# 2009 RFL Championship

The 2009 RFL Championship (known as the Co-operative Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the 1st season of the RFL Championship under its current name and the 42nd season under its current league status.
There was no automatic promotion to Super League due to licensing being used. Qualifying for the Grand Final is a prerequisite for Championship clubs to be able to apply for license in the next round of applications for the 2012–14 period.
The Grand Final was won by Barrow Raiders, who also won the League leaders Shield, beating Halifax 26-18.
Toulouse Olympique were exempt from relegation meaning Leigh Centurions were relegated along with bottom placed Doncaster. Following the completion of the season, Gateshead Thunder were eliminated following salary cap breaches and subsequently relegated, meaning Leigh Centurions retained their place in the Champipnship.

## Table

2009 Co-operative Championship :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Barrow Raiders | 20 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 632 | 361 | +271 | 5 | 44 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 2 | Halifax | 20 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 714 | 476 | +238 | 4 | 43 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 3 | Sheffield Eagles | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 635 | 447 | +188 | 9 | 42 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 4 | Widnes Vikings | 20 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 649 | 438 | +211 | 6 | 39 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 5 | Whitehaven | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 565 | 567 | −2 | 3 | 39 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 619 | 524 | +95 | 1 | 37 | Qualified for the play-offs |
| 7 | Gateshead Thunder | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 610 | 657 | −47 | 3 | 32 | |
| 8 | Batley Bulldogs | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 536 | 620 | −84 | 6 | 32 | |
| 9 | Leigh Centurions | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 426 | 572 | −146 | 5 | 32 | Relegated |
| 10 | Toulouse Olympique XIII | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 556 | 582 | −26 | 3 | 30 | |
| 11 | Doncaster | 20 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 257 | 955 | −698 | −4 | −1 | Relegated |
* ↑ Toulouse were exempt from relegation.
* ↑ Doncaster had 5 bonus points, but lost 9 competition points for entering administration.

## Play-offs
### Eliminators

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance |
| Widnes Vikings | 26 – 21 | Whitehaven | 10 September, 19:30 GMT | Stobart Stadium | | 2,375 |
| Sheffield Eagles | 8 – 32 | Featherstone Rovers | 11 September, 20:00 GMT | Don Valley Stadium | | 808 |

### Semi finals

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance |
| Barrow Raiders | 35 – 12 | Halifax | 17 September, 19:30 GMT | Craven Park | Thierry Alibert | 2823 |
| Widnes Vikings | 24 – 32 | Featherstone Rovers | 18 September, 20:00 GMT | Stobart Stadium | Ben Thaler | 3,296 |

### Elimination final

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance |
| Halifax | 36 – 30 | Featherstone Rovers | 24 September, 19:30 GMT | Shay Stadium | Ian Smith | 2,556 |

### Grand Final

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance |
| Barrow Raiders | 26 – 18 | Halifax | 4 October, 17:30 | Halliwell Jones Stadium | P Bentham | 11,398 |

### Team bracket

| Eliminators | Eliminators | Eliminators | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Eliminator Final | Eliminator Final | Eliminator Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | 1 | Barrow Raiders | 35 | | | | 1 | Barrow Raiders | 26 |
| | | | 2 | Halifax | 12 | | | | 2 | Halifax | 18 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Halifax | 36 | | |
| 4 | Widnes Vikings | 26 | | | | 2 | Halifax | 36 | | |
| 4 | Widnes Vikings | 26 | | | | 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 30 | | |
| 5 | Whitehaven | 21 | | | | 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 30 | | |
| 5 | Whitehaven | 21 | 4 | Widnes Vikings | 24 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 32 | | | | | |
| 3 | Sheffield Eagles | 8 | 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 32 | | | | | |
| 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 32 | | | | | | | | |
    Source:Rugby League Project

## Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in the 2009 Championship season. Statistics include points scored in both league and play-off appearances.
| Player | Team | Tries |
| James Nixon | Barrow Raiders | 26 |
| Jermaine McGillvary | Batley Bulldogs | 20 |
| Shad Royston | Halifax | 20 |
| Gregg McNally | Whitehaven | 19 |
| Paddy Flynn | Widnes Vikings | 18 |
| Ian Hardman | Featherstone Rovers | 16 |
| Ben McAlpine | Gateshead Thunder | 15 |
| Nick Youngquest | Gateshead Thunder | 15 |
| Craig Calvert | Batley Bulldogs | 15 |
| Luke Branighan | Barrow Raiders | 13 |
| Rob Worrincy | Widnes Vikings | 13 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
| Lee Patterson | Halifax | 106 |
| Jonny Woodcock | Sheffield Eagles | 85 |
| Michael Knowles | Gateshead Thunder | 84 |
| Nathan Wynn | Toulouse Olympique | 76 |
| Stuart Dickens | Featherstone Rovers | 65 |
| Gregg McNally | Whitehaven | 65 |
| Ian Mort | Leigh Centurions | 52 |
| Paul Mennell | Batley Bulldogs | 50 |
| Jamie Rooney | Barrow Raiders | 44 |
| Tim Hartley | Widnes Vikings | 42 |

## Attendances

| | Team | Played | Highest | Lowest | Total | Average |
| 1 | Widnes Vikings | 12 | 5,236 | 2,375 | 43,752 | 3,646 |
| 2 | Halifax | 11 | 3,274 | 2,002 | 25,812 | 2,347 |
| 3 | Barrow Raiders | 11 | 3,050 | 1,693 | 25,326 | 2,302 |
| 4 | Toulouse Olympique | 10 | 3,206 | 1,200 | 21,788 | 2,179 |
| 5 | Leigh Centurions | 10 | 2,721 | 1,394 | 19,843 | 1,984 |
| 6 | Featherstone Rovers | 10 | 2,673 | 1,346 | 18,084 | 1,808 |
| 7 | Whitehaven | 10 | 2,708 | 1,175 | 16,698 | 1,670 |
| 8 | Sheffield Eagles | 11 | 1,457 | 809 | 12,546 | 1,141 |
| 9 | Batley Bulldogs | 10 | 1,430 | 580 | 8,952 | 895 |
| 10 | Doncaster | 10 | 1,096 | 275 | 6,693 | 669 |
| 11 | Gateshead Thunder | 10 | 1,033 | 405 | 6,470 | 647 |
| | Total | 115 | 11,398 | 275 | 217,362 | 1,874 |
Rugby League Crowds - 2009 Co-operative Champs