Super League wooden spoon winners

The Super League Wooden Spoon was an awarded given to the team finishing bottom of Super League at the end if the rugby league season. The spoon is awarded if there is no automatic promotion and relegation between Super League and the Championship.

History

In the first two seasons of Super League there was automation promotion between Super League and the RFL Second Division. In 1998 however promotion and relegation between The Two leagues was scrapped and Super League became a closed off competition, which meant the team finishing bottom would be awarded the Wooden Spoon. This lasted for three seasons and Huddersfield Giants finished bottom each year and were relegated when relegation was reintroduced in 2001.

In 2008 automatic promotion to Super League was scrapped again in favour of licensing. This meant that Super League clubs would have to apply for a license every four years if they wanted to compete in Super League and Championship teams were also allowed to apply to be promoted. This lasted for six years and saw five teams claim the Wooden Spoon.

In 2014 the Super League announced it was to be reduced from 14 to 12 teams. This meant two teams were to be automatically relegated in 2014.

In 2015 automatic promotion and relegation was replaced with The Qualifiers. After 23 rounds of Super League the 12th placed team was awarded the Wooden Spoon however the bottom four Super League teams would go on to play the top four Championship teams in The Qualifiers to earn a place in the next seasons Super League.

Results

Year

Recipients

Played

Points

1996-97

Relegation in place

1998

Huddersfield Giants

23

4

1999

Huddersfield Giants

30

10

2000

Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants

28

8

2001-07

Relegation in place

2008

Castleford Tigers

27

15

2009

Celtic Crusaders

27

6

2010

Catalans Dragons

27

12

2011

Celtic Crusaders

27

8

2012

Widnes Vikings

27

12

2013

Salford City Reds*

27

11

2014

Automatic relegation in place

2015

Wakefield Trinity

23

6

2016

Huddersfield Giants

23

12

  • Salford Red Devils deducted 2 points of fielding 14 players against Castleford Tigers

Winners

Club

Wins

Winning years

1

Huddersfield Giants

4

1998, 1999, 2000, 2016

2

Celtic Crusaders

2

2009, 2011

3

Castleford Tigers

1

2008

4

Catalans Dragons

1

2010

5

Widnes Vikings

1

2012

6

Salford Red Devils

1

2013

7

Wakefield Wildcats

1

2015

See also

  • League 1 Wooden Spoon