# 1996 RFL Division One

The 1996 Division One Championship season was the second tier of British rugby league during the 1996 season, and was also the first season of rugby league to be played in the summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995–96 Rugby Football League season.

## Championship

The league was won by Salford Reds for a second successive season, winning promotion to the Super League. The club also won the Divisional Premiership final against Keighley Cougars, with Cliff Eccles winning the Tom Bergin Trophy.
Rochdale Hornets and Batley Bulldogs were both relegated to Division Two.

### League table

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
| 1 | Salford Reds | 20 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 733 | 298 | 36 |
| 2 | Keighley Cougars | 20 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 558 | 333 | 30 |
| 3 | Hull Sharks | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 565 | 392 | 28 |
| 4 | Featherstone Rovers | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 557 | 371 | 26 |
| 5 | Huddersfield | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 557 | 308 | 24 |
| 6 | Wakefield Trinity | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 485 | 455 | 21 |
| 7 | Widnes | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 413 | 447 | 19 |
| 8 | Dewsbury | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 264 | 618 | 13 |
| 9 | Whitehaven | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 328 | 546 | 11 |
| 10 | Rochdale Hornets | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 348 | 602 | 6 |
| 11 | Batley | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 230 | 668 | 6 |
| Champions | Relegated |

## Premiership

* 8 September 1996
| Salford Reds | 19 – 6 | Keighley Cougars |
| Try: Naylor, Blakeley Goal: Blakeley (3) Drop goal: Blakeley | | Try: Cantillon Goal: Irving |
* Old Trafford, Manchester Referee: Stuart Cummings Player of the Match: Cliff Eccles

## Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in Division One during the 1996 season. Statistics are for league matches only.
| Player | Team | Tries |
| Jason Critchley | Keighley Cougars | 21 |
| Nathan McAvoy | Salford Reds | 16 |
| Darren Rogers | Salford Reds | 16 |
| Brad Davis | Wakefield Trinity | 15 |
| Dean Hanger | Huddersfield Giants | 15 |
| Eddie Rombo | Featherstone Rovers | 15 |
| Fata Sini | Salford Reds | 15 |
| Andrew King | Keighley Cougars | 14 |
| Martin Pearson | Featherstone Rovers | 14 |
| Nick Pinkney | Keighley Cougars | 14 |
| Tevita Vaikona | Hull Sharks | 14 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
| Steve Blakeley | Salford Reds | 84 |
| Martin Pearson | Featherstone Rovers | 81 |
| Mark Hewitt | Hull Sharks | 67 |
| Brad Davis | Wakefield Trinity | 62 |
| Christian Tyrer | Widnes | 54 |
| Keith Dixon | Keighley Cougars | 46 |
| Barry Eaton | Dewsbury | 42 |
| Craig Booth | Rochdale Hornets | 26 |
| Steve Booth | Huddersfield Giants | 26 |
| Greg Austin | Huddersfield Giants | 25 |
Most points
| Player | Team | Tries | Goals | DGs | Points |
| Martin Pearson | Featherstone Rovers | 14 | 81 | 1 | 219 |
| Steve Blakeley | Salford Reds | 9 | 84 | 0 | 204 |
| Brad Davis | Wakefield Trinity | 15 | 62 | 3 | 187 |
| Mark Hewitt | Hull Sharks | 1 | 67 | 0 | 138 |
| Christian Tyrer | Widnes | 6 | 54 | 3 | 135 |
| Keith Dixon | Keighley Cougars | 5 | 46 | 0 | 112 |
| Barry Eaton | Dewsbury | 2 | 42 | 1 | 93 |
| Greg Austin | Huddersfield Giants | 10 | 25 | 0 | 90 |
| Jason Critchley | Keighley Cougars | 21 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| Fata Sini | Salford Reds | 15 | 10 | 0 | 80 |