladiators and Nottingham City) were accepted into the National Conference League.[3]

League Tables

First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Wigan (C) 26 20 1 5 744 327 +417 41 Qualification for the Premiership first round
2 St Helens 26 20 1 5 632 345 +287 41
3 Bradford Northern 26 15 0 11 553 434 +119 30
4 Widnes 26 15 0 11 549 446 +103 30
5 Leeds 26 14 2 10 595 523 +72 30
6 Castleford 26 14 1 11 544 401 +143 29
7 Warrington 26 12 1 13 487 450 +37 25
8 Halifax 26 13 0 13 557 505 +52 26
9 Hull F.C. 26 10 1 15 381 535 −154 21
10 Sheffield Eagles 26 10 1 15 405 627 −222 21
11 Leigh 26 9 2 15 410 630 −220 20
12 Wakefield Trinity 26 8 2 16 405 535 −130 18
13 Salford 26 9 0 17 498 725 −227 18
14 Hull Kingston Rovers 26 7 0 19 321 599 −278 14
Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions

Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Featherstone Rovers (C, P) 28 24 1 3 966 352 +614 49 Promoted to First Division
Qualified for Divisional Premiership second round
2 Oldham (P) 28 20 1 7 753 503 +250 41
3 Huddersfield 28 15 0 13 565 548 +17 30 Qualified for Divisional Premiership second round
4 Rochdale Hornets 28 14 0 14 622 607 +15 28
5 London Crusaders 28 12 2 14 534 562 −28 26
6 Swinton 28 10 0 18 409 636 −227 20
7 Carlisle 28 6 3 19 454 721 −267 15
8 Bramley 28 7 1 20 328 732 −404 15
Source: [4][5]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Third Division

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Keighley Cougars (C, P) 24 21 0 3 917 288 +629 42 Promoted to Second Division
Qualified for Divisional Premiership first round
2 Workington Town (P) 24 19 0 5 835 237 +598 38
3 Dewsbury (P) 24 18 0 6 718 291 +427 36
4 Ryedale-York (P) 24 17 0 7 747 335 +412 34
5 Whitehaven (P) 24 16 0 8 696 328 +368 32
6 Batley (P) 24 16 0 8 508 268 +240 32
7 Doncaster (P) 24 14 0 10 564 469 +95 28
8 Hunslet (P) 24 14 0 10 554 498 +56 28
9 Highfield (P) 24 6 0 18 310 915 −605 12 Promoted to Second Division
10 Barrow (P) 24 5 0 19 476 625 −149 10
11 Chorley Borough (R) 24 5 0 19 317 781 −464 10 Relegation to National Conference League
12 Blackpool Gladiators (R) 24 4 0 20 302 958 −656 8
13 Nottingham City (R) 24 1 0 23 181 1132 −951 2
Source: [4][5]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Challenge Cup

Main article: 1992–93 Challenge Cup

The 1993 Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final was played by Wigan and Widnes on 2:30 on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, 1 May 1993 at Wembley Stadium, London in front of 77,684. By coming on as a substitute in this game at 17 years and 11 months of age, Andy Farrell become the youngest player to win a Challenge Cup final.[6] The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was Wigan's Dean Bell.

Regal Trophy

Main article: 1992–93 Regal Trophy

Premiership

Main article: 1992–93 Rugby League Premiership

County cups

Main article: 1992–93 Lancashire Cup
Main article: 1992–93 Yorkshire Cup

Wigan beat St. Helens 5–4 to win the 1992 Lancashire Cup, and Wakefield Trinity beat Sheffield Eagles 29–16 to win the Yorkshire Cup. To date this was final season of the Lancashire Cup and Yorkshire Cup competitions that, except for the break for World War I and World War II (Lancashire Cup only), had taken place annually since their inaugural 1905–06 season.

Rugby League World Cup final

Main article: 1992 Rugby League World Cup final

On 24 October, the Final of the 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup took place at Wembley Stadium between Great Britain and Australia. In front of a record international attendance of 73,631, The Kangaroos triumphed 10–6.[7]

Prior to the Final, the Australian team embarked on a mini 3 game tour as a warm up and selection trial.[8]

game Date Result Venue Attendance
1 9 October Australia def. Huddersfield 66–2 Leeds Road, Huddersfield 4,716
2 14 October Australia def. Sheffield 52–22 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 5,500
3 18 October Australia def. Cumbria Cumbria 44–0 Derwent Park, Workington 5,156
24 October 1992
2:30PM (GMT)
Great Britain  6 – 10  Australia
Tries:

Goals:
Deryck Fox (3/4) 		Report[usurped]
 Tries:
Steve Renouf
Goals:
Mal Meninga (3/4)
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 73,631
Referee: Dennis Hale New Zealand
Player of the Match: Steve Walters

References

  1. ^ Hadfield, Dave (11 March 1993). "Rugby League: League votes for two divisions". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  2. ^ Hadfield, Dave (17 March 1993). "Rugby League: Pilgrim promoted by Leeds". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  3. ^ Hadfield, Dave (1 June 1993). "Rugby League: League losers look ahead to brighter future". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David, eds. (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-96. London: Headline Publishing Group. p. 302. ISBN 978-0-7472-7817-7.
  5. ^ a b Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 303. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
  6. ^ "Farrell switches codes". Telegraph.co.uk. UK: Telegraph Media Group Limited. 2005-03-23. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  7. ^ 1992 Rugby League World Cup final
  8. ^ Kangaroos World Cup Tour 1992

Sources