Champion Schools
Rugby League's Nation-wide School competition
Champion Schools is the Rugby Football League’s flagship school’s competition and the world's biggest Rugby League knockout competition. It is open to all secondary schools across England and Wales. The tournament was re-launched in 2002 and has featured hundreds of schools, thousands of young Rugby League players - supporting the development of the sport's next generation across the length and breadth of the country.
The tournament has gone from strength to strength in recent years, offering opportunities for both boys and girls to experience Rugby League and test themselves from local to regional and then ultimately the national stages; the Year 7 Boys play their final at Wembley Stadium and the Year 10 girls will also have a standalone final from 2023, with the first of these being held at Magic Weekend at St James Park.
For boys, schools compete local and regional activity to win through to the national knock-out stages. Girls compete in festival formats which progress from local to regional and finally national events, before playing a semi-final fixture to decide the two teams progressing to the final.
To get involved, simply contact Andrea.Murray@rfl.co.uk.
The Steven Mullaney Memorial Game
Steven Mullaney, a schoolboy Rugby League player, thrilled television viewers across the country by scoring a superb solo try as Wakefield Schools defeated St Helens 17-0 in the traditional Year 7 Boys curtain-raiser at Wembley, before the 1986 Challenge Cup Final.
Tragically, Steven died in a road traffic accident the following year. As a tribute to him, the English Schools' Year Seven Boys (under 12s) game, was renamed the 'The Steven Mullaney Memorial Game.'
Since then, generations of young players have carried on his joy of playing Rugby League by taking part in what has become an integral part of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final day. And some of those young players have gone on to make their mark on both the professional and international stage.
Famous Year 7 Boys Finalists include: Joe Lydon (Widnes, Wigan & Great Britain); David Hulme (Widnes & Great Britain); Mike Ford (Wigan, Castleford & Great Britain); David Plange (Castleford, Warrington & Great Britain); Denis Betts (Wigan, Auckland Warriors & Great Britain); Bobbie Goulding (Wigan, Leeds, Widnes, St Helens, Rochdale Hornets & Great Britain); Terry O'Connor (Wigan, Oldham, Wigan, Widnes Vikings & Great Britain); Phil Clarke (Wigan, Sydney Roosters & Great Britain); Chev Walker (Leeds Rhinos & Great Britain); Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos & Great Britain).
The showcase fixture gives Year 7 players the opportunity to perform in front of tens of thousands of fans, alongside the possibility of appearing in front of millions of television viewers across the nation.
Champion Schools Roll of Honour
Year 7 Boys | Year 7 Girls | Year 8 Boys | Year 8 Girls | Year 9 Boys | Year 9 Girls | Year 10 Boys | Year 10 Girls | Year 11 Boys | Year 11 Girls | |
2023-24 | St Peter's Catholic High School (Wigan) | St Bede's and St Joseph's (Bradford) | Outwood Academy Haydock (St Helens) | Archbishop Sentammu Academy (Hull) | Castleford Academy | Malet Lambert (Hull) | Standish Community (HS) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy |
2022-23 | Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Hull) | Malet Lambert (Hull) | Castleford Academy | Trinity Academy (Leeds) | Standish Community High (Wigan) | Castleford Academy | St Peter's Catholic High School (Wigan) | Brooksbank (Halifax) | Great Sankey (Warrington) | |
2021-22 | Castleford Academy | St Peters (Manchester) | Ryburn Valley/Standish (Wigan) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Glantaf (Cardiff) | Great Sankey (Warrington) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | St Cuthbert's (St Helens) | Corpus Christi (Leeds) |
2020-21 | ||||||||||
2019-20 | ||||||||||
2018-19 | Great Sankey (Warrington) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Corpus Christi (Leeds) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Brooksbank (Halifax) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | Castleford Academy |
2017-18 | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Corpus Christi (Leeds) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Brooksbank (Halifax) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | Brooksbank (Halifax) | Castleford Academy/Astley (Seaton Delaval) | St Peters (Wigan) | Castleford Academy |
2016-17 | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | St Peters (Wigan) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | Glantaf (Cardiff) | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | St Peters (Wigan) | St John Fisher (Wigan) | Brooksbank (Halifax) | St John Fisher (Dewsbury) |
2015-16 | Castleford Academy | St Peters (Wigan) | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Sirius (Hull)/St John Fisher (Dewsbury) | St Peters (Wigan) | Sirius (Hull) |
2014-15 | Glantaf (Cardiff) | Castleford Academy | St Peters (Wigan) | Castleford Academy | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | St Peters (Manchester) | Sirius (Hull) | Astley (Seaton Delaval) | St John Fisher (Wigan) | Castleford Academy |
2013-14 | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Sirius (Hull) | South Holderness (Hull) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Leigh (Dartford) | Dowdales (Barrow) | Settle (North Yorkshire) |
2012-13 | Royal Grammar (High Wycombe) | St Peters (Manchester) | Honley (Huddersfield) | Deanery (Wigan) | St Edmund Arrowsmith (Wigan) | Leigh (Dartford) | Dowdales (Barrow) | Castleford Academy | St Peters (Wigan) | Castleford Academy |
2011-12 | Howard of Effingham (Surrey) | St Peters (Manchester) | St Wilfrids (Featherstone) | St Peters (Manchester) | St Peters & Pauls (Widnes) | Castleford Academy/Settle (North Yorkshire) | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | Hollingworth (Rochdale) | Sirius (Hull) | Castleford Academy |
2010-11 | Brooksbank (Halifax) | St Peters (Manchester) | St Josephs (Newport) | Castleford Academy | Outwood Grange (Wakefield) | Hollingworth (Rochdale) | Brooksbank (Halifax) | Deanery (Wigan)/Settle (North Yorkshire) | Honley (Huddersfield) | Settle (North Yorkshire) |
2009-10 | Dowdales (Barrow) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Brooksbank (Halifax) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | St John Fisher (Wigan) | Cardinal Newman (Warrington) |
2008-09 | Castleford Academy | Hollingworth (Rochdale) | Brooksbank (Halifax) | Settle (North Yorkshire) | Castleford Academy | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Airedale | Castleford Academy |
2007-08 | Standish (Wigan) | Castleford Academy/Holy Cross (Chorley) | Normanton Freeston (Castleford) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | North Halifax (Halifax) | Airedale | Castleford Academy | Great Sankey (Warrington) | Cardinal Newman (Warrington) |
2006-07 | Normanton Freeston (Castleford) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy | Airedale | Castleford Academy/Holy Family (Keighley) | St John Fisher (Wigan) | Cardinal Newman (Warrington) | Whitehaven (Cumbria) | N/A |
2005-06 | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Castleford Academy | Castleford Academy / Brynteg | Holy Family (Keighley) | St John Fisher (Wigan) | Cardinal Newman (Warrington) | Malet Lambert (Hull) | N/A | St Peters (Wigan) | N/A |
2004-05 | St Peters & Pauls (Widnes) | Airedale (Castleford) | Castleford Academy | Cardinal Newman (Warrington) | St Augustine's (St Helens) | N/A | Airedale | N/A | St John Fisher (Wigan) | N/A |
2003-04 | Wade Deacon (Widnes) | Queensbury (Bradford) | Outwood Grange (Wakefield)/St Peters (Wigan) | N/A | St Cuthbert's (St Helens) | N/A | St John Fisher (Wigan) | N/A | St John Fisher (Wigan) | N/A |
2002-03 | St Augustine's (St Helens) | N/A | St Peter's (Wigan) |
N/A |
William Beamont (Warrington) | N/A | Whitehaven (Cumbria) | N/A | Andrew Marvell (Hull) | N/A |