1993-94 Rugby Football League season
Encyclopedia
The 1993–94 Rugby Football League
season was the 99th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1993 until May, 1994 for a number of titles, primarily the Stones Bitter
Championship.
The 1994 Man of Steel Award for player of the season went to Warrington's Jonathan Davies.
This season saw the highest ever away victory in the league when Keighley Cougars beat Highfield 104-4 at the Rochdale Hornets ground on 23 April.
This was the first season since the 1905–06 inaugural season of the Lancashire Cup
and Yorkshire Cup
, except for the break for World War I
and World War II
(Lancashire Cup only), that the Lancashire Cup and Yorkshire Cup competitions had not taken place.
and Warrington all finished the season on top of the ladder with 46 points, but Wigan's superior points differential saw them crowned League Champions for the third consecuive time. This earned them the right to travel to Australia at the close of the season and contest the 1994 World Club Challenge
. Wigan defeated the Brisbane Broncos
and confirmed their position as the dominant rugby league club of the year.
After finishing in second last and last place respectively, Hull Kingston Rovers and Leigh were demoted to the Second Division.
Challenge Cup
final was played between Wigan and Leeds on a Saturday afternoon, 30 April, 1994 at Wembley Stadium, before a crowd of 78,348. Bonnie Tyler
lead the community singing at the match. Wigan's Martin Offiah opened the scoring with a ninety-plus metre try.
Referee: David Campbell (Widnes).
Wigan 26
Coach: John Dorahy
Leeds 16:
Coach: Doug Laughton
Lance Todd Trophy
winner: Martin Offiah (Wigan)
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
season was the 99th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1993 until May, 1994 for a number of titles, primarily the Stones Bitter
Stones Bitter
Stones Bitter is a bitter beer first brewed in 1948 by William Stones Ltd at the Cannon Brewery, Sheffield, England. It was designed for the steelworkers of Sheffield's Lower Don Valley. In 1968 it became a part of Bass Brewery, who extended distribution across the north of England in 1977, and...
Championship.
Season summary
- Stones Bitter League Champions: Wigan
- Silk Cut Challenge CupChallenge CupThe Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
Winners: Wigan (26-16 v Leeds) - Stones Bitter PremiershipRugby League PremiershipThe Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs that operated between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued to operate until 1997....
Trophy Winners: Wigan (24-20 v Castleford)- Harry Sunderland TrophyHarry Sunderland TrophyThe Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in the Super League Grand Final by the Rugby League Writers' Association. It is named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom...
: Sam PanapaSam PanapaSam Panapa is a former rugby league player and coach who represented three countries in his career.-Playing career:A Te Atatu Roosters junior in the Auckland Rugby League competitions, Panapa played club football in Britain for Wigan...
- Harry Sunderland Trophy
- Regal TrophyRegal TrophyThe Regal Trophy was a knock-out competition for British rugby league football clubs between 1971 and 1996.It was initially for professional clubs with the exception of two amateur teams who were finalists of the BARLA National Cup...
Winners: Castleford (33-2 v Wigan) - 2nd Division Champions: Workington TownWorkington TownWorkington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
The 1994 Man of Steel Award for player of the season went to Warrington's Jonathan Davies.
This season saw the highest ever away victory in the league when Keighley Cougars beat Highfield 104-4 at the Rochdale Hornets ground on 23 April.
This was the first season since the 1905–06 inaugural season of the Lancashire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
and Yorkshire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
, except for the break for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(Lancashire Cup only), that the Lancashire Cup and Yorkshire Cup competitions had not taken place.
Stones Bitter Championship
Wigan, Bradford NorthernBradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
and Warrington all finished the season on top of the ladder with 46 points, but Wigan's superior points differential saw them crowned League Champions for the third consecuive time. This earned them the right to travel to Australia at the close of the season and contest the 1994 World Club Challenge
1994 World Club Challenge
The 1994 MMI World Club Challenge was a replay of the 1992 World Club Challenge, with 1993–94 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan facing the 1993 NSWRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos, this time in Australia. Wigan were clearly the dominant club in the English game, having won the...
. Wigan defeated the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
and confirmed their position as the dominant rugby league club of the year.
After finishing in second last and last place respectively, Hull Kingston Rovers and Leigh were demoted to the Second Division.
Championship Final Standings
Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wigan Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
30 | 23 | 0 | 7 | 780 | 403 | 46 |
2 | Bradford Northern Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
30 | 23 | 0 | 7 | 784 | 555 | 46 |
3 | Warrington Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003.... |
30 | 23 | 0 | 7 | 628 | 430 | 46 |
4 | Castleford Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'... |
30 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 787 | 466 | 39 |
5 | Halifax Halifax RLFC Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town... |
30 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 682 | 581 | 36 |
6 | Sheffield Eagles Sheffield Eagles Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009.... |
30 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 704 | 671 | 34 |
7 | Leeds Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
30 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 673 | 680 | |
32 | ||||||||
8 | St Helens | 30 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 704 | 537 | 31 |
9 | Hull F.C. | 30 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 536 | 530 | 30 |
10 | Widnes Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
30 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 523 | 642 | |
28 | ||||||||
11 | Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century... |
30 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 651 | 681 | |
27 | ||||||||
12 | Salford Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup... |
30 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 554 | 650 | |
22 | ||||||||
13 | Oldham Oldham Roughyeds Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895.... |
30 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 552 | 651 | |
21 | ||||||||
14 | Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts... |
30 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 458 | 708 | |
19 | ||||||||
15 | Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006... |
30 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 493 | 782 | |
18 | ||||||||
16 | Leigh Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in... |
30 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 370 | 912 | |
5 | ||||||||
Champions | Relegated |
Second Division Final Standings
Second DivisionTeam | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Workington Town Workington Town Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.... |
30 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 760 | 331 | 46 |
2 | Doncaster | 30 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 729 | 486 | 45 |
3 | London Crusaders | 30 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 842 | 522 | 44 |
4 | Batley Batley Bulldogs Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895... |
30 | 21 | 1 | 8 | 707 | 426 | 43 |
5 | Huddersfield Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C.... |
30 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 661 | 518 | 40 |
6 | Keighley Keighley Cougars Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington... |
30 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 856 | 472 | 39 |
7 | Dewsbury Dewsbury Rams Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the... |
30 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 766 | 448 | 37 |
8 | Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Hornets Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One... |
30 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 704 | 532 | 36 |
9 | Ryedale-York York City Knights York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre... |
30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 662 | 516 | 35 |
10 | Whitehaven RLFC Whitehaven RLFC Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground... |
30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 571 | 473 | 32 |
11 | Barrow Barrow Raiders Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria.... |
30 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 581 | 743 | |
27 | ||||||||
12 | Swinton Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
30 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 528 | 681 | |
22 | ||||||||
13 | Carlisle RLFC Carlisle RLFC Carlisle RLFC were a rugby league team based in Carlisle, Cumbria.-Early rugby league in Carlisle:Carlisle City, based at Harraby Greyhound Stadium close to Gillford Park, were admitted to the Northern Rugby Football Union for the 1928-29 season. They withdrew on November 8, 1928 after only ten... |
30 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 540 | 878 | |
18 | ||||||||
45 | Hunslet Hunslet Hawks Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:... |
30 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 445 | 814 | |
7 | ||||||||
15 | Bramley Bramley Buffaloes Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895... |
30 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 376 | 957 | |
6 | ||||||||
16 | Highfield Liverpool City (rugby league) Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league club from the city of Liverpool in England.-The first Liverpool City - 1906-1907:A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the... |
30 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 267 | 1234 | |
3 |
Promoted |
Challenge Cup
The Silk CutSilk Cut
Silk Cut is brand of low tar cigarette produced by the Gallaher Group. The packaging is characterised by a distinctive stark white packet with the brand name in a purple, blue, red, silver, white or green square....
Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final was played between Wigan and Leeds on a Saturday afternoon, 30 April, 1994 at Wembley Stadium, before a crowd of 78,348. Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
lead the community singing at the match. Wigan's Martin Offiah opened the scoring with a ninety-plus metre try.
Referee: David Campbell (Widnes).
Wigan 26
- Gary ConnollyGary ConnollyGary J. Connolly was a rugby league full back who later played at centre for St Helens, Canterbury Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and for the Great Britain national side. In the twilight of his career, he played rugby union for Irish side Munster.Connolly was a dependable centre capable of...
- Va'aiga TuigamalaVa'aiga TuigamalaVa'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala MNZM is a Samoan rugby footballer. As well as playing for the All Blacks, he represented Samoa in both rugby union and rugby league, playing at centre and wing...
- Dean BellDean BellDean Bell is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach. A New Zealand international representative centre, he played his club football in England, Australia and New Zealand, but most notably with Wigan, with whom he won seven consecutive Challenge Cup finals, a Lance Todd Trophy and a...
(c) - Barrie Jon Mather
- Martin OffiahMartin OffiahMartin Offiah MBE is an English former rugby league and rugby union footballer.He is known as "Chariots" Offiah after the film Chariots of Fire...
(2 tries) - Frano BoticaFrano BoticaFrano Michael Botica is a former rugby union and rugby league player who represented his country at both sports and also played for Croatia in a rugby union world cup qualifying match.-Rugby union:...
(5 goals) - Shaun EdwardsShaun EdwardsShaun Edwards OBE is an English rugby union coach and former rugby league player. He is defence coach of Wales, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach....
- Kelvin SkerrettKelvin SkerrettKelvin Skerrett is a British former professional rugby league footballer. His position was .Kelvin Skerrett was a Welsh international and played at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup...
- Martin DermottMartin DermottMartin Dermott is a former professional rugby league footballler who was capped 12 times for the Great Britain national team...
- Andy PlattAndy PlattAndy Platt is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A Great Britain international representative prop forward, he played for English clubs St Helens, Wigan, Widnes and Salford, as well as in New Zealand for the Auckland Warriors.-Playing career:He started his...
- Denis BettsDenis BettsDenis C. Betts is an English rugby league coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Widnes Vikings in the Engage Super League. He played for Wigan in the Rugby League Premiership and the Australian NRL, for the Auckland Warriors, and also represented England at the 1995 Rugby...
- Andy Farrell (1 try)
- Phil ClarkePhil ClarkePhil Clarke is an English rugby league football commentator and former professional player of the 1980s and 90s. A Great Britain and England international representative loose forward, he spent his club career with Wigan, as well as a stint in Australia with the Sydney Roosters.Phil Clarke is the...
- Sam PanapaSam PanapaSam Panapa is a former rugby league player and coach who represented three countries in his career.-Playing career:A Te Atatu Roosters junior in the Auckland Rugby League competitions, Panapa played club football in Britain for Wigan...
(1 try) - Mick CassidyMick CassidyMichael "Mick" D. Cassidy, is an English former rugby league player. Cassidy is currently the fitness coach for the Widnes Vikings after retring from the game in 2008. Cassidy had a wealth experience with the dominant Wigan side of the early to mid-90s. Cassidy is a Great Britain representative...
- Sam Panapa
Coach: John Dorahy
John Dorahy
John Dorahy is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played in the Australian New South Wales Rugby League premiership and also represented for NSW Country, New South Wales Origin and Australia. Dorahy later played and coached in the English Rugby Football League...
Leeds 16:
- Alan TaitAlan TaitAlan V. Tait is a Scottish rugby footballer and coach. He is currently head coach at Newcastle Falcons and a former rugby league and rugby union footballer who played outside centre for Scotland and the British and Irish Lions...
- Jim Fallon (1 try)
- Kevin IroKevin IroKevin Leslie Iro is a former professional rugby league international footballer who has representated both New Zealand and the Cook Islands. In his domestic career, his achievements include playing in the Challenge Cup final for Leeds, Wigan and St. Helens.Iro is the younger brother of New Zealand...
- Craig InnesCraig InnesCraig Innes is a New Zealand former rugby league and rugby union footballer of the 1980s and 90s. After a successful rugby union career which saw him represent his country he switched to rugby league, playing in both England and Australia, winning the 1996 ARL Premiership, before playing out the...
- Francis CumminsFrancis CumminsFrancis Cummins is a former English rugby league footballer. His position of choice was fullback though he also regularly played at centre and winger.-Early Honours:...
(1 try) - Graham HolroydGraham HolroydGraham Holroyd is an English rugby league player who currently plays for Halifax as a stand off. He rejoined Halifax after a two year spell with Swinton...
(2 goals) - Garry SchofieldGarry SchofieldGarry E. Schofield OBE is an English retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. At the time of his retirement he was the most-capped Great Britain player of all time along with Mick Sullivan, with 46 appearances. He also won three England caps, making him the highest...
(1 try) - Neil HarmonNeil HarmonNeil Harmon is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Ireland, and at club level for Warrington, Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield Giants, Bradford Bulls, Salford City Reds, and Halifax....
- James LowesJames LowesJames Lowes is a British former rugby league player and assistant coach for the Leeds Rhinos. He played for Hunslet Hawks and Leeds Rhinos, but his best years were with the Bradford Bulls, where he won many trophies...
- Harvey HowardHarvey HowardHarvey Howard is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain, and England international representative , he played club football in England for Widnes, Leeds, Bradford and Wigan, and in Australia for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Western Suburbs...
- Gary MercerGary MercerGary Ivan Mercer is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former professional footballer. A New Zealand international representative player, he has spent most of his career in England both playing and coaching.-Playing career:...
- Richard EyresRichard EyresRichard "Richie" Eyres is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer of the 1980s and 1990s who at representative level has played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Widnes Vikings, Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos, Sheffield Eagles, and...
- Ellery HanleyEllery HanleyEllery Cuthwyn Hanley MBE is a British former rugby league footballer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and former head coach of Great Britain, St. Helens and Doncaster. As a player he played most of his games at /, or /. Over a period of nineteen years, he played for Bradford Northern, Wigan, Balmain,...
(c)- Mike O'NeillMike O'Neill (rugby league)Michael "Mike" O'Neill is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Lancashire, and at club level for Widnes, and Leeds, playing at , i.e...
- Marcus Vassilakopoulos
- Mike O'Neill
Coach: Doug Laughton
Doug Laughton
C. Doug Laughton is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football as a , or / for St. Helens, Wigan, Widnes and Canterbury Bulldogs...
Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
winner: Martin Offiah (Wigan)
Sources
- 1993-94 Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk
- 1993-94 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com
- Wigan's record Cup run at news.bbc.co.uk
- Great Britain Competitions 1993-1994 at hunterlink.net.au
- Championship 1993/94 at rugbyleagueproject.org