Ranking every Championship Grand Final winner after Wakefield Trinity’s 2024 triumph

Ben Olawumi 22 Oct 2024 6:45 AM

Leigh Centurions, Wakefield Trinity, Toronto Wolfpack — From left to right: Leigh Centurions (2022), Wakefield Trinity (2024) and Toronto Wolfpack (2019) celebrate wins in the Championship Grand Final - Image Credits: Leigh Leopards, Wakefield Trinity and Alamy

Wakefield Trinity became the latest champions of the second tier on Saturday evening as they swept aside Toulouse Olympique in the Championship Grand Final, winning 36-0.

Having already lifted both the 1895 Cup and Championship League Leaders’ Shield this term, Trinity’s success at Belle Vue against Olympique saw them become the 12th different club to win a Championship Grand Final since the first second tier showpiece in 2003.

It’s worth noting that the tally of 12 doesn’t include those who won a Million Pound Game between 2015 and 2018.

Million Pound Games weren’t officially counted as Championship Grand Finals, with clubs from Super League able to be involved in them.

And strangely, in both 2019 and 2021, official Championship Grand Finals had Million Pound Game branding but were not Million Pound Games according to the game’s history books! Only in rugby league.

Of the four clubs that won a Million Pound Game, four – including Wakefield – are on this list, because they also have at least one Championship Grand Final triumph to their name.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Wakefield Trinity star sets INCREDIBLE new world record during Championship Grand Final triumph

The Championship Grand Final: A brief overview

It’s also worth noting that the Championship Grand Final hasn’t always been a battle for promotion, as is the case currently.

Wakefield’s win on Saturday evening hasn’t earned them promotion due to IMG’s new gradings system. The showpiece was instead for the prize of 0.25 IMG points, as well as the honour of being Championship champions, of course.

The reality is that Trinity will be promoted up to Super League due to their IMG score, and they would have been even if they’d been beaten by Toulouse.

Previously, Licensing – which was in place between 2008 and 2014 – effectively made the second tier’s Grand Final redundant in terms of promotion.

Nonetheless, during that time, Grand Final triumphs still went into the history books.

LRL RECOMMENDS: The clubs set for major IMG grading boosts including Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity

Ranking Championship Grand Final winners after Wakefield Trinity’s 2024 triumph

Here, we’ve ranked all 12 clubs to have won at least one Championship showpiece to date, with only four clubs ever having won the Grand Final in the second tier on more than one occasion.

Of those four, only one has won it more than twice. We don’t do spoiler alerts here, so you’ll have to take a look at the ranking below to see who that club are.

The last thing to let you know before you read on is that there are four clubs who have been involved in at least one Championship Grand Final without winning one. They are Celtic Crusaders (L1), Batley Bulldogs, Whitehaven and Widnes Vikings (all L2).

Without further ado, the ranking in full…

LRL RECOMMENDS: An eye-catching 13 of off-contract Super League stars ahead of 2025 campaign

12. Barrow Raiders – 1

Craven Park, the home of Barrow Raiders

2009 v Halifax

= Featherstone Rovers – 1

2011 v Sheffield

= Halifax – 1

2010 v Featherst0ne

= Hull KR – 1

2006 v Widnes

= London Broncos – 1

🗣️| GRAND FINAL MATCH GALLERY!! 🏆

The best images from the weekends grand-final win against @TOXIII at the Stade Ernest-Wallon! 🐴❤🖤

📸 Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Part 1/2#WeAreLondon 🏉 pic.twitter.com/EJdrqqXVNV

— London Broncos (@LondonBroncosRL) October 16, 2023